NANAIMO - Local RCMP have started a mischief investigation into a potentially deliberately set fire in the city's north end. Shawn Drew, his wife and their dog were out for a walk around 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 29, along Hammond Bay Rd., near McGuffie Rd. when they started to smell smoke shortly before seeing a perso...

NANAIMO - Interim orders apply to a local massage therapist in response to a complaint from a female client. The patient made the report to the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC (CCHPBC) on Wednesday, April 23 regarding the alleged conduct of Robert Paradis, a Nanaimo-based registered massage therapis...

NANAIMO - Voters appear to have been motivated to cast their ballot in the 2025 Federal Election. Preliminary data from Elections Canada shows voter turnout for both Nanaimo-Ladysmith and Courtenay-Alberni was the highest since the 2015 election. In Nanaimo-Ladysmith a total of 73,388 votes were cast out of 102,177 reg...

NANAIMO - The region's streak of lotto luck appears to be continuing.A ticket purchased in Nanoose Bay won $500,000 on the Saturday, April 26 Lotto 6/49 draw, by matching all four numbers in the EXTRA prize.The winner has a year to collect their prize.Meanwhile, a Nanaimo man is over $200,000 richer after an early Apri...

PARKSVILLE - Gord Johns is heading back to Ottawa for a fourth term as Member of Parliament.In his closest race to date, Johns held off Conservative challenger Kris McNichol by around five per cent of the vote, or 3,000 votes, with a handful of polls still to count as of the end of counting on Monday, April 28.Johns ha...

NANAIMO - After narrowly missing out on victory in 2021 by less than 1,200 votes, Tamara Kronis is heading to Ottawa.The second-time Conservative candidate was elected as Member of Parliament for Nanaimo-Ladysmith during the 2025 Federal Election, defeating the same slate of candidates she faced four years ago.Kronis s...

NANAIMO - Welcome to our coverage of the 45th Federal General Election. Our team is deployed across central Vancouver Island, ready to capture the results and reaction in both Nanaimo-Ladysmith and Courtenay-Alberni. We're delivering a live blog this evening with audio, photos and video from our team in the field. The ...

NANAIMO - A social media scam promising massive discounts on transit in the region is continuing, despite best efforts from operators. Paid social media advertisements have continued on platforms including Facebook and Instagram over several weeks, promoting "six months of unlimited travel in Nanaimo and surroundi...

NANAIMO - All Tim Hortons locations in Nanaimo are united in raising funds for a new specialty imaging camera at NRGH. With roughly $1 million more required to make the new SPECT/CT camera project valued at $2.9 million a reality, the popular cookie campaign will advance the project between Monday, April 28 and Sunday,...

NANAIMO - Local Mounties are trying to identify a woman believed to have stolen money from a bank earlier this year. RCMP report the woman pictured, along with a male accomplice, took an undisclosed sum of money from the Bank of Montreal north Nanaimo branch along the Island Hwy., on Jan. 3, 2025. She is described as C...

NANAIMO - Following a 36-day campaign, election day is here.Polling stations open at 7 a.m. on Monday, April 28 and will remain open until 7 p.m. for voters to cast a ballot for the 2025 Federal Election.Voters can find their assigned polling station by going to the Elections Canada website and selecting their electora...

NANAIMO - The province's civilian-led police oversight agency is calling for more witnesses or dash-cam footage of an attempted late-night traffic stop and subsequent crash.RCMP officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a motorcycle in Nanaimo's downtown area around 11:40 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, according to ...

NANAIMO - There's every possibility a central Vancouver Island riding could be one of the last called on election night. A repeating slate of candidates in Nanaimo-Ladysmith from the 2021 election, which resulted in a three-way race separated by just 2,200 votes, are contesting 2025's vote with a four-way split of a ma...

PARKSVILLE - Prior plans to build a new dressing room for the Oceanside Generals have been put on ice in favour of a revamped approach. An envisioned construction project for a new dressing room beyond the penalty boxes at Howie Meeker Arena is no longer feasible, a recent Regional District of Nanaimo board meeting hea...

NANAIMO - A 42-year-old pedestrian has died after an early morning collision along the Island Hwy.The incident occurred on Saturday, April 26 at around 4:45 a.m. when the pedestrian was struck by a vehicle near the Norwell Dr. intersection of Hwy. 19A.Reserve. Cst. Gary O'Brien said Nanaimo Fire Rescue, BC Emergency He...

NANAIMO - Visitors from all over the United States and around the world have touched down in the Harbour City this weekend, the result of a viral video encouraging visitors to visit the Great White North.Sparked by a viral video in February, this weekend's Nanaimo Infusion saw hundreds of primarily American tourists ar...

NANAIMO - Local police found several guns following a search of an encampment at a central Nanaimo park on Friday, after a man arrived at the hospital suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the leg.Nanaimo RCMP said they believe the shooting occurred around 6:00 a.m. on Friday, April 25, in Bowen Park, near the in...

NANAIMO - An inattentive driver's husband was killed in a single-vehicle wreck where a car hit a road sign, lost control and went airborne before crashing alongside the Inland Island Hwy. near the Alberni Hwy. The driver, Vanessa Caroline Gove, 39, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention for the Sept. ...

PARKSVILLE - One week after police were made aware of a six-figure cryptocurrency scam taking money from a local senior, another resident has suffered a similar fate. Oceanside RCMP said a local individual reported to them on April 3 a scam, which resulted in them losing $130,000 over several weeks to a fraudulent cryp...

NANAIMO - Months after a viral video caught their attention, the American's have finally arrived.Sparked by a viral video in February, this weekend's Nanaimo Infusion will see hundreds of primarily American tourists arrive and stay in the Nanaimo and Oceanside areas to experience some famous Canadian hospitality.Tod Ma...

NANAIMO - Island Health is a week away from opening a clinic to provide timely primary care to thousands of patients. Located on Barons Rd. at Norwell Dr., an Island Health-operated clinic features a multi-disciplinary team which will see patients triaged through a phone-in booking system. Shelley Birchard, Central Nan...

NANAIMO - Fan of vinyl records from across coastal B.C. are making their way to the Harbour City this weekend for the ninth annual Nanaimo Record Show. Once again taking place at the Bowen Park Auditorium from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, organizers are expecting at least 400 people to visit throughout the...

NANAIMO - A serious car crash played a pivotal role in the life of an impactful local high school student, who's eager to make his mark in the world. In many ways, Rocky Sloan already has. He and his family all survived the wreck, resulting in then 11-year-old Sloan being flown to BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver fo...

NANAIMO - Questions around housing affordability, as well as federal commitments to healthcare system improvements, featured prominently in the final all-candidates forum of the election campaign.All five candidates running in Nanaimo-Ladysmith spoke before a packed ballroom at the Coast Bastion Hotel on Wednesday, Apr...

NANAIMO - A 31-year-old local man was fined and and had his vehicle towed and impounded after being caught driving impaired and excessively speeding. The incident occurred on April 14 at around 11 a.m. along the Nanaimo Parkway near the Mostar Rd. intersection when the northbound vehicle sped past an unmarked B.C. High...

PARKSVILLE - The province's independent police oversight agency is looking into potential actions of Oceanside RCMP officers following a March 24 arrest. The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) say Mounties were dispatched to a Parksville motel on March 24, 2025 at around 8:40 p.m. after an abandoned 911 ca...

NANAIMO - A popular seasonal service is returning to the mid-Island this summer. Air Canada will add a non-stop flight between Nanaimo Airport and Toronto's Pearson International, departing every Friday and Saturday night at 11:30 p.m., beginning June 6 and running through the end of August. The inbound flight will lea...

NANAIMO - Eight kittens and adult cats are now under the care of the BC SPCA after being surrendered earlier this month.An animal protection officer took custody of the animals on April 10 from a property in Nanaimo, with the incident stemming from an investigation into irresponsible breeding practices.Eileen Drever, t...