Surfrider Foundation Mid Island has done half a dozen cleanups of beachfront areas and rivers, amounting to over 3,200 pounds of items collected between Ladysmith and Deep Bay.

Sean Gilchrist, member of the Surfrider Foundation Mid Island branch, said their focus is building awareness to connect more with likeminded people.

“We weigh all of the data that we collect once its sorted and we use that information for future policy change on trying to protect our ocean and waterways,” Gilchrist told NanaimoNewsNOW.

The lower Millstone River area was tended to by Surfrider Foundation Mid Island members on April 18 where 320 kilograms of materials were recovered. (Image Credit: Surfrider Foundation Mid Island)

Their next beach clean happens on Saturday, Aug. 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pipers Lagoon Park, marking the second time the well-used park has been attended to by Surfrider volunteers.

Items like buckets, gloves, and garbage-grabbing devices are issued to volunteers.

Volunteer numbers for their cleanups have ranged from just a few people to as many as 30, with growing numbers of people learning about the Surfrider movement, Gilchrist said.

Their hope is to expand to more rural areas of the region, as well as build on a productive underwater cleanup debut staged on May 31 where an alarming number of improperly disposed of items were removed.

“We had a very successful underwater clean-up at French Creek Marina, that’s something we’d like to do more with the local dive communities is get underwater and take out stuff that’s a little more heavy.”

On top of cleaning up foreshore areas, Gilchrist said a critical focus of their local chapter is policy changes.

The Nanaimo resident pointed to critical work by their Surfrider chapter serving the Island’s west coast, which successfully advocated for the ban of single-use water bottle sales in Tofino.

Gilchrist wants the same bylaw adopted in Nanaimo.

Ladysmith’s Transfer Beach Park resulted in 61 kilograms of improperly disposed of materials collected on May 9. (Image Credit: Surfrider Foundation Mid Island)

He said cigarette butts, Ziploc bags, beverage containers and miscellaneous items like broken children’s toys are commonplace at beaches their volunteers have tended to regionally.

“Things I find is mostly from people out enjoying the beach and maybe mistakenly leaving a few things behind.”

People can register for Surfrider cleanup events on site or in advance.

More information on Surfrider Mid Island is available here.

Surfrider Mid Island is part of a registered non-profit charity which distributes tax receipts when monetary donations are made.

The federal government began implementing an aggressive ban on a variety of single-use plastic products in phases, beginning late in 2022.

The ban covers checkout retail bags, plastic cutlery, several types of foodservice containers, six-pack ring holders, and the sale of most single-use plastic straws.

Cigarette Butts lead the list of materials improperly discarded during cleanups. (Image Credit: Surfrider Foundation Mid Island)

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They finished third at their provincial tournament, which, according to team spokesperson and player Sarah Ferguson, was their best ever performance.

“Last year we lost all of our games at provincials. This year we developed a lot and winning bronze was incredible,” Ferguson told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Both the Senior A and Senior B men’s squads made the playoffs in 2026, but failed to advance out of the first round.

Immediately after the provincials, several of the Women Timbermen players participated in another event.

“It’s called the Global Rise International Tournament (GRIT),” Ferguson said. “It’s run by the women’s box lacrosse global network. It’s an international tournament that promotes women’s lacrosse by bringing high-level athletes together. It’s only the second year. I got invited to play for a team, and I suggested to some of my teammates to sign up as free agents. We all got put on a few different teams, and it was a very fun tournament.”

Ferguson was joined by Nanaimo teammates Jenna Krajinovic, Danika Geddes, Sophie Scobie, Ashley MacFarlane and Katie Smith for the four-day event in Port Coquitlam.

Two Nanaimo youth players were also late additions.

Paige and Mia Wagner are only 16-years-old and just entering junior but took to the floor at GRIT against the older and more experienced competitors.

“I have coached these two girls for six years, and they have come a far way with their confidence and skill,” Ferguson said. “They had an amazing experience playing up in an international senior tournament. They were nervous to compete at that level, but they are very good lacrosse players and their skill was amazing.”

There were eight teams in the second annual GRIT event with players from across Canada and around the world.

“There were players representing Scotland, Australia, England, Ireland, Poland, Germany and Japan. A lot of players came to this tournament for the love of the game and to meet new people. Everyone got to play five games.”

None of the Nanaimo athletes made the tournament final, but Ferguson believes most of the players will be asked back next year.

For the group who played in the provincials and then at GRIT, they endured a grueling run of 11 games in just nine days.

Looking back at the season, the Senior Women had 25 players along with the occasional junior call-up.

“We only have four graduating juniors for next year. We try to call up juniors whenever we can if we don’t have enough runners for a game. It helps them with their junior career and once they age out from junior they have a place to play and they know what to expect.”

The Senior Women Timbermen plan to have a full squad again in 2027 with plans for another appearance at GRIT and an even higher standing at provincials.

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Cst. Mark Tyler Hilland, 47, of the Nanaimo RCMP will be sentenced at a later date after entering the plea in B.C. provincial court in Nanaimo on Thursday, Aug. 13, following an incident in July 2024.

In an agreed statement of facts, Crown prosecutor Andrew McLean stated Hilland, a 15-year RCMP veteran, had developed a platonic relationship with a 50-year-old woman, engaging in a number of “friendly, non-sexual conversations,” after seeing her multiple times over the course of a year while on duty.

Agreed Statement of Facts: On the evening of July 2, 2024, Hilland, on duty and in full uniform, was parked in a marked RCMP vehicle at the parking lot of Nanaimo’s John Barsby Secondary School.

It was a regular spot Hilland used to prepare police reports.

The woman, whom NanaimoNewsNOW is referring to as Ms. M, showed up and briefly spoke to Hilland before he left to attend a call for service.

A short time later, Ms. M had a “negative interaction with an unknown male who had propositioned her, which triggered traumatic memories from her past involvement in the sex trade,” according to McLean.

Later the same evening, Hilland returned to the school parking lot where he saw Ms. M sitting nearby.

After approaching her, she indicated she “was having a bad night”, saying someone had been rude to her and her cat was missing.

The two spoke for some time outside his vehicle before Ms. M began to initiate “flirtatious behaviour” with Hilland.

Around the same time, Hilland was made aware of a potentially dangerous call for service, and went to leave the parking lot to support other officers.

Crown said Ms. M then gave Hilland her phone number, address, and door code, inviting him to come over after his shift.

On the morning of July 3, 2024, following Hilland’s shift, he attended the apartment, called Ms. M and was invited into her bedroom, where she was undressed.

Crown said the pair then engaged in consensual sexual activity.

“After engaging in sexual activity, Mr. Hilland told Ms. M that he had to go and he would call her next week. He also asked her about her cat, and Ms. M indicated she had found her cat hiding in her apartment. Mr. Hilland did not call Ms. M the following week, however about one week later, Mr. Hilland was on duty and patrolling past the John Barsby High School [when he saw Ms. M].”

It was at this meeting Hilland said he wouldn’t be contacting Ms. M again, and admitted he had made a mistake.

An angered Ms. M left the scene and reported the sexual encounter to Nanaimo RCMP a week later.

She told officers at the detachment while the sexual act was consensual and Hilland was nice to her overall in the months previous, she was upset that the officer had a family.

Crown’s McLean said Ms. M’s status as a vulnerable individual should have been evident to Hilland.

“Ms. M’s previous history in the sex trade and her communication to Mr. Hilland that she was having a bad day and was distressed indicated that she was a vulnerable person.”

Contested sentencing: A suspended sentence followed by up to two years’ probation and a “substantial” community works order, as well as protection conditions for Ms. M., were requested by the Crown’s McLean.

He pointed to the vulnerable nature of the Indigenous victim.

“The breach in this case was for Mr. Hilland’s sexual gratification…while the contact was consensual, the nature of it was aggravating,” McLean told court.

He said the victim was severely impacted by what occurred but also is resilient, as she’s had largely positive interactions with the RCMP.

McLean said this is the type of offending which should require a criminal record.

“This offence, breach of trust, has the potential to shake the public confidence in core institutions, in this case police…that can impact the public confidence in the administration of justice.”

Defence counsel for Hilland lobbied for a conditional discharge, which would result in no criminal record should Hilland abide by court-imposed conditions for one year.

Attorney Brad Kielmann told the extended half-day hearing his client is married with two children.

Hilland’s first posting with the RCMP was in 2012 in Fort St. James, where Kielmann said Hilland gained a reputation as a hard-working, reliable officer at an understaffed detachment in a highly challenging community.

The officer then transferred to the Gabriola Island RCMP detachment in 2016, where he eventually assumed the role as the detachment’s commanding officer in 2018 for about six months after a colleague suffered a career-ending injury while on duty.

Following his tenure on Gabriola Island, Cst. Hilland made short move to Nanaimo RCMP in August 2019, Kielmann told the hearing.

“It was during this time in Nanaimo in hindsight, Mr. Hilland recognized that he was struggling with his mental health, but he chose to ignore those signs at the time, he was having difficulty sleeping and noticed mood changes.”

Kielmann produced several highly favourable character reference letters to the court, including multiple from past RCMP colleagues depicting a hard-working, well-respected officer and devoted father.

“He had a false belief that seeking professional help would undermine that reputation,” Kielmann said.

Kielmann told court his client has sought extensive and ongoing assistance from a psychologist and was diagnosed with PTSD and major depressive disorder.

Hilland has been off work since July 2024, while he was officially charged last May.

Court heard Hilland has applied for voluntary discharge from the RCMP, and his final day with the force is Friday, Aug. 14.

Emotional apology: Addressing the court on Thursday, Hilland said this one encounter has tarnished a 15-year career on the force, and the event was a mistake which goes against his character and the “person I strive to be.”

“I’m here to take responsibility and be accountable for my actions,” Hilland said while reading a pre-prepared statement.

Hilland said he immediately regretted his actions with Ms. M and understood how they were in conflict with the professional conduct expected from police officers.

“Police should be and are held to a higher standard than the general public, and I failed to maintain that standard of conduct,” Hilland said. “I deeply regret the harm I have caused by my actions, I did not think of the broad-reaching consequences at the time. I see now the emotional damage I have caused Ms. M, my family, friends, and colleagues, and I understand how my actions have contributed to a loss of public faith in the RCMP and police in general.”

Hilland delivered apologies to Ms. M, friends, family, RCMP colleagues, the court, and the general public for his actions, which he said “may have tainted the public view of police and consequently made [officers’] already difficult job even harder.”

In the time between the offence and Thursday’s court date, Hilland said he’s taken a number of steps to better his physical, emotional, and mental health, including working with a trainer and attending counselling.

Hilland’s supportive wife was in court for the proceedings.

Provincial court judge Reginald Harris will deliver his decision at a later date, emphasizing he wants to carefully consider all of the facts and relevant information available.

“It’s one thing to say this is the outcome, it’s another to provide a methodical, illuminated pathway so the public fully understands and appreciates the decision I’ve arrived at,” judge Harris said.

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At around 2 a.m. on July 25, an RCMP officer driving northbound on Terminal Ave., by Terminal Park Mall, spotted a speeding southbound vehicle, found to be travelling 118 kilometres per hour in the 50 zone.

Reserve Cst. Gary O’Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW by the time the officer could turn around to pursue, the car had gone, with reports of a crash nearby coming a short time later near the intersection of Blythe Ave. and St. George St.

“Members responded and found the vehicle in the ditch with no driver around. A search of the area located the alleged driver, and that person was arrested. It turns out they were a 13-year-old, and they admitted to driving their parent’s car without their permission.”

While the vehicle was not a write-off, according to Mounties, there was still notable damage from the incident.

The girl was taken into custody for a short period of time before being released to their parents.

Investigators are maintaining an open conversation with the family to try and avoid more serious consequences.

“It’s really going to come down to the dialogue between the parents [and officers] to try to find a way to ensure the youth doesn’t do this again and understands the gravity of the situation.”

Criminal Code charges are a possibility, according to police.

No injuries were reported in connection with the incident.

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The BC Hockey League team has entered into a four-year agreement with Chris Jaycox Productions to install and operate a 20′ by 10′ LED video wall in their home rink, being installed this week on the arena’s far wall.

Clippers’ manager of ticket sales, digital marketing and fan engagement Owen Stanley told NanaimoNewsNOW it’s a massive addition to their game night presentation.

“I definitely think the fan experience this year is going to take a big step up. We’ve implemented a lot of systems and stuff for fan experience this year that we’re looking forward to getting to use, and the graphics for the video board on a game day are going to be Canucks-level style graphics.”

Four cameras will track the play, including a roaming camera for promotions in the stands and two above-the-net cameras for replays.

Kiss cams and a full suite of engaging elements are also planned, Stanley said, and the addition of a screen comes at the ideal time for a team fresh off a nail-biting BCHL Finals series last season.

“The usual game day stuff that you’d see at an NHL hockey game, that’s the goal. We’d like to implement as much as we can from that higher level of hockey back into the game-day experience here in the BCHL at Frank Crane Arena.”

The addition of a video wall, or Jumbotron, at Frank Crane Arena has been a long-term ask from the Clipper fanbase, Stanley said, and the team is excited work done over several years is finally paying off.

“Being able to finally bring that into Frank Crane Arena and have it a part of a fan’s game day experience is just a tremendous accomplishment. We’ve worked super hard to come to an agreement on what we can do with it and how we can get it, and it’s finally here.”

Stanley said the one area they need to be careful is during official reviews of plays by the on-ice officials.

Replays of those events are not permitted during a review, however Stanley said once decisions are made, they can replay the visuals to fans in the stands.

Operation of the screen will happen from the existing gondola at Frank Crane Arena.

The screen itself is one the Nanaimo NightOwls used during the summer season.

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Demolition crews arrived this week on Parkhill Terrace to begin the tear-down process of the the old school site, which is expected to be completed this fall.

School District 68 expects a new Ladysmith Intermediate School on the property will open for the fall of 2029, featuring 14 elementary classrooms, a multipurpose room, media and technology centre, gymnasium, and before/after school care spaces.

In addition, Ladysmith Primary School is being expanded, with the addition of 250 new student spaces across 10 classrooms, among numerous other additions.

View of the gated off-leash dog park adjacent to École Davis Road Elementary School. (Image Credit: File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Ladysmith Primary will be switched from its existing K-3 format to K-7, while Ladysmith Intermediate School, located on French St., will also be a K-7 school when the newly built school is ready, shifting from the existing grades four through seven offering.

An expanded Ladysmith Primary School is expected to be ready to handle extra students and staff in the fall of 2027.

The new-look Ladysmith Intermediate School will offer a dual-track English/French immersion curriculum.

This past April, education minister Bowinn Ma was in Ladysmith to announce provincial funding for the new school ($37 million) as well as an expanded Ladysmith Primary School ($15 million).

Both schools will be prefabricated builds, with the Ladysmith Intermediate School project marking the first time in the province an entire public school is being built using the prefabrication method.

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Parkinson Canada’s Spinning Wheels Tour involves teams riding across all ten provinces this summer, with a fundraising goal of $200,000 for B.C., and close to a million dollars country-wide.

Tour co-chair Lloyd Taylor, 59, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2020.

He began experiencing tremors, and was amazed when realizing that riding a bike eased those symptoms tremendously.

“As soon as I started pedalling, the tremor would stop, and the only other time the tremor stops is when I sleep. My symptoms have progressed over the years, and it’s not quite the full erasing of the symptom anymore, but still calms them significantly. It’s remarkable.”

NanaimoNewsNOW spoke with Taylor on Monday, Aug. 10, while he rested just outside of Ladysmith, on only his second day of cycling, making the approximately 80-kilometre journey with his team from Mill Bay to Nanaimo.

A Toronto resident, Taylor and six others will be cycling 425 kilometres over eight days across the lower half of Vancouver Island, returning to Nanaimo on Wednesday, Aug 12, to complete another 80-kilometre loop into Lantzville and Nanoose Bay.

A look at the B.C. leg of the Spinning Wheels Tour, before heading into Alberta by the middle of August. (Image Credit: Pedaling for Parkinson Canada)

Taylor said researchers haven’t been able to pinpoint exactly why cycling appears to alleviate some Parkinson’s symptoms.

“Ballroom dancing is another. Boxing is another. Seems to be anything that combines sort of movements and thought, cardio and balance. And cycling seems to be the leading one. Nobody understands quite why, medically, they can’t figure out why cycling does what it does.”

With a personal goal of $10,000, Taylor raised more than half of that amount by only the third day of riding his bike.

He said community building and spreading awareness about Parkinson’s is his primary motivator to fight back against the disease impacting more than 120,000 Canadians.

“People invariably speak to us as we ride, and after a conversation, kindly, they want to do something, and so we have the opportunity for them to donate. All of the funds get funneled back into communities that we ride through to support exercise programs for people living with Parkinson’s.”

Lloyd Taylor (R) with his Spinning Wheels groups along Coastal B.C. during last year’s tour. (Image Credit: Spinning Wheels 2025)

Along with his fellow riders and a support vehicle, Taylor’s wife Jane is also by his side while he rides.

She said those whose loved ones are living with Parkinson’s are more than willing to speak to them about their experiences.

“It’s a really hard disease, and everyone progresses so differently. So everybody wants to talk about it. It’s your grandpa, or your dad, or your mom, or your sister, or whoever. As a caregiver, I know there’s so many varied symptoms, and you’re watching this person who was perfectly healthy slowly lose things.”

She said the actual number of Canadians with Parkinson’s is likely underreported due to the varying nature of symptoms, and a hesitancy for a person to admit they have the disease.

“There’s something about it that makes people hide. There’s an embarrassment factor. It is the fastest-growing neurological disease in the world, and there’s no known cause, there’s no cure, and nowhere is it growing faster than Canada.”

According to Parkinson Canada, they estimate over 150,000 Canadians will be living with Parkinson’s by 2034.

Age is the primary risk factor, with most people diagnosed being 65 years of age or older.

Around 10 per cent of cases are linked to genetics, while environmental factors such as exposure to certain chemicals also play a role.

The B.C. leg of the Spinning Wheels Tour wraps up in Victoria on Aug. 14, before heading east and completing circuits in all ten provinces before the grand finale in Ontario on Sept. 27, with a national fundraising goal of just over $900,000.

More information on the Spinning Wheels Tour, including how to participate or donate, can be found here on their website.

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Mark Nieuwejaar, 65, faces two counts of committing an indecent act in a public place after allegedly exposing himself to a pair of women across two separate incidents earlier this month.

Reserve Cst. Gary O’Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW a woman was allegedly flashed on Aug. 6 around 9:30 a.m. while jogging through Maffeo Sutton Park, and her description of the South Asian man helped Mounties link a second incident four days earlier.

“We have two counts, and based on what we know, we think there may be other victims, and they just haven’t come forward yet. We really need to hear from them because we have to get a fulsome picture of what this person is allegedly doing in our community.”

Police say the Aug. 2 report detailed a woman being followed before the alleged exposure.

Nieuwejaar remains in custody ahead of a court appearance on Tuesday, Aug. 18.

He was previously handed a two-year suspended sentence and two years’ probation for a Sept. 13, 2014, incident at Westwood Lake.

Two years later, to the day, Nieuwejaar committed another indecent act at Maffeo Sutton Park and was jailed for 48 days, followed by two years’ probation.

Nieuwejaar also has a history of break-ins in the Lower Mainland and southern Vancouver Island dating back to the late 1990s and early 2000s.

O’Brien said it’s critical investigators get a complete picture of his alleged activities and want to speak to anyone who may have dismissed any similar incidents.

“We know from behaviours that sometimes there are repeat offenders who do these activities, and that’s troubling. This is why we need to hear from other people if they have seen this person or been exposed to a situation.”

Anyone with information related to indecent exposures recently in Nanaimo is asked to contact the local detachment at 1-250-754-2345.

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Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson, who’s also responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, announced $30.5 million for 24 businesses and organizations across B.C. aimed at growth, expanding into new markets, and reducing costs.

A Government of Canada news release outlined $5.5 million for Nanaimo Forest Products, which operates Harmac Pacific pulp mill in south Nanaimo.

The funding for Harmac is to install new equipment.

“This project will help maintain forestry jobs, strengthen one of Vancouver Island’s major industrial employers, and improve the competitiveness of B.C. pulp products in global markets,” the news release stated.

Nearby business Niik Steel, located in the Duke Point Industrial Park, received $1 million to produce metal decking, flooring, and other steel building components in western Canada.

“This will strengthen domestic construction supply chains and increase access to locally made building materials for projects across B.C. and Canada.”

Niik Steel, Vancouver Island’s largest commercial steel manufacturer, received $900,000 from the B.C. government this past spring for equipment and capacity enhancements.

Niik Steel produces steel beams for a variety of commercial and institutional construction applications. (Image Credit: File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Funding for both Nanaimo-based projects announced this week was approved by the federal government in February.

Non-profit organization Vancouver Island Economic Alliance also received $300,000 to help businesses enter new domestic and international markets.

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It happened this past April 20 at the Gabriola condo building on Promenade Dr. on Cameron Island, adjacent to the Nanaimo Harbour ferry terminal, in which the worker fell from a fifth-storey balcony onto the balcony one level below, according to WorkSafe BC.

“The firm failed to ensure that an effective fall protection system was used, that it had a written fall protection plan for the workplace, and that workers were instructed in the fall protection system and procedures to be followed before being allowed into an area where a risk of falling exists,” a WorkSafe BC penalty summary read.

United Roofing Inc. was fined $12,824.17, which the firm requested to be reviewed.

Numerous safety violations were flagged in an inspection report by WorkSafeBC. (Image Credit: Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

According to an inspection report authored by Nanaimo-based occupational safety officer James Leach, United Roofing had not provided its workers with adequate information, instruction, training or supervision to ensure their health and safety.

“This is evidenced by the lack of a fall protection plan and clear direction to the workers for fall protection systems to be used and where the anchor must be placed.”

Falling on a series of planters, as opposed to impacting a flat surface, represented an increased injury risk, Leach’s report stated.

“The employer stated to me that the worker did not have the fall restrain system adjusted properly to prevent the fall,” he wrote.

Leach also stated documentation for pre-use inspections for the scaffolding system used was not produced by the employer.

Workers were removing organic material from rooftop patios, planters and decks to apply waterproofing membrane at the time of the accident.

Roofing represents a high-risk trade in the province, in particular falls from elevation.

Between 2020 and 2024, WorkSafeBC reported 5,400 injury claims, nearly 1,900 serious injuries, and 35 fatalities involving roofers province-wide.

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