On day 106 of the VIU Palestine Solidarity Encampment at Vancouver Island University’s Nanaimo campus, the BC Supreme Court approved an injunction ordering the removal of the encampment. The VIU encampment which is the last known pro-Palestinian campus encampment left standing in Canada has been given 72 hours starting at 9:30 a.m. on August 15 to leave its current location on campus. Justice Michael Stephens delivered his decision on the civil case VIU filed. VIU filed this civil claim after th...
Aug 16, 2024•5 min
To inspire Indigenous youth and young adults with the world of aviation and aerospace, the Nanaimo Airport YCD hosted an event to highlight the wonders and opportunities in the industry. In cooperation with Indigenous LIFT Collective, Alkan Air, Elevate Aviation Learning Centre, Gulf Island Seaplanes and elibird aero, the Nanaimo Airport hosted the Give Them Wings event to introduce Indigenous youth and young adults to aviation and aerospace-related careers. CHLY attended the event on August 13 ...
Aug 14, 2024•8 min
Amidst the rise in popularity of pickleball, the City of Nanaimo is moving its six pickleball courts to a new, quieter location. Construction of eight new pickleball courts is underway at Beban Park after the city heard complaints from residents near the Beaufort Park area about the racket the Beaufort courts there were making. In December 2023, Nanaimo city council voted to use $518,000 to create eight new outdoor pickleball courts at Beban Park to replace the courts at Beaufort Park. The proje...
Aug 10, 2024•7 min
After three years, Kamal Parmar’s term as the City of Nanaimo’s Poet Laureate is coming to an end, and she is reflecting on the work she has done and the lessons she has learned. Parmar, who has a deep love for writing poetry, took on the position in 2021. As the Poet Laureate, she connected the community with poetry as a literary ambassador She said her time as the Poet Laureate was one of the most memorable experiences in her life. “I will always cherish these memories,” Parmar said. “I had de...
Aug 08, 2024•7 min
A local farmer’s market is celebrating its 12th anniversary of supporting local farmers and makers. It has been 12 years since the Island Roots Market Co-operative became a registered co-op. The seed for the co-op came from the 2011 Occupy Nanaimo general assembly where would-be farmers noted there was no place to sell their produce year-round. Michele Greene is the market manager and a current board member of the co-op. She said when the idea for the market first came up, they teamed up with th...
Aug 07, 2024•7 min
A local farmer’s market is celebrating its 12th anniversary of supporting local farmers and makers. It has been 12 years since the Island Roots Market Co-operative became a registered co-op. The seed for the co-op came from the 2011 Occupy Nanaimo general assembly where would-be farmers noted there was no place to sell their produce year-round. Michele Greene is the market manager and a current board member of the co-op. She said when the idea for the market first came up, they teamed up with th...
Aug 02, 2024•7 min
A local farmer’s market is celebrating its 12th anniversary of supporting local farmers and makers. It has been 12 years since the Island Roots Market Co-operative became a registered co-op. The seed for the co-op came from the 2011 Occupy Nanaimo general assembly where would-be farmers noted there was no place to sell their produce year-round. Michele Greene is the market manager and a current board member of the co-op. She said when the idea for the market first came up, they teamed up with th...
Aug 01, 2024•7 min
The City of Nanaimo, for a third time, is moving forward with an Alternative Approval Process (AAP) to seek approval from electors to borrow money for the Public Works Yard, but this time with a higher price tag. This comes after council reevaluated its plans for upgrading the Public Works Yard from its original plan to upgrade the space in phases. The original phase plan, which would have seen $48.5 million borrowed for the first phase, was pushed back after two failed AAP attempts in the fall ...
Jul 31, 2024•6 min
People in Nanaimo will now have an easier time returning to work following a disability with a new provincial program. In partnership with the Government of Canada, the Government of B.C. and the National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), are implementing a new program to provide resources and support for workers and employers following a worker disability. The Reducing Poverty through Early Intervention and Occupational Rehabilitation Initiative (RPI) is being implemente...
Jul 26, 2024•6 min
A local theatre collective is using the backdrop of Maffeo Sutton Park to host its theatre festival. The Artists’ Collective Theatre started in 2012 and moved from Alberta to Vancouver Island during the COVID-19 pandemic. The collective is a space for actors and actresses to strengthen their skills and showcase their talents through new works and fresh perspectives on classic plays. The Island Summer Theatre Festival first premiered in Parksville on July 23 of this year and will be running in Na...
Jul 26, 2024•6 min
For over 25 years the Nanaimo Art Gallery has offered their Artists in the Schools program, but now they are fundraising money to pay off a deficit. The Artists in the Schools program brings professional artists from the central Vancouver Island region to teach students in the Nanaimo Ladysmith School District, Qualicum School District and the Cowichan Valley School District. The artists teach various disciplines including art, dance, music and theatre. The program is offered from kindergarten t...
Jul 24, 2024•4 min
After a long pause, the Coast Salish Games has once again kicked off in Nanaimo. Hosted this year by the Snuneymuxw First Nation, the tournament brings Indigenous athletes ages seven to sixteen from across the Coast Salish region together to participate in various events including soccer, lacrosse, war canoe races, and basketball. The competition will also feature the traditional Indigenous game Lahal, also known as the “bone game ”. Lahal is a game of chance and bluffing where two teams guess w...
Jul 23, 2024•4 min
A new urgent and primary care centre is coming to Nanaimo in 2025. The Health Minister, Adrian Dix announced on July 17 what will be Nanaimo’s second urgent and primary care centre–or UPCC–outside of its future location at 3260 Norwell Drive behind Country Club Centre. The new UPCC will have an expanded team-based model with family physicians, nurse practitioners and interdisciplinary members such as mental health clinicians, social workers and an Indigenous nurse liaison. Dix said that the new ...
Jul 18, 2024•4 min
The VIU Palestine Solidarity Encampment still stands at Vancouver Island University’s Nanaimo campus despite receiving a trespass notice ordering protestors to vacate by 8 a.m. this morning July 15. CHLY was on scene for a protest organized by the encampment beginning at the 8 a.m. deadline. Around 50 people were at the protest where the Students for Palestine Committee read a statement outlining their intention to continue with the encampment. The committee said they are committed to standing i...
Jul 17, 2024•5 min
The VIU Palestine Solidarity Encampment still stands at Vancouver Island University’s Nanaimo campus despite receiving a trespass notice ordering protestors to vacate by 8 a.m. this morning July 15. CHLY was on scene for a protest organized by the encampment beginning at the 8 a.m. deadline. Around 50 people were at the protest where the Students for Palestine Committee read a statement outlining their intention to continue with the encampment. The committee said they are committed to standing i...
Jul 16, 2024•4 min
Vancouver Island University has delivered a trespass notice to the Students for Palestine Committee demanding that protestors vacate and dismantle the VIU Palestine Solidarity Encampment by 8 a.m. on Monday, July 15. This comes 71 days after the encampment was set up on May 1. CHLY reached out to VIU for comment but was referred to an update from the university posted on July 11. In the update, VIU stated they had delivered a trespass notice on July 11 to those at the encampment. The statement s...
Jul 16, 2024•6 min
Vancouver Island University has delivered a trespass notice to the Students for Palestine Committee demanding that protestors vacate and dismantle the VIU Palestine Solidarity Encampment by 8 a.m. on Monday, July 15. This comes 71 days after the encampment was set up on May 1. CHLY reached out to VIU for comment but was referred to an update from the university posted on July 11. In the update, VIU stated they had delivered a trespass notice on July 11 to those at the encampment. The statement s...
Jul 13, 2024•7 min
With an increase in catalytic converter theft, a Nanaimo auto mechanic shop is hosting a free etching service so that stolen converters can be returned to their owners. According to the Nanaimo RCMP, in 2022, there were 119 reports of stolen catalytic converters in Nanaimo and 6,143 reports across the province. An 89 per cent increase in the amount of converters reported stolen in the province since 2017. In response to this, Auto-Check Automotive located at 605 Bowen Road has teamed up with the...
Jul 12, 2024•3 min
Nanaimo City Council has approved a 3-year lease for a new temporary housing building in the south end of Nanaimo. The 3-year lease, with the option for two 2-year renewals, is for the yet-to-be Nanaimo Navigation Centre. The centre will be located at 1030 Old Victoria Road. The building comes in partnership with BC Housing and the City of Nanaimo. Vancouver Island Mental Health Society would operate the site offering 24-hour support for 60 units. Back in January of this year the Ministry of Hou...
Jul 10, 2024•6 min
With a school board by-election coming up in September, Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools is hosting an information night for those interested in learning about the role of school trustee. This by-election is to fill a vacant spot on the board after trustee Charlene McKay resigned at the end of May of this year. CHLY spoke with Mark Walsh, Secretary-Treasurer and Chief Electoral Officer for School District 68 Nanaimo Ladysmith. This is Walsh’s third time acting as Chief Electoral Officer for the ...
Jul 05, 2024•4 min
A local Nanaimo business is urging everyone to challenge themselves to rethink how much single-use plastic they use in July. For Paula McPhee, she already lives a plastic-free lifestyle and is passionate about sharing information and support for people to find ways to reduce plastic waste. McPhee is the owner of Vancouver Island Rillery which offers low-plastic and low-waste options for beauty and household items. McPhee is calling on people to join her in doing the Plastic Free July challenge t...
Jul 04, 2024•4 min
The Regional District of Nanaimo will be looking into regulating the sale of consumer-grade fireworks within District 69 and District 68. At a Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) meeting on Tuesday, June 25, a motion was on the agenda for staff to prepare a report on the potential options for regulating the sale of consumer-grade fireworks within the two districts, as well as enforcement and cost recovery options for prohibiting the discharge of consumer-grade fireworks. This comes after a Fire S...
Jun 28, 2024•5 min
The Nanaimo Curling Club is on thin ice as they deal with a broken chiller that could affect the start of the next season Founded in 1947, the Nanaimo Curling Club has been at its current location since 1968. The club hosts a wide range of leagues for all ages, including stick curling, regular curling, seniors curling, women's curling, men's curling, and youth curling. As well the space at the Nanaimo Curling Centre is often booked for non-curling events from quilters to frisbee golfers. The spa...
Jun 27, 2024•5 min
The Nanaimo Curling Club is on thin ice as they deal with a broken chiller that could affect the start of the next season Founded in 1947, the Nanaimo Curling Club has been at its current location since 1968. The club hosts a wide range of leagues for all ages, including stick curling, regular curling, seniors curling, women's curling, men's curling, and youth curling. As well the space at the Nanaimo Curling Centre is often booked for non-curling events from quilters to frisbee golfers. The spa...
Jun 26, 2024•8 min
The Nanaimo Curling Club is on thin ice as they deal with a broken chiller that could affect the start of the next season Founded in 1947, the Nanaimo Curling Club has been at its current location since 1968. The club hosts a wide range of leagues for all ages, including stick curling, regular curling, seniors curling, women's curling, men's curling, and youth curling. As well the space at the Nanaimo Curling Centre is often booked for non-curling events from quilters to frisbee golfers. The spa...
Jun 21, 2024•7 min
As the school year comes to an end, the City of Nanaimo’s Public Safety Committee is recommending lower speed limits around schools. This comes after Nanaimo City Council received a report back on February 26 of this year about current school zone speed signs in the community that don’t comply with the provincial Motor Vehicle Act. The report given to council, referenced a 2022 City Staff school zone policy review. The 2022 review found that if a school’s property line is over 50 meters from the...
Jun 20, 2024•8 min
As the school year comes to an end, the City of Nanaimo’s Public Safety Committee is recommending lower speed limits around schools. This comes after Nanaimo City Council received a report back on February 26 of this year about current school zone speed signs in the community that don’t comply with the provincial Motor Vehicle Act. The report given to council, referenced a 2022 City Staff school zone policy review. The 2022 review found that if a school’s property line is over 50 meters from the...
Jun 19, 2024•6 min
Local youth artists will showcase their work this week after a semester of trying new art styles, learning from professional artists, and stepping out of their comfort zone. The youth are a part of the Nanaimo Art Gallery’s CØD3: Youth Art Collective, a program made up of youth ages 15 to 19 who meet weekly to develop new artistic skills. The program is led by the gallery’s Learning & Engagement Coordinator Yvonne Vander Kooi. The program is run twice a year with a fall semester and a winter...
Jun 07, 2024•4 min
Local youth artists will showcase their work this week after a semester of trying new art styles, learning from professional artists, and stepping out of their comfort zone. The youth are a part of the Nanaimo Art Gallery’s CØD3: Youth Art Collective, a program made up of youth ages 15 to 19 who meet weekly to develop new artistic skills. The program is led by the gallery’s Learning & Engagement Coordinator Yvonne Vander Kooi. The program is run twice a year with a fall semester and a winter...
Jun 06, 2024•7 min
Local youth artists will showcase their work this week after a semester of trying new art styles, learning from professional artists, and stepping out of their comfort zone. The youth are a part of the Nanaimo Art Gallery’s CØD3: Youth Art Collective, a program made up of youth ages 15 to 19 who meet weekly to develop new artistic skills. The program is led by the gallery’s Learning & Engagement Coordinator Yvonne Vander Kooi. The program is run twice a year with a fall semester and a winter...
Jun 03, 2024•7 min
