The transition to electric buses has proven to be a bumpy road for our school district. Yes, there have been savings, operational and logistical challenges remain with the district’s 10 electric buses. School district transportation manager Tracy Mowat says the biggest challenges are causing a lot of difficulties both mechanically and with charging issues. The fuel saving has been significant – approximately 46 cents per kilometer. Maintenance costs have remained within expected levels for now, due to warranties, but significant repairs have had to be done to the new buses.  MORE

They got what they asked for. Lantzville taxpayers asked for a three-per-cent tax hike, and council obliged. They passed the third reading of the 2025 budget. Council had conducted an online survey asking residents if they supported a property tax increase. That includes a three-per cent tax hike.

There’s a big list of candidates waiting for member support at the chamber of commerce annual general meeting April 10 at the Grand Hotel. The candidates will be present for member interaction and the election. Fiona Famulak, President and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce, will be keynote speaker. Networking begins at 11 and the speaker takes the podium at 11:45. The AGM will follow.

Alert Bay RCMP believe that a 35-year-old assault suspect could be in the Nanaimo area. An advisory stated Kevin Brown is wanted on outstanding warrants for sexual assault and failing to appear in court.  He's 5-foot-7, 165 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. If you know where he is, call the local RCMP detachment non-emergency number or Crime Stoppers at at 1-800-222-8477, referring to Alert Bay RCMP file No. 2025-40. In Nanaimo, the RCMP's non-emergency line is 250-754-2345. 

Another Nanaimo business shut its doors for the final time on Monday after 75 years. Island Radiators had served Harbour City customers since 1945. Owner Perry Martens said rent and other cost increases led to the realization at a certain point, as a business owner, he was not making any money anymore and the stress was just killing. MORE

Kerry Wallace Chang, who ducked an extended jail sentences for years, finally stared into the face of reality. Chang was sentenced to  seven-years and seven-month in after he was found guilty last spring of trafficking nearly half a kilogram (471 grams) of fentanyl. MORE

QUOTABLE – Why do fat chance and slim chance mean the same thing?

April 2

The body of a woman was found near the Jack Point trail on Monday.  She was pronounced dead. Foul play is not suspected. The Nanaimo RCMP continue to investigate the circumstances. Investigators ask anyone who observed her in the Duke Point area or has dash cam video of that area between 11 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. on Monday to call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345.

Take Back the Night returned to Nanaimo Wednesday evening after a couple of years hiatus. It’s designed to raise awareness about sexual violence, including trafficking, gender harassment and relationship violence. The march starts at 5 p.m. in the parking lot outside the Beban Park Social Centre with participants walking to the Haven Society’s Community Services building at 2270 Labieux Rd. by 7 p.m. MORE

QUOTABLE – People who are late are often happier than the people who have to wait for them

0401

Good morning. The first serving of free advince today is don't be a fool. And certainly do not fall for outlandish reports.

Local gas stations a little slow on the draw in cancelling the carbon tax at midnight, reducing fuel prices by 17 cents a litre. Last night the price was ranging near $1.749 a litre in Nanaimo. By noon today most of them were down to $1.569.

That’s a real shot in the arm. The Nanaimo Hospital Auxiliary has injected more than a million dollars into health care facilities at NRGH. The auxiliary gave a $1-million as its annual donation and then added annual $250,000 to the new Nanaimo Cancer Centre. It was no walk in the park with 52,500 volunteer hours going into raising that amount of mone running the auxiliary's hospital gift shop, thrift store and craft sales, and individual contributions, 50/50 tickets and other initiatives. MORE

Blues and Jazz folks in townare bringing internationally-recognized Juno winners Blue Moon Marquee to the Port Theatre on April 17. They won their first Juno last year and are nominated again this year for their new album New Orleans Sessions. They have played for a gamut of crowds at jazz clubs, indy hop dance halls, folk venues, blues haunts, hospitals, prisons, markets, motorcycle joints, dive bars and prestigious festival stages. Six-time Maple Blues Award winner David Vest will open the show with his rockin’ and shoutin’ blues style at 7:30 pm. Tickets at www.porttheatre.com

RCMP seek help to finda who is responsible for installing a camera in the changing room at the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre. Police have posted a photo of a person of interest. Staff at the pool notified police on March 3 that a camera had been found in a changing room door, and two men were seen on the video. One of the men has been identified. RCMP say the images were captured Jan. 18 and say that there were no images of children on the video. MORE

It’s not Elon Muskbut the province is conducting its own review of health authority spending. The review comes during emergency room closures that have spread from rural communities to parts of the Lower Mainland. The Provincial Health Services Authority is the first in line because of its province-wide role. That includes services through BC Cancer, BC Children’s Hospital, BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, BC Emergency Health Services, BC Mental Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control. MORE

BC Ferries is getting four new ships, but don’t hold your breath, they won’t be delivered until 2019. The corporation had asked for five ships but Ferries Commissioner Eva Hage authorized only four to replace the oldest major vessels — the Queen of Alberni, Queen of New Westminster, Queen of Coquitlam and Queen of Cowichan. Those ships are at the end of their service life, with further life extensions deemed impractical. MORE

QUOTABLE– The new woke mantra – Diversity, Inclusion and Equity – DIE

0331

What a way to kick off a new week. Today I go for my fiftieth chemotherapy treatment at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster and I am happy to say all is well. I mention this because of all the fantastic people involved every step of the way. The staff at the cancer clinic are fabulous and we’re on a first name basis. A service we don’t often hear too much about is the Volunteer Cancer Drivers program supported by The Canadian Cancer Society and donations. Those drivers get me through the heavy Lower Mainland traffic in a breeze. Thanks everyone.

The week also kicks off with good news, the consumer portion of the carbon tax will die at midnight tonight – rest in peace. Members of the Legislature are back in the chamber after a two-week break. On top of the agenda is eliminating the tax and more tariffs on Canada starting mid-week. Most noticeable should be at the gas pumps but it will be hard to tell as prices have soared in recent days. Premier David Eby, Energy Minister Adrian Dix and Finance Minister Brenda Bailey will hold a press conference this afternoon. A hot topic will likely be the Premier's trimmed down version of the tariff reaction Bill 7. MORE

Many people have been asking about city councillor Paul Manly’s campaign to return to Ottawa as our member of Parliament. Suffice to say, Paul’s juggling a lot of balls, but the election campaign has only four weeks to go. He says he will do as much work as he can on city council during the campaign and will continue attending meetings. The question I get asked most often is whether you can do both, sit on council and parliament at the same time. The answer is yes, but it’s not a good idea. The last person to do double duty was Frank Ney when he was mayor and an MLA at the same time. MORE

QUOTABLE – Most people don’t really want the truth, they just was assurance that what they believe is the truth

Strategic voting concept is a last-gasp admission by losers

Do we vote for or against a party or candidate? That’s the big question about vote splitting where campaigns ask other minority candidates to gang up to defeat the front runner.

In Nanaimo-Ladysmith, Conservative candidate Tamara Kronis leads the polls with 35 per cent support, almost double the support for the Liberals and New Democrats which have about 21 per cent each and the Green Party is not far behind at 20 per cent, definitely not out of the race. Kronis is still listed at 99-per-cent odds of winning the seat.

New Democrat incumbent Lisa Marie Barron has lost a sizable amount of support while the Liberal candidate has soared into a tie. Can Lisa Marie's supporters reclaim some of that lost support by convincing the Liberals to join forces against Kronis?

Would minority candidates sell out their own beliefs to defeat the front runner? It is very unlikely that enough Liberal supporters would flip their votes to the NDP or vice versa. The combined NDP and Green party votes could stop stop Kronis, if her support remains the same over the next four weeks. But there's no indication that Manly support is soft.

At this stage, 338Canada.com shows Liberal Michelle Corfield has gained about seven per cent support since 2021, the same amount as Barron has lost. – 0331

Social media has changed how we think, react and interact

People who never participated in local politics before now take part and that has opened a wild west of views.

You can never have too many opinions – everyone has the right to be wrong. The City of Nanaimo (CON) Oversight Society page on Facebook more or less grew out of the Alternative Approval Process for a new public works facility and they picked up a lot of followers. Many of them are green as grass when it comes to governance and debate. Some of the postings are outright hate based on ignorance. (That word means lack of knowledge)

The Page was designed to take on city council and it has done that. Had they not been around the AAP would likely not have failed twice.

The site continues to post, focusing on council decisions like bike lanes and undriveable streets like an obsession. They are opinions on city hall operations.

Here’s where the pitfall comes in. Many people are unable to view an opinion without spewing hate. They can’t focus on the issue rather than using insults.

Lack of understanding the process is vividly demonstrated in how Mayor Leonard Krog has become the target of personality debate. By understanding, I mean they don’t seem to understand that city council is made up of nine members – eight councillors and the mayor. Council members have forever allied themselves with like-thinking councillors, thus forming voting blocks.

I followed city council closely for decades starting in the early 1980s. The two factions were identifiable then as Social Credit and New Democrat – resulting in countless 5-4 decisions. That changed from election to election. 

Today’s council is composed of five members in a group and the other four sort of freelancing. It can be like herding cats, and that’s the mayor’s job. When a majority decision is reached by council, that’s the official stance and the mayor has to champion it no matter where he/she personally stands on any of those issues.

Krog is not part of the five-member majority group of progressives, leaving him in an unenviable position. On many issues it’s him and the other three – Armstrong, Thorpe and Perrino. But once the decision is made by a majority, it’s Krog’s role to represent that cause even though it may not be his personal choice. Some unruly protesters at council meetings fail to understand the rules of proper procedure.

I’ve tried to explain that to a number of social media voices but they seem stuck in the fact that their mind is made up and don’t want to be confused by the facts. There is a positive here, they are participating and should have a greater educated interest when the next election rolls around in about a year and a half.

So keep the ball rolling, stay informed and involved in what’s going on in our city and hold those in power to account until you are elected to replace them. Maybe then they’ll understand what it’s like to be a councillor. – 0329

April 3

If the U.S. won’t lead world trade, ‘Canada will,’ Carney says,

Carney says Canada to match vehicle tariffs in response to Trump levies 

Liberals increase lead over Conservatives while NDP in single digits 

 Canadians want the next federal government to follow through on the universal pharmacare program

 Conservatives drop fourth candidate in just two days over social media activity 

Leaders pitch savings bonds, GST-free Canadian cars to bolster economy 

Canada exempt from Trump’s sweeping reciprocal tariffs

Singh pitches EI reform, infrastructure and affordability in tariff response plan

APRIL 2,

Liberal candidate quits election race amid China bounty outrage

Carney promises home building program, Poilievre pitches nationalenergy corridor

In front of U.S. audience, Smith blames Trudeau-Carney ‘switcheroo’ for Liberal popularity

Liberal Paul Chiang ‘standing aside’ after suggesting Chinese bounty be collected on Conservative candidate

Poilievre to cap government spending, cut back on foreign aid to pay for capital gains tax deferral

Carney promises home building program, Poilievre pitches national energy corrido

NDP pitches energy-saving upgrades for homeowners

Election campaign heats up heading into second week

0331 – The second week of the election campaign kicks off today, in the face of  new U.S. tariffs expected to highlight the campaigning. U.S. President Donald Trump is likely to put reciprocal tariffs on countries including Canada over various trade practices. MORE

Eyes warily turn to next round of U.S. tariffs during second week of election

Poilievre pitches Tories as best choice to stand up to Trump as Singh visits B.C.

Carney campaigns in Ottawa as NDP condemns Liberal candidate's words

Poilievre pitching tax writeoffs for people in trades travelling to work

Singh offers government-backed mortgages to voters, downplays polls