DOWNTOWN CHALLENGE – Navigating around the downtown core could be a little hectic over the next few weeks. Concrete work began last week and will continue through mid-March, creating challenges on and off Terminal Avenue between Commercial and Esplanade. That work caps off recent underground upgrades. MORE

EXTORTION IS BIG BUSINESS, going way up in British Columbia – 386 per cent ­– in the past eight years, way above the cross-Canada rate of by 218 per cent, five time higher than it was a decade ago. Extortions were up 228 per cent in Greater Vancouver and 284 per cent in Alberta. Ontario was up by 263 per cent. Maple Ridge MP Marc Daulton said towns and suburbs, which used to be safe and peaceful, are now being terrorized by foreign gangs that threaten neighbours with violence and arson. He laid the blame on the federal government.

A QUESTION OF RELIABILITY – Airfares in Canada fell more than 14 per cent in January from the same month in 2023. If you think that’s open skies, a lot of passengers have been left high an dry both at departure and return locations, leaving many of us wondering if we even want to bother. Fares fell 24 per cent between December and January after holiday demand. That’s still 10 per cent above 2019 levels, reflecting aviation’s higher costs and lower capacity following the pandemic. The decrease reflects a drop in demand due to the financial pressures consumers continue to feel from inflation and higher interest rates. MORE

THE BC UNITED PARTY has unveiled it's housing policy leading up to the campaign for the October provincial election. It doesn't impress one of our followers who says it doesn’t add up. Read his comment HERE

QUOTABLE – If Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head are no longer male and female, does that mean there will be no more tater tots?

GOOD MORNING – Being a holiday, and news kind of scarce, I wasn’t going to post today after I got notification that I had been awarded $2.5 million by a special United Nations fund for guys like me. However, after review, the notification came from someone in Nigeria who had traced my ancestry, so here’s today’s version of The Daily Buzz.

BODY RECOVERED – RCMP and B.C. Coroners Service are investigating after a body was found Sunday in the area of an encampment where two people were shot in separate incidents last year. Firefighters were called to the scene in the ravine along the Millstone River to help recover the body. RCMP, Fire Rescue, B.C. Ambulance and the Coroners Service responded to the scene.

THE CITY IS HIRING – The help wanted sign is up at Nanaimo City Hall. There’s an opening for a full-time victim services worker. Or if you’re looking for a summer job and enjoy games, sports and outdoor fun with kids, apply to be a recreation leader. They're looking for enthusiastic and creative leaders ages 15 and up. Deadline to apply is Friday, March 8. Check out the city’s web page at www.nanaimo.ca

SNUNEYMUXW HULIT LELUM has a new Mental Health Counsellor. Dean Laviolette comes here from Kikino Metis settlement in Alberta. He lives in Nanaimo where he has a private practice in counselling. He has a passion for working with Indigenous people, and specializes in substance abuse, suicidal ideation, anger management, gambling addiction, depression and anxiety, and other mental health areas. He is available for appointments Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. To book an appointment, call 250-740-2337. Walk-ins are also welcome, upon availability.

THE BC UNITED PARTY has unveiled it's housing policy leading up to the campaign for the October provincial election. It doesn't impress Don Bonner who says it makes no sense. Read his comment HERE

QUOTABLE – Thanks for teaching me the meaning of the word plethora – it means a lot.

WHEN THE NANAIMO UNITARIAN SHELTER made an urgent request for assistance the Nanaimo Foundation stepped up with $15,000 for the capital repair and renovation project. They are ready to start the renovations and thank the community for the generosity to the Unitarian Shelter.

OH HOW SWEET IT IS – The brutal winter in the Okanagan created almost total wipeout of the grape crops, but such is not the case for Vancouver Island wineries. Winter provided few casualties for farmers here. The growing season has gone largely uninterrupted for wine and grape producers. Zac Brown, president of Wine Islands Growers Association says only a handful of members reported damage due to frost. Volumes are up and quality’s good so we’re pretty positive, he says.  MORE

THE WAR ON SCOTCH BROOM in our roadsides is getting an early start this year due to the lack of moisture. The annual removal is being accelerated by about month to early April. Some varieties are allergenic. Joanne Sales, executive director of non-profit organization Broombusters Invasive Plant Society said it high in oil content and a lot of naturally dry branches and is highly flammable. Scotch Broom in urbanized settings is of concern to many people. she adds. MORE

IT KEEPS HAPPENING – Police in Port Moody say three separate seniors were targeted on the same day by a well-known grandparent scam, getting swindled out of thousands of dollars. In two of the three cases on Thursday fraudsters successfully obtained money from the victims, totalling $12,000. In each case, a scammer calls an elderly person claiming to be a grandchild in need of cash due to a legal matter relating to incidents such as a car crash or bail. MORE

I’M NOT ON IT ­ –  The list Canada’s richest folks is out, with publishing magnate David Thomson and family coming in first at an estimated net worth of USD 54.8 billion. Jim Pattinson had to settle for second with USD 11 billion, with David Cheriton rounding out the top three with an estimated net worth of USD 9.2 billion. MORE

NEXT STOP WINNIPEG – A WestJet flight from Vancouver to Toronto made an unscheduled stop in Winnipeg Friday after a passenger tried to open a cabin door in flight. WestJet contacted RCMP and EMS to meet the aircraft upon arrival in Winnipeg and the passenger was taken into custody. Just so you know, it is not possible to open secured pressurized aircraft doors at high altitudes. MORE

THANKS, BUT NO THANKS ­– All it not peaches and cream between federal and provincial New Democrats. Two provincial parties from Canada’s largest oil- and gas-producing provinces are fuming over a federal NDP private member’s bill that seeks to ban advertising of fossil fuels. Alberta and Saskatchewan NDP energy critics said they are more interested in advancing ideas that can actually help people. It is not helpful to pick fights that just polarize people and get in the way of the real solutions, they said. MORE

QUOTABLE – Before we put too much effort into artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity which is in abundant supply?

ENJOY FAMILY DAY ­ – Welcome to the Christy Clark Day long weekend. It's another day of getting paid without working for it. Or getting paid time and a half extra if you have to work on Monday. Enjoy.

IT HAD TO HAPPEN – A group collecting signatures for the Alternative Approval Process is now being questioned about creating a database of all the names collected by them. And, according to their social media site they are continuing to gather signatures, stating they are being kept in order to build a database with everyone’s information. Those are legal documents, and harvesting data leaves a lot of questions, something the city may want to include in its review of what went wrong. Stay tuned. 

MEDICAL EMGERGENCY – The 8:25 a.m. ferry sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay was interrupted when the ship had to return to port due to a medical emergency of one of the passengers. The schedule resumed about two hours late. The company added 26 sailings between Swartz Bay in Victoria and Tsawwassen in the Lower Mainland. However there were still significant delays on the Vancouver Island side early Friday afternoon, with a five-sailing wait. The situation was better going the opposite way, with fewer delays reported between Tsawwassen and Duke Point in Nanaimo.

VANCOUVER ISLAND has 179 more family doctors this year than last year. Health Minister Adrian Dix says 708 more doctors are practising family medicine in the province. The largest gain – 211 – are practising in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. Island Health saw the next-largest net gain. Other health authorities grew by 138 in Interior Health and 132 in Fraser Health, while Northern Health saw a net increase of 35 family doctors. MORE

ONE OF THE LAST two-sport legends in Canadian history died this week at age 89. Gerry James played for both the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Toronto Maple Leafs at the same time. He played the regular football season and then joined the Leafs, for the balance of the season. James played 149 NHL games and is the only player to play for both the Grey Cup and the Stanley Cup in the same season. In all, he played in four Grey Cups. He spent much of his retirement in Nanaimo and the mid-Island area. Another CFL legend from my era, Ken Ploen, died on the same day at age 88.

IF YOU ARE A NUMBERS GEEK, when it comes to real estate, John Cooper sends me the most detailed information and interpretation each week. You can see it HERE

QUOTABLE – I wear the pants in the family. My wife tells me which ones to put on.

FINDING OUT – How did that happen? The city wants to find out how errors forced cancellation of two alternative approval processes. Chief Administrative Officer Dale Lindsay said the errors were unfortunate and attention is on determining out how they occurred. Cancellation of the AAPs means the City now can’t borrow up to $48.5 million to build a new public works facility. Lindsay said he had some initial thoughts on contributing factors to the errors. He said the impact of recent provincial changes to the process is one of many things they will look at. MORE

NEW GIG FOR LISA MARIE – Our member of Parliament Lisa Marie Barron is the new party caucus vice-chairman. She will oversee caucuses in addition to her MP work and as critic for fisheries and oceans.

THE COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR returns Feb. 24  with a family-friendly walk supporting of local charities serving people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness. You can team up, raise money, walk, and take a moment to look closer. There are virtually countless ways you can get involved from registering to walk, fund raising, volunteering and even direct donation. Check it out HERE.

CELL PHONES NEEDED. Many people have perfectly good cell phones they no longer use. A perfect place to put them to use is Nanaimo Women Helping Women which needs them to help to connect women with supports and services. They are provided to clients, primarily homeless women or those fleeing partner violence. Founder Kerri Isham said some have to take the bus and  without a cell phone, trying to navigate what resources are available to them. The organization provides a charger and a SIM card so they start using it shortly after they get it. MORE

NATUROPATHS WANT the right to prescribe safer supply drugs. Dozens are enrolled in online training with an addiction support program. B.C. Naturopathic Doctors claimed more than 250 of its members are signed up for the provincial opioid addiction treatment support program. President Vanessa Lindsay said as primary care professionals, they are ready and available, and have an excellent safety record when it comes to prescribing. B.C.'s prescribed safer supply policy was introduced in 2021, five years after the province declared a public-health emergency over drug-related deaths. Since then, deaths due to drug toxicity have continued to escalate. MORE

COVID-19 IS STILL WITH US, but it’s on the decline. Hospital cases were essentially unchanged this week, and key indicators of respiratory disease transmission in the province continue to show mostly stable or declining trends. Other COVID-19 data is also stable or declining in the B.C. Centre for Disease Control's latest weekly update. There were 391 newly confirmed infections during the most recent epidemiological week, from Feb. 4 to 10, down from 441 the week before.

SCHOOL DAY EXTENSTION – Surrey high school students will have a new schedule next fall in an extended day program. That consists of  five class periods a day, rather than four. Students will be in class mostly from periods one through four, or two through five, starting their day later or ending it earlier, helping to increase school capacity by about 10 to 15 per cent. MORE

A CONTROVERSY over a possible safe drug consumption site in Richmond has come to a quick end after Vancouver Coastal Health announced it had no plans for a stand-alone safe consumption site in the city. The health authority said Richmond didn’t have a significant concentration of people at-risk. MORE

HIGHER RATE SHOCK – Canadian Electric vehicle owners could see their insurance rates suffer a  jolt. A report by credit rating agency Morningstar DBRS suggests insurers in the U.K., Europe and parts of the U.S., where EV uptake is higher than in Canada, are starting to experience the impacts the EV transition is having on claims costs. MORE

QUOTABLE – Not everyone who disagrees is a right-wing extremist. Even some left-wing extremists are contrarians.

THAT SMOKE OVER the city this morning was not a wildfire but a burn on a rural property. Smoke wafted across the north and central areas this morning stemming from a work site near off the end of Bell Road in the north Jingle Pot Road area, just west of city limits. MORE

THE SKY IS NOT FALLING but a good spring rainfall would help. Our low snow pack does not make a serious summer fire season a sure thing. It’s been warmer than normal this winter with less rain, but the Coastal Fire Centre says what’s important is the amount of rain we get in June, which generally determines the severity of the fire season. Information officer Kimberly Kelly said it was a common misconception linking snow pack to severity of fire season. MORE

THE CITY IS ACCEPTING applications for two grants for watershed restoration and other environmental and sustainability projects. The Community Watershed Restoration grant provides up to $20,000 to community organizations, environmental non-profits, and individual residents for watershed restoration projects. The Community Environmental Sustainability Project grant was created to support small and creative environmental projects not already covered by existing City of Nanaimo grants offers $20,000 in grants beginning in 2023. . Application forms are available on the Grants page on the City’s website. The deadline for submitting applications is Apr. 2.

NANAIMO’S STREET UTILITY COVERS, we used to call them manhole covers, will have a new look. The city has combined with The Good House of Design with artwork by Joel Good to create the covers which will be used for the next decade or more. They will be used for new installations and when old covers need to be replaced. The City anticipates that 20-40 will be installed on Nanaimo’s streets each year at a cost of a couple of hundred bucks each. The design honours the land and Snuneymuxw culture. MORE

THE REST OF today’s Daily Buzz could fall into the Believe It Or Not category, so read on any way.

A NEW LANGUAGE – Dr. Bonnie Henry relabeled the “safer drug” supply to “Prescribed Alternatives.” Hoping to make it more palatable. The Federal government seems to like they idea, they have now retagged their quarterly carbon offset payments to the “Canada Carbon Rebate.” Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan says the government should use the same words most people do when they talk about the policy, words like carbon and rebate, he said. “And if we can speak that language, that’s important so people understand what’s going on here.” Oh really? That makes me feel so much better now.

I WOULD NOT WANT to be the man in charge of the Victoria Police Department right now. A case involving more than $30 million in drugs cash and weapons has imploded because of police misconduct. Charges against three men accused in an “organized fentanyl trafficking ring,” have all been quietly stayed after finding out a VicPD officer involved in the investigation was himself, under a criminal investigation. MORE

VICTORIA AIRPORT screeners are still waiting an explanation about why they were unexpectedly fired. Allied Universal Security, is subcontracted by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, or CATSA, to operate the airport’s screening department. The Victoria Airport Authority remains mum on the firings. MORE

NOT A VINTAGE YEAR. The British Columbia's wine industry is anticipating catastrophic crop losses due to January's intense cold snap. A report from Wine Growers British Columbia and consultant Cascadia Partners says preliminary estimates call for crops to produce only one-to-three per cent of typical yields for wine grapes, mostly coming from Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island. The loss in grape and wine production is expected to trigger revenue losses of up to $346 million for vineyards and wineries. It’s a similar story for other fruit producers in the Okanagan who warn of a shortage of cherries and other fruits. MORE

WHO IS NEXT? Naturopaths want approval to prescribe safer supply drugs, with dozens enrolling in online training with an addiction support program. B.C. Naturopathic Doctors said more than 250 of its members are signed up for the B.C. Centre for Substance Use's provincial opioid addiction treatment support program. Vanessa Lindsay, BCND's president, said as primary care professionals, they are ready, available, and have an excellent safety record when it comes to prescribing. MORE

A WOMAN WHO WAS OFFERED a rent reduction for her business if she posed naked in for the landlord has gone to the Human Rights Commission. The café owner from the Lower Mainland claims when she went to renew her lease last fall, she got a shocking offer from her 80-year-old landlord. She told CTV News that he offered to reduce her rent if she got naked in front of him twice a month. The REST OF THE STORY.

QUOTABLE – Rhyme for the day
Oh the bulls**t you’ll hear
as elections draw near

And with that, have a great day in Paradise.

Windsor Plywood Foundation contributes

$2 million to Nanaimo Regional Hospital

IF YOU’RE GOING TO make a donation, you might as well make it a whopper. The Windsor Plywood Foundation has donated two million bucks to Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation. The gift is a shot in the arm as work continues on a new high-acuity unit at the hospital. Windsor Plywood founders Randle and Frances Jones have a history of donating to the hospital, making their first contribution in 1990 and have made yearly donations since 2009. The donation is particularly meaningful to the Windsor family as it helps honour her father who recently died, said Cathy Brown, Windsor Plywood Foundation executive director. MORE

CHARGING FOR THE CHARGE. The free ride is coming to an end for electric vehicle owners who have been topping up their electrical charge at city-owned electric vehicle stations. City staff report use of the stations is rising. The charging stations were installed in 2021 as part of a federal and provincial grant program. They have an expected 12-year life span, after which they will be replaced at about $15,000 per unit. City staff propose a fee-for-service at 2.5 cents per minute or about $3 for the first two hours of charging, about what EV drivers would pay to charge their vehicles at home. MORE

NDP HOUSING MEASURES are not stacking up well for municipalities. Municipal leaders are in Vancouver to discuss housing in their communities, and several came out swinging against provincial policies in the opening session Tuesday.They are frustrated they haven’t been given enough resources to provide services for a flood of new residents. The mayors point out that blanket approval for four- or six-plexes on single-family lots requires massive planning and investments in infrastructure – from transit to schools to the electrical grid to sewer capacity – many of which fall on their shoulders. MORE

ON THAT NOTE, There was a nearly 30-per-cent increase in home sales in B.C. last month compared with January 2023. Prices were also up. The BC Real Estate Association says there was a nearly 30 per cent increase in home sales last month compared with January 2023, while prices were also up. There were 3,979 sales last month, for an average price of $957,909, a more than 10-per-cent jump from the year before. Association chief economist Brendon Ogmundson says the sales numbers show a “clear uptrend” to kick off 2024 with a dollar value of $3.8 billion in sales for the month. MORE

WANTED BY THE COPS ­– The Nanaimo RCMP Community Policing Program is looking for new volunteers for their Crime Watch and Speed Watch programs. If you are interested in joining the team of volunteers and want more information, they will hold an information session at 6:30 pm on February 21 at 580 Fitzwilliam St. There you can meet the team, ask questions and find out more about RCMP programs.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO SNIFF to find when something stinks. The aroma appears to be coming from Victoria Airport where 27 security screens have been pushed out the door. TheInternational Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workersconfirmed the firing of 27 members. Transport Canada told CHEK News that safety and Security of Canadians is always Transport Canada’s top priority. MORE

QUOTABLE – If American voters had re-elected Donald Trump in the last election, his term would be almost over by now.

TOMORROW IS Valentine's day, so don't forget to hustle up some chocolates, a bouquet of flowers or fine dining at one of our local eateries. So don't say you haven't been warned.

FORMER NANAIMO SPORTSCASTER Joey Kenward is recovering from cancer and he provides an update of what he has been and still will go through. HERE

NO ALTERNATIVE – The alternative approval process for funding the Nanaimo Operations Centre is down the drain. City Council voted unanimously on Monday to cancel a second AAP to borrow up to $48.5 million for a new public works yard after forms to register objection were not made available in the proper time. Chief Administrative Officer Dale Lindsay said once the error was noticed very few options remained. Citizens have been very active in gathering signatures opposing the borrowing bylaw. Lindsay said staff are not abandoning the project, they will return to Council with options.

CAMPBELL RIVER RCMP are looking for two teenage girls who have been reported missing. Police say they very concerned for their well being. 15-year-old Dommie Malcolmson was last seen on Monday. She is 5’7″ with a medium build, long blonde hair and blue eyes. 16-year-old Cora Potoski has also been missing since Monday. She is 5’2″, slender, long red hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call RCMP at 250-286-6221 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

ALL STRESSED OUT ­– Two-thirds of Canadians are feeling anxiety and stress. And they have little faith in politicians to fix big problems in the economy. The annual CanTrust Index published by Proof Strategies shows that fear of economic pain, such as a recession or unemployment, appears to be driving higher levels of anxiety than COVID-19 ever did. Women in particular reported higher levels of economic anxiety and lower levels of confidence in the health care system and in Canada’s democracy than did their male counterparts. Almost three in four women said the economy had increased their anxiety compared with fewer than three in five men who took part in the poll. MORE

SENIORS HOUSING ­– Construction crews have begun work on a 145-unit seniors housing project at the former Malaspina Gardens care home site on Machleary Street.  Molnar Group got a building permit late last year to go ahead with the $37 million project which calls for a congregate housing development with common amenity areas, including a large dining hall as part of three buildings. Two levels of underground parking are included. MORE

SHOOT-UP SITE NOT WELCOME – This will strike a chord locally. Richmond city council will reconsider a safe consumption site near Richmond Hospital tonight. An online petition against the site started Feb. 4 exceeded 17,000 signatures by this morning. Council voted 8-1 last week to ask staff to gauge the potential benefits and challenges of implementing a drug consumption site in the city. The review is meant to consider the impact to public safety, health-care costs and community perceptions. Gady Tse, who started the petition, said such a facility will inevitably attract more drug addicts to the city. MORE

A BUNCH OF GARBAGE – The Campbell River Association of Tour Operators has completed a five-month coastal shoreline cleanup. This is their second sweep and they covered about 700 km of shoreline gathering about 80-85 tons of debris. They focused on the northern Discovery Islands over the last five months and there was no shortage of debris to clean. They removed about 15 tons of steel off the beach. And there was lots of plastic, barrels and other debris. The group is one of eight that shared $10.5 million in provincial funding last fall to complete five months of coastal shoreline cleanups on the south coast. MORE

MURDER CHARGE LAID – A first-degree murder charge has been laid after a hit-and-run crash killed a cyclist on the Comox Valley Parkway last week. Steven Squires, 45, was arrested on Feb. 10 and charged with first-degree murder and failing to stop after an accident causing death. He remains in custody. MORE

QUOTABLE – $200 of groceries used to go in the trunk, now you can put them in a couple of bags on the passenger seat.

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME is coming, but it doesn’t kick in until Sunday, March 10, just so you know. That’s when we’ll notice longer daylight hours. Daylight saving time is the eight-month period between March and November when the majority of the country adjusts their clocks. British Columbians have voted to ends the annual time changes but we have to wait until the western U.S. states get approval from Congress.

LANTZVILLE COUNCIL has voted 4-1 to move forward on zoning and official community plan changes for a 306-bed long-term care facility.Public information sessions are planned by Island Health before a public hearing is slated. Despite province-wide complaints of municipal delays in housing developments, Coun. Joan Jones tried to delay the initial readings to late April. MORE

THE PUBLIC WILL get input when the Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District determines cell phone use in schools. The province is bringing in restrictions next school year but calling on school districts for guidance. Nanaimo has no district-wide policy now and schools and teachers do their own thing, School Board chairman Greg Keller said. The board will look at options and a draft policy for public consultation. The province will work with school districts to develop the policy, guaranteeing some level of local autonomy. Keller said enforcement of any restrictions is a whole other issue which is going to be a challenge. MORE

THE BODY OF 48-year-old Nancy Gagne has been recovered from the Millstone River in Bowen Park. From tattoos on the body, she was identified as Gagne who went missing on Feb. 1. Police, Fire and Nanaimo Search and Rescue responded with NSAR taking the lead on the recovery. BC Coroners Service attended and will continue with their investigation.

IT'S GOING TO COST MORE to mail a letter to Granny, starting May 6. Canada Post plans to raise the cost of stamps by seven cents, to 99 cents, for stamps purchased in a booklet, coil or pane. Individually stamps will go up to $1.15 from $1.07 for a domestic letter. U.S., international letter-post and domestic registered mail, will also rise subject to regulatory approvals, effective on May 6. Rates went up by five cents in 2019 and two cents in 2020. MORE

A DOCUMENTARY FILM about Dr. Bonnie Henry’s handling of the COVID pandemic attracted a couple dozen protesters but went ahead without disruption at the Victoria Film Festival. Victoria Police said the protesters were opposed to the measures that were put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They were those opposed to any measures. The Film Festival said the protest was kept under control by police, and the screening was uninterrupted. MORE

THE NEW PAYMENT MODEL is proving popular with B.C. doctors, resulting in increased access to family physicians. Health Minister Adrian Dix said 4,000 family doctors have registered in its first year, significantly increasing access for British Columbians. As of December 2023, the province estimates there were 5,000 family physicians in total working in primary care. MORE

THAT BUBBLY POP is going to cost you more after April Fool’s Day. A federal tax increase on alcohol will raise the cost of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol excise tax is set to go up by 4.7 per cent, which Okanagan Conservative MP Tracy Gray says will cost Canadians about $100 million extra in 2024-25. She said the tax hike comes at a time when beverage producers and those in the hospitality industry are already grappling with rising costs of everything including raw materials, packaging, energy, rent, and transportation. MORE

WILDFIRES MADE HEADLINES last summer, and some of those fires in northeastern B.C. continue to smoulder and smoke, but it’s expected says the BC Wildfire Service says. The Prince George Fire Centre is aware that some holdover fires are smouldering in some areas and producing visible smoke. A holdover fire is one that remains dormant and undetected for a considerable time after it starts, which is common in lightning-caused fires. Heat can simmer underground for days, weeks, or even months. As the weather dries out and temperatures rise, these fires can flare up.

QUOTABLE – Don’t wait for the perfect moment, take the moment and make it perfect.

HEY WHAT’S THAT over-sized cruiseship anchored off Nanaimo? It’s a luxury hotel to house workers for a Squamish Woodfibre LNG construction project in Howe Sound, beginning spring. It will remain in our port until April. The MS Isabelle has 652 cabins and is about 550 feet long, 92 feet wide with a draught of 20 feet. MORE

SNUNEYMUXW IS GETTING more housing on its reserve as construction begins on a new eight-unit building on Warpath Road. The new development will be for families and individuals with low and moderate incomes, a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom units. The project is a partnership between Snuneymuxw, the Province and the Federal Government through CMHC and will be operated by Snuneymuxw First Nation.

BE PREPARED to turn your taps on a lot this spring and summer as we endure drought unless we get more rain or snow. The B.C. River Forecast Centre reports the Island is at 30 per cent of its regular snowpack for this time of year, down from 75 per cent last year, the lowest in the province. Across the province, the snowpack is at 61 per cent on average, compared to 79 per cent last year. MORE

EMPLOYEES AT 21 B.C. radio stations don’t have to fear closures or layoffs, says Bryan Edwards, president of Vista, the company buying the stations from Bell Media. He said the stations have about 80 employees and some are short-staffed. The 20-year-old company, based in Courtenay, already operates radio stations in communities adjacent to the ones its buying. Bell announced widespread layoffs and the sale of 45 of its 103 regional radio stations across the country, as well as ending multiple television newscasts and making other programming cuts.

Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP Lisa Marie Barron’s attempt to create a citizen’s assembly to develop of new electoral system has hit a brick wall. Parliament rejected her private member’s motion 218-102. It was an uphill battle from the start as Canadians and British Columbians have rejected such a plan a number of times, including in a province-wide referendum.

FORMER CABINET MINISTER Selina Robinson received a death threat after making controversial comments about Palestine. Premier David Eby posted on X that police are investigating the threat and that she is safe. She had called Palestine a “crappy piece of land with nothing on it” in a discussion hosted by B’nai Brith. She apologized twice for the comments before resigning from cabinet but remaining an MLA. Since stepping down, her office has been vandalized. MORE

QUOTABLE – Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

GARY NEGRIN IS CLOSING up shop. A Nanaimo landmark could soon disappear as Superette Foods has been put up for sale. Gary is 72 years old and has owned the store since 1977. Now he's ready to retire. He has worked at the store since he was a 13 years old. He started out in 1977 as a four-year project and just kept going. So what happens to the neighbourhood corner store is uncertain. It’s got a $1.6-million price tag for anyone interested in taking over a going concern. MORE

HULLO FERRIES is expanding its schedule with more daily trips between Nanaimo and  Vancouver. The spring schedule kicks off on March 3 with six round trips from Thursday to Monday and three on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Another addition is the ability to carry luggage, and additional trips on special event nights in Vancouver. Check out the new schedule HERE.

NICOTINE POUCHES are no longer for sale in convenience stores in B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix announced the new regulations which prevent the sale of nicotine pouches to children and youth across the province. The rules restrict all buccal nicotine pouch products to behind the counter at pharmacies. No prescription is required, but purchasers will need to speak to a pharmacist to get it. MORE

NANAIMO’S AARON PRITCHETT has received a $25,000 grant from a new $3.3 million fund designed to help B.C.-based musicians to develop their careers and grow the local music industry. MLAs Sheila Malcolmson and Doug Routley said the new funding will support Nanaimo’s musical community - both our local musicians and events. More than 200 musicians and music companies will benefit from this funding.

GO TO A NANAIMO NIGHT OWLS baseball game and you might come home with Taylor Swift. Go to a Night Owls game at a three-game home series and be entered into a draw for tickets to a Swifty concert in Vancouver in December. Nanaimo’s West Coast League baseball team is home to the Kelowna Falcons for a three-game series July 8-10 at Serauxmen Stadium. When you go you’ll get a draw entry to post at the game, so the more games you attend the more chances to win. The draw will take place in the eighth inning of the July 10 game. Check it out HERE.

UNFATHOMABLE – Premier David Eby is ticked off that child sex offender Randall Hopley will not face new restrictions after going on the run for 10 days in November. Eby says he can’t fathom the federal parole board ruling and it isn’t acceptable that Hopley, who abducted a three-year-old boy in 2011, has been released again with the same conditions. He said will contact federal authorities about the system that allowed Hopley to be repeatedly released into the community to put kids at risk. It’s not acceptable and he wants this addressed. MORE

QUOTABLE – Social media is all the proof you need that ignorance is bliss.

NANAIMO LAWYER Christopher Churchill has been appointed a provincial court judge, beginning his duties on March 21. He will adjudicate cases in Nanaimo, covering the Vancouver Island region. Three other judges appointed are Colleen Elden, Karen Leung and Sheryl Wagner. MORE

GET USED TO IT – We have a provincial election this fall, so we’re going to be inundated with commitments left, right and centre . . .  and Green. The BC Green Party proposes capping rent prices between tenancies in a bid to improve affordability. And that’s a sekf-defeating trap politicians often fall into, and it doesn't work. Any restriction on return on investment to landlords naturally results in fewer rental units being built. Ergo, fewer being built creating more housing shortage and higher rents. MORE

WILL THAT SOLVE THE PROBLEM? In product marketing, packaging and labeling can be the difference between success and failure. I wonder of that’s what Dr. Bonnie Henry had in mind when she relabeled “safer drugs” with a new moniker. She now refers to “prescribed alternatives.” Street talk indicates many people who get the prescribed drugs are turning around and selling them to get money to get the more-potent street variety.

KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED for our own Lauren Spencer-Smith – she’s nominated for three Juno Awards, including artist of the year, album of the year and pop album of the year. The Junos will be held in Halifax on March 24 and be hosted by Victoria’s Nelly Furtado. Lauren is facing tough competition in Charlotte Cardin, Daniel Caesar, Shania Twain and Tate McRae in the artist of the year category. MORE

QUOTABLE – The reason money laundering is illegal is because it cuts out the middle man, the government wants its share through taxation.

THE ALTERNATIVE APPROVAL PROCESS for the Nanaimo Operations Centre has turned into a major headache for council and staff for the second time. They are seeking legal advice and options after a mix-up in response forms. Legislation requires Elector Response Forms to be made available on the day of the first Notice. The forms were made available on first day of the AAP, eight days after that date. The current Alternative Approval Process will continue until Council provides further direction. There will be a Special Council meeting to be held as soon as practicable to discuss this matter further.

RCMP ARE INVESTIGATING after a 22-year-old man was stabbed on Sunday near Port Place Mall. He is in hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Police were able to review some grainy closed circuit footage of the victim walking through the parking lot, with a group of people walking nearby. The quality of the video was poor and it did not provide much in the way of detail. The investigation is in the very early stages and police will canvass the downtown core for more footage and looking for any potential witnesses. If anyone has information on this incident, please call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345.  MORE

YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED more bicycles on our streets and roads in the last few days. This is GoByBike week which wraps up with the Lights Up Night Ride on Friday, from 4-6 p.m., starting from the Beban Park. The 7-9-kilometre loop takes riders from the park along the E&N Trail, through nearby neighbourhoods and back to Beban for refreshments. To register or learn  about celebration station times and locations or register for Winter GoByBike Week, visit the City of Nanaimo website.

QUOTABLE – My doctor says now that I'm over 80 it would be safe to start smoking again.

Nanaimo is the place to be, and that trend will continue over the next few decades. We’re already one of the fastest growing areas and there’s no slowdown in sight. The latest BC Stats report forecasts 157,395 people living here by 2046, more than 50 per cent higher than 2022 figures. B.C will see similar increases and could see the province grow to 7.9 million by 2046 from today’s 5.5 million. MORE

We appear to be going through a really dry period for news. As I go through all the regular sources to fill up The Daily Buzz there seems to be a lot of what we call puff pieces – pet stories, bickering, etc. With that in mind, it’s time to stir the pot and get things perking.

The recent tempest over remarks by cabinet minister Selina Robinson about Israel are a classic example of hurt feelings topping the agenda. The comment that got Robinson into hot water was really a statement of fact, but it ruffled feathers. See my perspective below.

When the truth gets sacrificed

It’s sad when the truth can get you in trouble, lest you hurt someone’s feelings. Ask Post Secondary Education Minister Selina Robinson who stepped into it when she stated fact that pre-1948 Palestine was “a crappy piece of land.” She got raked over the coals, left and right, and had to apologize for hurting feelings.

In a B’nai Brith panel discussion, Robinson commented on young people’s lack of knowledge of the Holocaust, saying 18 to 34-year-olds have no idea about the Holocaust. They don’t understand that Israel was offered to the Jews. It had nothing on it, there were several hundred thousand people, it didn’t produce an economy, it couldn’t grow things, it didn’t have anything on it. That is a statement of fact, some may not like it, but fact should not fall victim to tender feelings.

Mosques and Islamic associations now want Robinson fired. NDP MLA or candidates for the next election are not welcome in their sacred spaces until Premier David Eby takes action against Robinson. And that, my friends, is extortion.

Beware the Boogeyman injecting fear and hate

I have a love-hate relationship with politics, loving it while despising a lot of aspects of what is really a game played to select how and by whom we are governed. We’re told that we must accept that black is white and white is black.

American politics has operated this way for decades, vilify your opponents through fear based on misrepresentation. In other words, lie like a mattress. The Americans go to the polls in November and it’s getting messy to the point of involving their judiciary in influencing votrers. That behaviour is beginning to rub off on our politics north of the border.

Our federal election is not for another 20 months or so, but it’s becoming clear that we’re in for an American-style campaigning in both this year’s provincial and next year’s federal elections. Prime Minister Trudeau and Mini-Me NDP leader Jagmeet Singh are trumpeting how we are in mortal danger if Donald Trump returns to the White House next January.

They are auditioning the mantra that Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is a mini-Trump. It’s the fear smear, first fear of Trump and then equating Poilievre to Trump and by extension, comparing Trump to Adolf Hitler. They accuse Conservative MPs of using “MAGA tactics” likening them to Trump’s Make-America-Great-Again mantra.

It’s difficult to comprehend how that slogan could be turned into a negative ­– who would not want to Make America Great Again? Or Canada?Canadians are frustrated at the price of goods, falling behind through inflation, housing shortages, failing health care, rising crime and more. These are great election talking points that the Conservatives are plugging into.

Political strategists believe they can take a message about making the country great again and twist them into something to be perceived as negative. It could be a misjudgment of the pulse of the electorate.

The fear campaign sounds like a recognition that voters may turn in that direction. That’s what it’s all about, what voters perceive as best for their interests. Making our country great again certainly sounds appealing, voters might just buy into that and reject the boogeyman.

Vancouver Island Exhibition

moves to become a fall fair

THE VANCOUVER ISLAND EXHIBITION is moving to a different date on the calendar. The VIEX announced that this year’s fair will be a true fall fair, Sept. 20-22. The new date will avoid a conflict with other events, largely a clash with the Comox Valley Exhibition, which has resulted in fewer entries in livestock and 4-H divisions. The agricultural component is vital to the VIEX. The board will now work with other community organizations that use Beban Park that weekend. For more information about the VIEX, visit www.viex.ca.

MORE TO COME – the clear blue sky with the crispy temperatures are likely a taste of things to come in the next few days. The forecast calls for cooler temperatures until at least Monday with some scattered sunshine.

JUST A MINUTE – Officials dealing with the drug crisis in our province are singing from the same songbook, more drugs handed out, including opioids. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and outgoing Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe want to push more “safe” drugs, insisting it will keep users away from street drugs. However, illicit drug deaths are still rising since declaring a drug emergency and decriminalizing some drugs. On her way out the door, Lapointe gives the provincial government a shot for its handling of the crisis, noting it hasn’t adopted any recommendations from coroner’s death review panels. One thought that comes to my mind is that’s like pouring more gasoline on a fire. Safe or not, drugs are still drugs. How about a full-out war on drugs with real treatment for the victims?

QUOTABLE – Life really does begin at forty. Up until then, you are just doing research – Carl Jung.

Expansion of safe drug program

pushed to include more opioids

Provincial Medical Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry backs the prescribed safe drug supply and wants to expand the kinds of prescribed alternatives, including heroin and fentanyl. She released a 96-page review of the prescribed safe supply program on Thursday. She says the province should expand opioid medication options, with priority in supplying prescription heroin and fentanyl, including smokeable versions. Echoing outgoing chief coroner Lisa Lapointe, the report urges a multi-pillar approach, highlighting preventive and holistic solutions to mitigate further deaths and suffering. This includes adequate housing solutions, better access to health care in rural communities, alternative prescribing methods and even investing in recreational activities for youth. MORE

DIVE RIGHT IN – Here’s a job you can get immersed in, the City is recruiting lifeguards for Beban Pool and Nanaimo Aquatic Centre. If you know of anyone who would like to get involved, get them to apply at Lifeguard jobs.

WITH THE CRAPPY WEATHER we’re enduring a little light-heartedness is in order. All over North America, normally-sane people are relying on rodents – groundhogs or woodchucks and marmots – to predict the long-term weather. In these here parts, Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Foundation’s Van Isle Violet saw her shadow and offers us another six weeks of winter. And for those who follow this type of stuff, there’s Good Old Manitoba Merv for the stubble jumpers. My favorite-named rodent is Balzac Billy, in Alberta. So, how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood.

GOING DOWN HILL – The recent weather has been giving most of us that warm-all-over feeling, but it spells disaster for ski resorts. Mount Washington and the three North Shore in Vancouver have been closed daily due to warm weather. They welcome the news from groundhogs this morning as they mostly see good news in for improving weather conditions. For the latest conditions, visit mountwashington.ca

Quotable – One upon a time, in the 1950s, a family could own a home, buy a car and send the kids to university, all on one income.

Drug decriminalization won't save

lives, it's all about reducing stigma

Drug decriminalization won’t save a single life – it’s about shame reduction and making addicts more comfortable seeking help, says Mental Health and Addictions Minister Jennifer Whiteside. The three-year decriminalization exemption came amid an overdose crisis that has claimed almost 14,000 lives in B.C. since 2016 and the numbers keep climbing. Illicit drugs deaths hit a record 2,511 in B.C. last year. Decriminalization has brought criticism from municipal and opposition politicians, who say it has allowed open drug use in public places. MORE

UPDATE COMING – Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is set to release her review of B.C.'s prescribed safer supply drug program this afternoon. The review comes on the heels of a record-breaking 2,511 deaths caused by suspected illicit drug poisoning in the province last year. MORE

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE – B.C. Ferries is doing its best to keep its rag-tag fleet in operation for the peak summer travel period. The company held a fleet maintenance overview on Wednesday to update the status of its vessels along with plans to manage peak season volume this year. In all, 20 ships are scheduled for refit this year when major work such as engineer repair is performed. To that end, they’re trying to squeeze in as much of the work as possible ahead of the summer season. The Coastal Renaissance was taken out of service due to a rotor system failure last year. Now all three coastal-class vessels will have the systems replaced in time to serve the major routes during the peak season. The Coastal Renaissance is due back in service in March. MORE

FACEBOOK IN SPOTLIGHT – Social media companies, including Facebook, were called on the carpet Wednesday at U.S. Senate hearings on child vulnerability. The hearings were very timely related to a local case where a man was found guilty of child luring via Facebook. Craig Allen Sims, 40, was convicted of child luring between the end of 2007 and late 2009 when the complainant was between 12 and 13 years old. She decided to go to the police years later, with transcripts of private Facebook conversations, initiated by Sims, when she was as young as 12 years old. MORE

NANAIMO VIDEO STAR – We have a Youtube star in our midst. A local man, Billy Ray Smith, has a series of video postings demonstrating his expertise with a chain saw and a whole lot more. It’s got thousands of viewers. Check it HERE.

BIG CITY PROBLEMS – It’s not the status any community wants but Port Alberni has a big-city problem – the third-worst drug fatality rate in the province. A joint community plan is calling for a local detox facility that won’t charge user fees to ensure quick access to drug users when they need it. Tseshaht First Nation, Port Alberni Community action team, front-line workers, and families who’ve lost loved ones is trying to see transportation to treatment and housing and support to transition people out of addiction. MORE

OH THE PAIN – Extracting details from the federal government about its dental care program is somewhat like pulling teeth. Dental care providers are still in the dark about how it will work, how much the government will pay for services or how providers can sign up. The government has been accepting applications for some different groups being phased in – more than 400,000 seniors over 72 have enrolled so far. Dr. Heather Carr, president of the Canadian Dental Association, says they are running out of time, they need to get these details wrapped up very soon. MORE

QUOTABLE – You are what you do, not what you say you'll do – Carl Jung.

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