It may be a forewarning of things to come. After losing $10 million in 15 years, London Drugs is looking at closing its store in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside when its lease expires. President and CEO Clint Mahlman said London Drugs bought into the vision for the area when it became the anchor tenant for the Woodward’s redevelopment in 2009 but he hasn’t seen the increased housing density it expected in the area. Even with security, the physical and verbal violence against its workers has been intolerable for many years and customers are also not feeling safe. MORE

Nanaimo BMX rider Ryley Cofield, 18, is recovering after suffering a major injury during training in New Zealand for his first world cup series in Denmark. He was hurt during weight training with compression fractures on his vertebrae. He had a bone graft, hardware and spinal fusion. Friends launched a GoFundMe, raising more than $21,000 to pay for Ryley’s mom Heather Robertson to go to New Zealand. Any excess funds raised wll be used for treatment-related expenses, including accommodation while he recovers. MORE

RCMP are looking for a pickup truck that rammed several RCMP vehicles and fled when police arrived. It happened Tuesday evening in the South Parkway Plaza in Chase River. The driver appeared to be slumped over the steering wheel. Before police could determine whether might be impaired or in medical distress, the truck started to move, pushing one police vehicle out of its path and striking a second one, causing significant damage to both.  MORE

We have a new lieutenant governor. Wendy Cocchia was sworn in amid pomp and ceremony on Thursday at the Legislature in Victoria. She is an entrepreneur in the hospitality industry, philanthropist and the co-founder of the Pacific Autism Family Network. She has been recognized with the Order of Canada, the Order of British Columbia, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the King Charles III Coronation Medal, and two honorary doctorates. MORE

QUOTABLE – Challenges are what makes life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. 

It's Wednesday, another big news day. There's no rhyme or reason why, but it's almost standard every week.

Get ready for a blast of winter on the Island by Thursday. Environment Canada forecasts a dramatic shift in weather, with flurries and sub-zero temperatures. Lisa Erven of Environment Canada says there may be snow down at low elevations. The weather change comes as a result of a frontal system moving across the region over the Malahat, Cowichan Valley and the Alberni Valley with snow or rain and snow. The real chill will come Friday night bringing sub-zero temperatures that will linger through at least the middle of next week. MORE

One Life Recovery Society needs a cash boost after a recent fire destroyed the men’s addiction and mental health recovery facility. It operates a recovery home in south Nanaimo for men recovering from addiction and struggle with their mental health. Smoke spread through the house displacing the six men living in the duplex. The fire was a from a mattress near an electric baseboard heater. MORE

King Charles III medals were recently presented to 20 community residents recognizing their contributions to the community by MP Lisa Marie Barron. Candidates were nominated throughout the community for significant contributions or outstanding achievement in Canada. MORE

Money Man David Eby is getting ready to roll out pandemic-style relief measures for possible tariffs on Canadian goods. That could affect British Columbia’s economy harder than the 2008 recession. He said retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports would generate billions of dollars that should be immediately deployed across Canada to help people and businesses. U.S. President Donald Trump’s press secretary told reporters on Tuesday the plan was still on the books for Feb. 1. MORE

Hold the phone, Duncan and Ladysmith are among ten South Island municipalities seeking to delay downloading 911 dispatch costs onto them. It’s a move that mayors have been pushing back on since 2021. The price tag will bring property tax increases between 2.7 and six per cent, depending on each community. MORE

In case you didn’t know, Elections BC has suspended a review of a Conservative candidate’s complaint of possible violations in the October election. The B.C. Supreme Court is considering a similar claim. Honveer Singh Randhawa and the BC Conservative Party said it had evidence of 45 suspicious votes in the Surrey-Guildford riding where New Democrat Garry Begg won by just 22 votes. MORE

Goodbye Sonia. The leader of the BC Green party  is stepping down after losing her seat in Victoria-Beacon Hill. Sonia Furstenau said her leadership was based on a vision for B.C.  She said it was a platform that was the foundation of negotiations with the NDP. MORE

It's no longer a joke, Google will change the names of the Gulf of Mexico and Denali on its maps. The company will make changes when the government updates its official listings for the body of water and the mountain. President Donald Trump ordered that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed Gulf of America. America’s highest mountain peak will be changed back to Mt. McKinley. MORE

The Bank of Canada cut its rate by a quarter per cent to three per cent

QUOTABLE – Happy Lunar New Year, enter the year of the snake.

One person was taken to hospital after a fire in Extension heavily damaged  a home on Monday afternoon, displacing four people.  Crews extinguished the fire, but the home is uninhabitable. The person was taken to hospital as a precaution due to smoke inhalation. MORE

Weather we are in for drought or flooding this summer. The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship’s first report of the year assesses that the Vancouver Island snowpack is above normal at 117 per cent. Across the province it’s 13 per cent below normal, but that’s not seen as worrisome. Forecasts suggest the dry trend will give way to wetter weather in February and March and two or three strong storms could bring levels back to or near the yearly average. MORE

An unnamed 38-year-old man has been sentenced to one year in jail after pleading guilty to underage sexual crimes in Nanaimo and another B.C. community. Court was told about the actions of a highly troubled man, whose behaviour included exploiting three young nieces. MORE

The sky is the limit for a proposed 25-storey downtown tower in downtown Victoria. Reliance Properties wants to build hundreds of condos in what would become Victoria’s tallest building, 10 storeys higher than Hudson Place, three blocks north. Plans call for 321 market-price condos, 20 per cent to be two-bedroom units and 11 per cent would have three bedrooms. There are also plans to include space for a public plaza and retail. MORE

QUOTABLE – We can all disagree without being disagreeable.

Good Monday morning

It’s time to drop your drawers and let it all hang out at the Naked Bungy Jump for Mental Health on March 1 and 2 at WildPlay. There are spots for 160 unabashed folks to bare all and take the plunge to raise more than $100,000 for Mental Health Recovery Partners South Island. The money will support mental health services like one-to-one peer support, group support, family counselling, education, advocacy and policy development. One long-standing donor is matching all donations up to $50,000.

Are we at risk of brush fires like those that decimated California and Hawaii? BroomBusters volunteers are targeting plants like Scotch Broom on Vancouver Island which can spread far and wide and become a wildfire hazard. BroomBusters Invasive Plant Society has had an influx of new volunteers following the devastating fires recently in Los Angeles, with new concerns centred around the invasive plant species Scotch Broom providing fuel for wildfires here. MORE

To nobody's surprise, lower Bank of Canada interest rates sparked an increase in home sales in British Columbia last year. A new report warns there is uncertainty as tariff threats loom. The British Columbia Real Estate Association’s First Quarter Housing Forecast predicts residential sales in the province will increase 14.3 per cent to 85,140 in 2025. They’re expected to climb even higher in 2026, to nearly 87,970 units. BCRE expects the central bank will continue cuts before stopping around 2.5 per cent. The bank will release it’s next interest decision on Wednesday. MORE

Goodbye, see ya. Climate change activist Zain Haq was deported to his native Pakistan on Sunday. He and his Canadian wife hoped for a last-minute intervention by either the public safety minister or the immigration minister to stop his deportation as he waited on board a plane departing from Toronto. Haq pleaded guilty to mischief charges in 2023 over his role in environmental protests that blocked Metro Vancouver roads. His wife Sophia Papp is planning to travel to Pakistan to join him.

QUOTABLE – Be careful what you tolerate, you are teaching people how to treat you

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim’s call to curb the concentration of supportive housing in the Downtown Eastside has the ear of Mayor Leonard Krog. Nanaimo also has a concentration homeless and addicted people in the downtown area. “We are dealing with a crisis of misery on our streets, and street disorder everywhere. I understand what Mayor Sim is trying to say,” says Krog. He estimates there are between 900 and 1,000 homeless people in Nanaimo and there is a desperate need for supportive housing, and services across the mid-Island. “We can’t carry the burden anymore,” he said. MORE

The driver was killed and two others in a second vehicle were airlifted to hospital in serious condition after a crash near Woss Friday night. No further details were available. The highway was closed until around 2 a.m. Saturday. The investigation is ongoing, with the help of the BC Coroners Service. MORE

Lake Cowichan could soon be without a doctor after one physician is leaving town and the only other one in his 70s is retiring in a few months. Mayor Tim McGonigle says by June there will be zero doctors in the area to serve approximately 6,500 people, about 68 per cent of whom are over 55 years of age. MORE

QUOTABLE – I may not have everything I want in life, but I am blessed that I have everything I need.

Good morning, another great weekend is coming down

A 76-year-old Lantzville senior has been sentenced to one year in jail and two years probation for possessing child pornography. Police found thousands of child porn image and videos of female victims between about four and eight years old at the home of Graham Tanner. He had no prior criminal record and will have his name will be added to the police-only accessible National Sex Offender Registry for 20 years and he was ordered to provide a DNA sample. MORE

A six-pack of candidates are seeking the Ladysmith mayor's job in a byelection on Saturday, March 1. Polls at the Frank Jameson Community Centre are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The candidates are Russ Barling, Deena Beeston, Raymon Travis Farmere, Joe Friesenhan, Tee Hanssen and Murray McNab.

A new poll tells us we are in the dumps, feeling we’ll never get ahead financially. A new RBC poll finds 57 per cent of British Columbians felt that way, compared to the Canadian average of 48 per cent. Fifty nine per cent of British Columbians reported a state of financial paralysis due to rising costs compared to 55 per cent in the rest of Canada. Forty eight per cent of Canadians can’t maintain their current standard of living due to increasing costs and more than half of Canadians say they feel financially stuck, unable to climb out of debt. MORE

Reader Feedback. Jim Taylor believe tariffs will only speed our decline.

Cock a doodle do, Chick-fil-A plans to open five to seven new franchises across B.C.  beginning in late 2027 or early 2028. The expansion comes after three new restaurants opened in Calgary and Edmonton last year, marking 22 Canadian locations since coming to Canada in 2019. Each restaurant will open up approximately 80-120 jobs for locals at each restaurant. Exact B.C. locations have not been announced. MORE

QUOTABLE – The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway.

With bird flu or avian flu increasing, is it safe to eat eggs?

Good morning, here we go with a double-barrelled load of what's news in our world.

A driver fled the scene after a 65-year-old man was struck by a vehicle and suffered serious injuries while crossing Departure Bay Road on the crosswalk at the Wingrove Street intersection on Wednesday. R/Const. Gary O’Brien said police got video footage and it appears it is a dark-coloured SUV that was going southbound, did not stop after the collision and continued south on Departure Bay Road. Anyone who witnessed the incident, has dash cam footage or information about the vehicle and driver please call the RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345 and refer to file No. 2025-2158. MORE

False alarms cost a lot of money to the point where the city is taking action with a new bylaw. Those alarms tied up a lot of emergency services like police, fire and more. The new false alarm bylaw will raise the costs for properties that generate more than three false alarms per year. For example, RCMP got 360 alarm calls from 34 property owners. – One property generated 40 false alarms since March 2023. Some businesses averaged nine to 20 false alarm calls. MORE

Taking transit may cost more to ride the bus by April. The regional transit committee recommends fares for single rides increasing to $2.75 from $2.50; a day pass to $5.50 from $5; a children and senior month pass to $45 from $40; a university monthly pass to $55 from $50 and a semester pass would increase to $176 from $170 – a monthly pass for adults will remain at $65. Some HandyDart tickets will cost more as well. MORE

There’s more than one way to skin a cat, and there’s more than one way to put out a chimney fire. Nanaimo Fire Rescue put out a chimney fire on Troy Anne Way using the resident’s  garden hose. There was minimal damage to the house. They chose the small hose to limit the damage as high-pressure hoses. The incident drives home the importance of keeping chimneys regularly cleaned, and changing smoke detector batteries regularly. MORE

It's shovels in the ground for student housing at Vancouver Island University. Construction has begun on the 10-storey building with 266 beds and a 200-seat dining hall. The province is kicking in $103 million. The new facility will also have shared kitchens, laundry rooms, lounges, study rooms, bike storage and office spaces for staff. It is expected to open by 2027. MORE

It will be single-lane traffic through MacMillan Provincial Park for two nights this weekend. Concrete barriers are being installed along the shoulders in the park, so single-lane-alternating traffic will be in effect from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. The barriers will be placed on each side of the highway through the no parking areas of Cathedral Grove. For road conditions or any changes to the construction schedule, check HERE

We have fire detectors in school, so why not vaping detectors? Summerland Secondary School is addressing the rising amount of vaping by students in school washrooms. Principal Alan Stel said his is not the first school, saying it has been experimented with in other districts. The project started when some parents and students approached the school district with concerns and the district asked if they could install some vape detectors in two of the bathrooms. MORE

QUOTABLE  – Love the life you live. Live the life you love." – Bob Marley

Good morning, back in full swing after the Freedom of The City award to former Mayor John Ruttan on Monday. It was great to touch bases again with former council members. Being 14 years since I was on city council, it was great to see John and former councillors Diane Brennan, Diana Johnstone, Fred Pattje, Ted Greave, Jim Kipp and former Mayor Bill MacKay. And, of course the present group headed by Mayor Leonard Krog.

The Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation winter fundraising campaign far exceeded its target and can now add a prostate laser and other new equipment.
That’s a real achievement considering the postal disruption during the campaign. The focus was a SPECT-CT scanner, the largest fundraiser for a single piece of medical equipment at  $2.9-million. As of mid-January, the foundation received $650,000 towards the device and the associated lead-lined room to house it. MORE

Four mobile homes have been in the dark in a power outage after a fire Jan. 10 at Sharman Mobile Home Park a dozen days ago. No clear end appears to be in sight and residents believe, Sharman should make alternate arrangements. All those affected are seniors. MORE

It’s clear sailing now after city council members cut a ribbon to open the new intersection at Bowen Road, Boxwood Road and Beban Parkway. The new intersection will divert some traffic from  Bowen and Northfield Roads. It was a long time in the making as I remember being a city councillor 15 years ago when the land was bought for $2 million in 2010. The opening is a milestone in the Midtown Gateway Project that aims to restore the former industrial waste site and turn it into a revitalized neighbourhood gateway. MORE

School board code of conduct expected to resolve conflict

QUOTABLE - To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone – Reba McEntire

Today the world changes, for better or worse, as Donald Trump is sworn in as U.S. President. Prognostication is impossible because the picture is about as clear as mud. Trump has threatened punishing tariffs on Canadian imports on day one of his presidency and Canada is ready. “Retaliatory measures are ready, and we will use all tools in our toolbox to ensure that we’re protecting Canadian workers and Canadian industry”, said Trade Minister Anita Anand. Stay tuned. MORE

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has recalled a series of baked goods due to risk of Salmonella. That agency warns not to consume, serve, use, sell, or distribute recalled products. Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. The recall covers  Sweet Cream brand mini patisserie, including trays of tarts, small cakes and other baked goods, including berry tarts, eclairs, cakes and cannoli, among others. Products may have been served by stores in different packaging, which may not display the same product information such as names, brands or dates. MORE

Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) Station 27- Nanaimo is accepting applications for Search and Rescue crew this month. You get training in marine search and rescue skills, navigation, boat handling, radio communication, first aid and much more. Application deadline Jan. 31. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview in February. For more information about volunteering and the application form, go to rcmsar27.ca or email: recruit27@rcmsar27.ca

QUOTABLE – The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway.

Downtown has suffered a rash of smash-and-grab break-ins over the past couple of weeks. Carnivore Kingdom at 154 Cliff St. had several items stolen including a drawer of cash. An alarm was triggered at the old Caprice Theatre but no suspects were found. A classroom window was smashed at the École Pauline Haarer Elementary School on Jan. 10. The owner of Bees Knees Cafe & Catering, at 525 Third Street, watched live on camera as a man broke into his business Jan. 13. By the time officers arrived, the suspect had fled. Also Jan. 13 the Vancouver Island Refillery, at 409 Fitzwilliam Street had the front door pried off its hinges and a cash drawer was missing.

They do things differently in Lantzville – council is asking taxpayers if they want a tax increase. Council is looking at three options, from zero to three per cent. The first would see no tax increase, but result in some utility rate hikes. Coun. Ian Savage said the majority of council appears to be in favour of that scenario, but it would be going into a third year in a row with no increase. Other options comprised two-per-cent and three-per-cent tax hikes. Any increase would go into reserves for future infrastructure replacement. Council was told all the local infrastructure is aging and it costs a lot of money to replace so it's important to set money aside. MORE

The City is celebrating 150 years with a free winter art festival kicking off next week. Temporary art installations will illuminate public space, transforming a once familiar environment into something new, a place-making experience that ignites imagination, inspires hope, and excitement for the future of our community. The festival opens Jan. 22, from 5 – 9 p.m. in Maffeo Sutton Park with performances by local musicians and roving LED entertainers, food trucks, interactive booths and activities, a display of commemorative Nanaimo 150 merchandise. MORE

If you missed the kickoff last night, everything continues to align for a stellar astronomical show where six planets will be aligned and visible in the night sky over central Vancouver Island and it continues for several weeks. Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will glow extra bright, while Uranus and Neptune may be spotted with extra equipment such as binoculars or a telescope. MORE

The B.C. Paramedics union has issued a public safety alert due to ambulance staffing shortages saying it is approaching crisis levels. The union claims ambulances are sitting unused every day and people calling 911 for help sometimes wait hours. A spokesman pointed to Port Hardy, Campbell River and Courtenay where ambulances are reportedly sitting empty. MORE

Hold off on your eggs for breakfast – eggs from B.C., Manitoba and Ontario have been recalled by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency due to possible salmonella contamination. Anyone with any of the products identified on the recall, including the brand and specific date and lot code information should not consume, use, sell, serve, or distribute recalled products,” states the website. Salmonellacontaminated items may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. To check if your eggs are listed in the recall, visit the CFIA’s website HERE.

That thousand bucks grocery rebate Premier David Eby promised in the election campaign may not happen, and you can blame Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on Canadian and Mexico-made goods. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said Friday that the province’s priorities have changed and she is looking at a more focused budget. “You know, in this budget, we’re looking at everything, frankly, and we’re taking a very, very sharp pencil to where we make decisions here,” Bailey said. The focus will be on protecting core programming, including health care and education, safety and housing. MORE

QUOTABLE – There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.

Nanaimo is in the bigtime in attracting new citizens. We’re one of two Island communities tabbed hot spots for new residents, among the top 25 for growth in Canada. The list created by U-Haul based it on where one-way U-Haul trucks, trailers and U-Box moving containers were heading in 2024. Sidney was 20th in Canada while Nanaimo was 25th. Alberta was the top destination province with Calgary being numero uno city followed by Edmonton. MORE

When you have an unwanted underground hole, fill it up. Subcontractors have been plugging holes in downtown Nanaimo. Crews have been at the intersection of Bastion and Commercial streets filling voids found in October under Bastion Street as part of downtown infrastructure renewal. The discovery halted work in the immediate area and crews moved to other areas of Commercial Street while further testing was done to help determine how best to deal with the gaps that had formed over decades, after old coal mine shaft ceilings likely caved in deeper underground. MORE

It’s a done deal, so it’s time for dealin’ after Snuneymuxw First Nation closed on the deal to buy two Vancouver Island casinos. Petroglyph Development Group, Snuneymuxw's economic development corporation, announced last fall it was buying Casino Nanaimo and Elements Casino Victoria to provide a steady, sustainable cash flow to the Snuneymuxw people. Chief Mike Wyse said he looks forward to driving economic growth for both the First Nation and the province. MORE

Construction has begun on the next set of hybrid electric vessels which will serve on the Gabriola Island run. Two others will go on the Campbell River and Quadra Island route. Each vessel will carry up to 390 passengers and 47 vehicles. They are estimated to eliminate 10,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually. The ferries are expected to enter service starting in 2027, and BC Ferries says charging towers for the ferries will be installed at terminals by the time they arrive. MORE

Talk about ticket pricey sports events. Former Free Press Sports Editor Kevin Mitchell points out that the average ticket price for Canada-USA in the Four Nations Cup hockey tournament won't be dime store stuff. You’ll have to shell out $2,250, making it the tournament for the ultra rich. If you think that’s steep, the cheapest Wrestlemania tickets start at one thousand bucks and going up to just under 10 grand for the two-day Las Vegas event in mid-April.

QUOTABLE – The secret to happiness is a good sense of humor and a bad memory.

Here’s a great way to start the day and end the week. You have to hear it to believe it. Bylaw officers from across the province have released a list of unique calls they responded to last year. Topping the list is a smelly complaint against a farting neighbor. I don't think bylaw officers carry a fart-o-meter. Check out the rest of the weird and wonderful. MORE

A chain-reaction three-vehicle crash at Turner Road and the Island Highway sent one vehicle hundreds of metres down the wrong side of the highway toward oncoming traffic before rolling over. It happened Wednesday afternoon. There were minor injuries and the airbags were deployed, said R/Const. Gary O’Brien. MORE

Two Nanaimo residents reported losses of more than $20,000 in online scams. Both incidents occurred in less than 24 hours on Wednesday. A man sent $13,000 before realizing he had may have been scammed. In the next one, a man got an email from U.S. Digital Cellular claiming he was eligible to receive a refund for $849. He was conned into submitting $4,000 in Bitcoin. See R/Cst. Gary O’Brien’s police report on the left column.

Take a hike. You can walk the hiking trail to Ammonite Falls again after a temporary closure due to an aggressive cougar in the area. There had been many sightings of the cougar guarding its kill, resulting in warning signs and closure of the trail. MORE

QUOTABLE – Does anyone say please and thank you anymore?

As predicted a couple of days ago, gasoline prices soared on Wednesday. The range in Nanaimo was from $1.709 up to $1.749.

Two physician assistants hired at Saanich Peninsula Hospital are the first of what is hoped to be a province-wide answer to the doctor shortage. Canadian Association of Physician Assistants BC Director Lisa Stewart says the next step is to allow each health authority to get sites off the ground and have their first PA start. Island Health is keen to start recruiting for additional sites on Vancouver Island. However, she cautions patience by other health authorities to get off the ground.” MORE

It didn’t take long for the Midtown Gateway project to impact how the city develops. A 93-unit apartment building is on the drawing board, comprised of three three-storey multi-family rental apartment buildings with a single-storey common amenity building, at 1960 Mountain Vista Dr. on 2.26 hectares between Mountain Vista Drive and Powder Works Road. Both roads were recently connected to Boxwood and Rosstown roads as part of the Midtown Gateway project.  MORE

Nanaimo had an excellent record for impaired driving, contradictory to the whole Island during the BC Highway Patrol Winter Impaired Driving Campaign. Vancouver Island was home to a significant number of impaired drivers, second highest in the province. In early January, Saanich Police said it saw a record-setting number of impaired drivers in 2024, with 628 impaired drivers nabbed, up nearly 35 per cent compared to the year before. MORE

On the Road to Damacus, former finance minister Chrystia Freeland is pledging to scrap the consumer carbon tax if she becomes Liberal leader. A source said it will be one of her policy planks. Note the curveball, it would apply only to the "consumer" carbon tax. All others would still pay, passing that cost on to the concumer. Freeland had previously defended the carbon tax during her time in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet. Freeland is expected to announce her leadership run on Monday. MORE

The federal election campaign is sort of under way no matter that a date has not be set. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has made a number of stops in Nanaimo, including a drop-in this week at K2 Stone Manufacturing at Duke Point. British Columbia has its own carbon tax, but he warned of the impact of the climbing federal carbon tax and its impact on Canada's economy. MORE

Port Alberni’s Coulson Aviation is playing a vital role in fighting fires in Los Angeles with four aircraft. That includes three Chinook helicopters capable of carrying 3,000 gallons of water and one intelligence helicopter. CEO Wayne Coulson said they have fought more than 250 fires – more than half of those at night. MORE

Suspect sought in $5,000 tire heist

The cops are looking for a man who stole $5,000 worth of tires in mid-December. The suspect, driving a truck, loaded set of all-season Kum Majesty 1/31 Solus KU50s from Kal-Tire on Norwell Drive. Security camera footage captured a man driving to the business and loading the tires before driving away. No further description has been provided.

Jump to the pump. Gasoline prices are forecast to jump five cents per litre on Wednesday in the Lower Mainland. We can't be far behind, so if you need a top-up today would be the day.

No surprise, the rural areas in the Regional District will need 2,810 more housing units over the next five-years. The Regional District was tasked to compile a housing needs reportby 2028, with an interim report this month. Deloitte Canada provided the report showing Cedar-South Wellington-Yellowpoint-Cassidywill need 387 single and multi-family dwellingsin the next five years. Gabriola and surrounding islands (Area B) will need 367 units,Extension-Nanaimo Lakes-East Wellington-Pleasant Valley (Area C) will need 216and Nanoose Bay (Area E) will require 472.In all, rural areas will need 2,810 units over the five-year span. MORE

It’s still winter but you can now reserve campsites for many BC Parks campground, allowing visitors to secure spots up to four months in advance. Reservations can also be booked for the May long weekend starting this week. MORE

Carbon tax rebates are going out to millions of Canadians this week, but not to British Columbians. The payments will go out to residents in eight provinces: Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan. B.C., Quebec and Northwest Territories have their own carbon pricing systems. MORE

Christy bows out. Former Premier Christy Clark is not seeking the Liberal party leadership. She said there wasn’t enough time for her to mount a successful campaign. “While we have come a long way, in a short time, there is simply not enough time to mount a successful campaign and for me to effectively connect with Francophone Canadians in their language. I have worked hard at improving my French but it’s not where it needs to be.” MORE

Don’t be floored when your insurance notice arrives, premiums are expected to soar. Many Los Angeles fire victims were denied home insurance because of living in high-risk areas. In our province, many people also live under an increased threat of wildfires and there are concerns they too might soon be unable to get coverage. The insurance industry is dealing with record losses from extreme weather events, labour shortages in construction driving up replacement costs and wait times, and inflation. The Insurance Bureau of Canada says last year was the most devastating on record with $8.5 billion in insured losses, nearly triple the year prior. MORE

Get ready to switch to e-mail, Canada Post is raising stamp prices amid mounting financial losses. A 25-per-cent hike went into effect on Monday for domestic and international mail. It now costs $1.44 to mail a domestic letter, up from $1.15. Stamps in a booklet, coil or pane have climbed to $1.24 per stamp from 99 cents. U.S., international letter-post and domestic registered mail items – all experiencing an average price hike of 25 per cent.

QUOTABLE – Stay away from people who act like a victim in a problem they created.

Doug Johnston was

deeply rooted in Nanaimo

Jan 28, 2025

We are saddened to hear the news of Doug Johnston’s death a month ago. 

He had suffered a serious health issue about a year ago while wintering in Mexico. There he was a neighbor to my late brother and they spent considerable time together.

I got to know Doug through various community projects and as fellow members of the Rotary Club of Lantzville.

Joy Cameron knew and worked with Doug since both their early years as accountants, beginning with Church Pickard. She submitted an excellent tribute to Doug I’m proud to post here.

By Joy Cameron.

As backgrounder, 1971-1972, Doug and I worked at Church, Pickard, Lane & Newman and the 1972 renamed Church Pickard and Co.

Looking for better advancement with his CGA studies, Doug moved on and became a partner in Barclay, Tarr, Walters & Company.

Under Doug’s leadership, the firm name transitioned to Johnston Johnston & Associates. Over many years, Doug was a kind, giving person and had a well-earned professional status.

1976, Doug’s in-laws, Glenn and Marjorie Forbes, purchased Grassick’s Jewelers on Church/Commercial Street. In 1987, they sold the store to Bob and Marie Fenty with the proviso that Bob had to join Rotary. Doug’s brother-in law, Randy Forbes, is the founder and owner of multi offices of Nanaimo-based 460 Realty.

Read Doug’s obituary HERE.

No more room for ignorance

at the city political level

Jan. 26, 2025 – The Alternative Approval exercise did more than just put a stop to the costly public works facility, it got a lot of people involved in local politics. It opened a lot of eyes to how the system works.

Ignorance is one of the greatest obstacles to process. Before we get into a huff, the dictionary defines ignorant as “lacking knowledge.”

Participation in local politics has been on a steady decline with abysmal voter turnout for some time. The AAP exercise mobilized hundreds, if not thousands, of citizens into action on this single issue.

There are many issues throughout the term of office of city council but they don’t get public attention unless it affects citizens at any particular moment.

The group that formed for the AAP learned a valuable lesson for its organizers and followers. It is encouraging to see they are staying in touch and active and maintain contact with many of those who signed the petition.

Nanaimo has stayed clear of party politics at the civic level but the time may be right for an organized group to put a spark into election campaigns. The fact that their petition succeeded in thwarting the project they opposed will doubtlessly spur further interest in participating on the local political scene. It doesn’t matter if they were right or wrong, they exercised democracy. More power to them.

Naivete remains among some followers, based on their social media site. Remaining active until the next election in under two years will give them lots of time to jump through the hoops to learn, learn, learn and educate, educate, educate. Focus on the issues not individual council members. That goes for the rest of eligible voters, get involved.

Anything that raises the participation level in local politics is positive.

Scott Lang  – While you note that Nanaimo has been free from party politics, there is no doubt many on Council now and in the past have had party affiliations and have benefited from the informal relationship with the party machines. Like you discussed, new groups can only increase voter interest.

Holly Elizabeth – Credit to the Bartletts

Jeff Annesley – Thanks for the encouragement. The CONoversight group did not collect names of the AAP electors, and no database of those who signed the forms was created.

Dwight Lobson – The Bartletts should run. Start the fundraising now and creating awareness

Noni Bartlett – @everyone we all should read this. Excellent observation

Ron Bolin – The hard part of keeping active and engaging right up to the election will be to go beyond the AAP to develop public conversations on other aspects of programs, projects and public participation.

Shawn Tanner – Great observations! Great encouragement! Being more educated is so key to shaping our landscape. I learned a lot in the AAP process, I'm proud of Nanaimoites.

Jim Taylor – It is hoped the organizers who opposed the AAP have developed an email mailing list as communicating in Nanaimo is a challenge given the lack of media.

Forming a ratepayers association, or similar could be helpful, but continuing to keep people informed is difficult given the lack of any real reporting in the Bully and the Nanaimo News Now online doesn't do any active journalism.

We are coming into the next tax cycle, and if people are ever paying attention to City Hall, now is the time. Informing the public just how their tax dollars are spent which includes a pretty hefty payroll at city hall and some pretty high level salaries (paying more than we pay the Premier of the Province). For example, the pay raises at city hall these past three years totalled 11 per cent at a time many of us were glad just to keep our jobs.

I have started a website focusing on city hall taxation. If people only take in what the local press has to say, they are not likely to get excited until they get their tax bills, and of course there is nothing to be done then.

City hall could be subject to public pressure right now as they are considering where to spend more and more tax dollars. It is to the point you can argue that city council and staff do not serve the taxpayer, but serve the Corporation of the City. Taxpayers are just the ones providing development money. Two street programs, ripping up Commercial Street and buying unneeded property for a new bus terminal are just a few glaring examples of how tax dollars are being spent with little regard for struggling Nanaimo taxpayers.

Unfortunately, we have witnessed the mismanagement and excessive spending on infrastructure projects under various levels of government.

From my experience. campaigning during both city and provincial elections, I noticed that many Nanaimo residents have distanced themselves from party politics, which I believe is a mistake.

Viraat BK Thammanna – I hope the majority of Nanaimoites, who have shied away from civic elections, will step up and help bring about real change. It all begins with a change within ourselves.

A simple observation

Jan. 25, 2025

Courier and other delivery services are doing just great operating in the private sector, but our government has to give Canada Post one billion dollars to tide them over.

They are not alone, money is transferred by the truck load to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation while private broadcasters continue to chug along, although they did get a boost when Prime Minister Trudeau sort of bought their news services. Just sayin'

Tariff war will

speed up our decline

Jan 25, 2025

By Jim Taylor

What makes you think Canadians will be able to afford any kind of a price increase? 50% of Canadians already say they are $200 away from not being solvent and one third say they already can't pay their bills. That was the finding of a recent MNP consumer debt index report.

U.S. President Donald Trump very clearly said the US does not need, our oil and gas, our cars or our lumber, and he is quite serious about that. I think his tariff on Canadian goods is designed to kill Canadian imports as they can supply for themselves what we have been allowed to sell them.

We used to enjoy a preferred trading status with the US when we were seen as a friendly ally on their border. That is no longer the case. Our PM is very much seen as an enemy and what he has done to Canada over the past 9 years has been more noticed by the US than it has us in Canada. Stealing guns, censoring speech, killing the freedom convoy, seizing bank accounts and property, keeping our energy landlocked, using the whole Green mindset to kill our economy are all things that no longer make us the friend of the USA we once were.

We can thank Trudeau for that and of course the reason we seem to not understand is because Trudeau bought the 'news' media in this country who are no longer serving the public.

Right here in Nanaimo, since the Free Press closed due to a lack of a real press, city hall has run completely amok taxing and spending like drunken sailors. We are in a very bad state. We now are spending more to pay the interest on the national debt (which tripled under Trudeau) than we spend on defense. We are already headed for a depression, the tariffs will just speed up the process.

Who wins and who loses
in a tariff trade war?

January 24, 2025

I don’t consider myself a conspiracy theorist but I don’t know what to call all the trade tariff talk cluttering our news media on a daily basis.

First off, tariffs are just another label for taxes. Accepting that, U.S. President Donald Trump has promised to lower taxes for his citizens. But when you cut something you have to replace it, so there comes another tax, up to a whopping 25 per cent on Canadian goods imported to the U.S. Thus a tax cut is wiped out by a new tax.

Canada exports more to the U.S. than they export to Canada which sends about $600 billion south each year while we import $400 billion in U.S. goods, creating a sizeable trade imbalance. That’s what Trump is targeting. That’s a tax windfall.

Thus it’s no surprise Canadian political leaders appear to be in near panic mode. But are they really rejoicing at the windfall of tariffs they will be able to impose on U.S. goods? Governments of both sides of the border will cash in.

Granted, the manufacturers affected will feel the pinch of a new tax and production could suffer on both sides of the border but governments in Canada and the U.S. will be taking in the dough.

We always talk about a bottom line and that is Joe Lunch Bucket winds up on the short of the stick, again. Taxes paid by trading partners always wind up on the price tags consumers pay at the cash register.

Elected officials should not

determine their own pay 

– Jan 18, 2025

Vancouver media revelations point to excessive earnings by Lower Mainland mayors, some ranging close to $400,000 a year when you add on the various committees they sit on with extra remuneration.

The figures for Nanaimo city council show we’re sitting pretty in comparison to the big shots. Based upon the 2023 financial report, Mayor Leonard Krog was paid under $130,000 plus about $28,000 as a director on the Nanaimo Regional District Board. The 2024 report has not been tabled, but there would have been an increase for the year.

City councillors earned in the $51,000 range, plus up to $28,000 for seven councillors sitting on the regional board. Aside from the regional board, there is no additional pay for committees councillors sit on.

Council members also get their expenses reimbursed when on city business. For 2023 that ranged from the lowest at $1,400 for Krog, ranging from $2,300 to $12,300 for councillors. See the Financial Reports

Municipal elected officials set their own pay levels, putting them in the crosshairs for many voters. It’s not fair to the taxpayers and not fair to elected officials.

I’ve been there. I advocated for years to have the provincial government establish a province-wide pay system for elected officials. Nobody in the government has the intestinal fortitude to pick up the challenge. You see, the folks at the Legislature also set their own pay, which can be manipulated.

Premier David Eby demonstrated in spades by appointing extra-pay responsibilities for NDP members of the Legislature. Thus government-side MLAs get paid more than their opposition counterparts.

The Lower Mainland debacle is a solid argument in favor of establishing an arms-length process for paying politicians.

Don’t believe everything

you think you are hearing

– Jan. 17, 2025

With the federal Liberal Party leadership race picking up momentum the misdirection is going into high gear.

A classic example is the leak from former finance minister Chrystia Freeland’s campaign claiming she would eliminate the consumer carbon tax. Whoa, back up, read that more closely, it would apply to the “consumer” portion of the carbon tax.

Premier David Eby used that same swerve in the provincial election campaign, saying he would do that if the federal government approved. All commercial operations – they call them major poluters – would still be liable for the tax, like for instance, transportation companies delivering groceries, construction materials for our housing crisis, and on and on. What about the 17 cents a litre tacked on at the gas pumps?

Make sure you look at the buried truth in each campaign promise, not only from the Liberal leadership but also the Conservative, New Democrat and Bloc Quebecois campaign goody trains which have already left the station. Destination and arrival time unknown.

Watch on YouTube – https://youtu.be/LDga1iohTQk

The way we get our information

is experiencing major upheaval

Jan. 16, 2025 –

It’s easy to dismiss traditional media’s falling readership because of the entrenched popularity of social media. Granted, the information era is changing news delivery preferences. For ages mainstream newspapers, radio and television were the vehicle of record to deliver the news.

There’s a new kid on the block, podcasts are gaining momentum, but how effective are they in keeping us informed? Social gossip outlets like Facebook and X are a step even further down. The traditional media lost whatever credibility they had when they watered down the product by not investing in quality journalism. It's so much easier to snag a job in government flogging news releases at a lot more money.

Donald Trump won his election in part because he took his message to the world of podcasts, many of which boast more than 60 million followers. That’s a massive audience, one which even network television would struggle to match.

Granted, most social media sources are more opinion than news, but that line got blurred a long time ago, even in the mainstream media. The public picks its favorites and stands by them, reliable or not.

Newspapers are trying to maintain their influence, but the news is not good. The Washington Post reports that even its online editions which had 22 million viewers in 2021 have shrunken to less than three million this year.

Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/0kM8QtZkVeM

Race for Liberal Party leadership turning into a turtle derby

Jan. 13, 2025 –

There appears to be no great rush of candidates to seek to become Liberal Party leader and new prime minister.  All we’re hearing is who is not running, including high-profile cabinet ministers. To date no one has tossed his or her hat into the ring, including or former Premier Christy Clark who was the only western hope. The deadline to enter the race is in about two weeks, a short period in which to raise the $350,000 entry fee and developing influential alliances.

We’re relying on the political rumor mill which lists two possibles – Chrystia Freeland and Mark Carney. Whoever is declared the winner on March 9 will have the very short-lived title of prime minister until the opposition parties pull the rug and force a general election.

Unless there’s a miraculous turnaround for Liberal fortunes, someone else will then take over as prime minister. It’s not a sure bet that a new Liberal leader would become the Official Opposition Leader, the Bloc Quebecois and New Democrats will have something to say about that.

The good thing is we don’t have long to wait.

Trump is playing high-stakes

poker and hitting the jackpot

Jan. 13, 2025

From the top politicians on down, Canadians are soiling their underwear in reaction to incoming President Donald Trump’s goofy suggestion of absorbing Canada into the union. This is nothing new for Trump who authored a book titled The Art of The Deal. That’s what he is doing now, an opening salvo to the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade agreement. He believes the U.S. is getting the short end of the stick and wants to renegotiate. First it was the threat of tariffs, followed by the idea of us becoming a fifty-first state.

Our politicians have been streaming down to Mar-a-Lago on bended knee, exactly the way Trump likes it.

There is at least a little logic to the idea in Trump's bravado. Both Russia and China have been making noises about international waters at the top of the world in our far north. Could that revive the old Distant Early Warning Line, known as the DEW Line, across our north, operated by both countries?

In the meantime, don’t sweat it. It’s nothing but bluster and we need to take a deep breath reminding The Donald that Canada is a much bigger land mass than his country clinging to our southern border. Let the bargaining begin. We’re dealing from a strong deck in the Great White North.

We can't 'fix' climate change,

we need to mitigate the damage

Jan. 12, 2025

The time for talk is over, the California fire debacle underscores the idiocy of the climate change religion. Los Angeles has been an eye opener on how not to operate in the present environment. The devastation shows how unprepared they were and other still are – 12,000 buildings reduced to ash.

The lesson is obvious – trying to change the climate is futile, it can’t be done, it’s been happening, up and down, for millions of years. No amount of emissions control babble will change that. Canada’s emissions are so low they hardly register, like a pee in the ocean, wiped out by in the blink of an eye by industrial countries like China and India.

I have not seen the Los Angeles figures, but the amount of carbon dioxide the fires have spewed into the atmosphere in a couple of days far outweighs any reductions by Canada is a year.

The Los Angeles disaster proves how not to address climate change. Instead of adapting to change, the state has been playing games with things like not filling reservoirs even though there’s a lot of water available. Fire hydrants in many cases are bone dry with no water supply. Instead the state is diverting that water into the ocean in order to save the smelt fish. The city cut its fire fighting budget by some $17 million.

But the smelts are okay.

Another major factor has been underbrush clearance. That strikes close to home in our province, where it is also not being addressed. One would think after all the recent fires the province would move full-steam ahead to reduce the fire risk. The province has acknowledged the danger but has done virtually nothing but pay lip service. In the name of saving the environment they're actually destroying the environment. In the name of saving lives they're actually destroying lives.

We’ll have to acknowledge sooner rather than later that all the windmills, solar panels and bike lanes are headed in the wrong direction. A bike lane may be great for 18-year-olds, but what good is it for a 25-year-old mother with two kids? It’s impractical.

What is the current impact, and how can it be addressed? That’s the question we should be answering rather than virtue signalling.

Indoctrinating present and future generations in the education system about the doomsday scenario of human-made climate disasters will leave them without the tools to address climate change in the long term.

Governments have been using the emissions argument to raise taxes for more than a decade, but we still have bigger and bigger fires here and abroad. No matter how much taxation, unless it is directed to reacting to climate change, it’s only another revenue source for government. The only way we will solve climate change is by making changes to mitigate the damage rather than trying to retool Mother Nature.

We’re not solving anything, so stick out your chest as you zoom your Tesla down a bicycle path with delusions of saving the planet