Our Daily News Update produced by our News Department. Serving the mid-Vancouver Island Coast and Salish Sea community.
Lisa Cordasco—News Director and Reporter.
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The General Manager of the Nanaimo Clippers is stepping down; The Nanaimo Ladysmith School Board held its first public meeting since the District's back to school plan was announced; The man suspected in a fatal hit and run near Ladysmith last weekend has been arrested.
Read MoreCOVID-19 infections continue to spike in BC, with 104 new cases confirmed since yesterday; School districts in BC will get an extra $2 million dollars this year, to enhance mental health programs; The funding is a one time increase to the three year $8.8 million investment in school district mental health programs that was initiated last year; The chair of the Nanaimo school board expects to be peppered with questions from parents at tonight's meeting.
Read MoreA new report says the provincial government is breaking the law, when it comes to requests under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Nanaimo council has voted to pursue a pilot project aimed at providing shelter housing that includes medical supports, In other housing news, the province is heralding two new affordable housing projects for seniors and physically disabled people in Nanaimo. Later this month, 28 one-bedroom townhomes will open on Uplands Dr
Read MoreThere are 58 new cases of COVID 19 confirmed in BC today, and one more death; Ladysmith residents, grieving the loss of a 35-year-old woman who was killed in a car accident last weekend, have contributed more than $86,000 dollars to a GoFundMe campaign; South end residents are taking steps to ensure they can peacefully co-exist with two recently announced supportive housing projects; Laid-off hotel workers have ended their hunger strike, claiming victory in their fight to get their jobs back.
Read MoreThe Minister of Labour says he will ensure the hospitality industry re-hires laid-off workers if it wants to receive government assistance, Hotel workers have been holding demonstrations including hunger strikes on the lawns of the legislature and at the minister's office because their recall rights are about to expire; The Minister of Mental Health and Addictions says she supports an expansion of harm reduction services, including the types of alternative drugs being offered and who can prescribe them.
Read MoreTwo hundred and ninety four people have tested positive for COVID-19 and four people have died from it since Friday in B.C. Five of the new cases are in the Island Health region, which brings our active case count to 25; From a budget surplus of $274 million dollars to a deficit of $321 million dollars, that's how COVID-19 has affected last year's provincial budget.
Read MoreWilderness tour operators along the BC coast are hoping to stay afloat with a government sponsored program to clean up ocean pollution, Police say they have identified the suspect involved in a fatal hit and run near Ladysmith but they still haven't found him, Today marks International Overdose Awareness Day and the Minister of Mental Health and Addiction says it's an opportunity to bring people together and to end the stigma around substance abuse
Read MoreBC’s Provincial Health Officer will take part in a remembrance ceremony to mark International Overdose Awareness Day. Dr. Bonnie Henry and Co-founder of “Moms Stop the Harm,” Leslie McBain will take part in what’s being called “A Candlelight Vigil of Remembrance”, Ladysmith RCMP continue to search for the driver of a vehicle that was involved in a fatal accident early Saturday morning, smaller island communities can expect smooth sailings as BC Ferries announces it will be continuing enhanced ferries services until next spring
Read MoreBritish Columbia has set its highest new case count for COVID-19 with 124 new cases confirmed over the past 24 hours; Nanaimo city council will be asked to commit to two provincial programs aimed at tackling so-called "social disorder" issues. Local MLA Sheila Malcolmson will make a presentation to council on Monday, asking it to partner with the province to create a "situation table."
Read MoreThe demand for at homeschooling in Nanaimo is so high this year, the district's website crashed on the first day of registration, Normally, Dr. Bonnie Henry provides case counts by Health Region. Now, those numbers are being broken down into smaller areas, Meanwhile, people on Vancouver Island are reporting being put on hold for up to 90 minutes when trying to book an appointment to be tested for COVID-19.
Read MoreThere are 68 new cases of COVID-19 in BC today, including three in the Island health region. The case count in our region has been on a slow but steady climb this month. There were eleven new cases confirmed in Island Health over the past week. The total number of active cases on Vancouver Island stands at twenty; The minister of health will present a plan to cabinet that will change the way health professionals are regulated in B.C.; A hunger strike by laid-off hotel workers has moved from the Legislature to the Ministry of Tourism; BC Ferries is running behind schedule today because a man jumped overboard on the Duke Point-Tsawwassen run this morning.
Read MoreSchool Districts across the province have unveiled their back to school plans and many of the new rules apply to all, High school students in the Nanaimo Ladysmith School District will take two courses for ten weeks, before switching to two new courses for the next ten weeks and so on, The survey for seniors and their families can be taken online, by phone or through the mail.
Read MoreThe much-awaited safe return to school plan has been revealed by the Nanaimo Ladysmith School District. The 22-page document outlines what parents and students can expect when classes resume on September the 10th when it comes to cleaning protocols, mask-wearing, ventilation and how many students will be in each class; BC's Seniors' Advocate has launched a survey she hopes will shape a better future for residents of long term and assisted care homes.
Read MoreParents will learn the details of back to class plans today. The Ministry of Education and the Nanaimo Ladysmith School District have scheduled news conferences this afternoon, Parents who are educating their children from home say the local school district is not providing information that parents need to make informed choices about alternative schooling, COVID-19 has also had an effect on workers at Vancouver Island University. 54 employees have been handed layoff notices.
Read MoreNew data on COVID-19 shows a concerning rise in the number of people hospitalized. Today, there are 22 people in hospital due to the virus. That's close to triple the number from one week ago; Meanwhile, more people have died from drug overdoses in BC than from suicide, murder, motor vehicle accidents and COVID-19 combined. The BC Coroner's service reports 176 people suffered fatal overdoses in July; Part of BC's response to the overdose crisis has been to give physicians the ability to prescribe safe alternatives like hydromorphone; The Victoria man who was fined $2300 dollars for violating COVID-19 party rules last weekend says he plans to fight the ticket.
Read MoreAnother disturbing record was set in the ongoing overdose crisis in BC. 175 people died from overdoses in July. It's the third straight month that overdose deaths have topped 100, The Victoria man who was fined $2300 dollars for violating COVID-19 party rules last weekend says he plans to fight the ticket.
Read More19 cases continue to increase in BC, with 269 new cases confirmed since Friday and one more death. There are six new cases in the Island Health Region, bringing the total to 16 active cases here; RCMP in Surrey say its COVID-19 Compliance and Enforcement Team issued $2300 dollar fines to a local restaurant, two banquet spaces and one after-hours club over the weekend. Dave LaBerge says if bylaw officers see persistent or egregious violations of health orders, they would call the police or the province whose special officers would follow up with enforcement including ticketing. Canadian Snowbirds pilots are now able to take flight once again, but with new restrictions.
Read MoreVictoria Police served fines to a party host and a party goer over the weekend. Police say the host was twice warned about COVID party rules on Friday night before being hit with a $2300 dollar ticket; Nanaimo's Loaves and Fishes foodbank is turning the hardships of COVID-19 into an opportunity to improve services; Casino operators are hoping to get the green light to reopen, now that they have created restart plans, with the BC Lottery Corporation/
Last year, casinos contributed close to one and a half-billion dollars to provincial government revenues. Close to 3,000 casino workers were laid off when the pandemic began; Starting today, masks are now mandatory on all BC Ferries and your local transit buses.
There are 90 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in BC over the past 24 hours and 2 more deaths. Both deaths are seniors who had been living on the lower mainland; BC's Minister of Public Safety says tougher fines and more enforcement are now in place, in an attempt to stop large public and private parties that have been the source of most new COVID-19 infections; However, neither RCMP nor local bylaw officials have been consulted about the plan and there is no word whether the province will compensate local governments for bylaw and police hours spent on enforcing public health orders; It appears retail stores across the country are bouncing back, according to new numbers released today by Statistics Canada.
Read MoreThe province will hit partiers where it hurts... in the pocketbook. The Minister of Public Safety has announced new fines for party organizers and party-goers who violate health orders on mass gatherings and social distancing; Farnworth says along with police, the power to ticket will be given to municipal bylaw officers, conservation officers, and provincial liquor, cannabis, community safety unit, gaming and Worksafe BC inspectors; Although the new provincial fines are meant to flatten the curve that's been driven by large private gatherings, the source of COVID-19 transmissions in the Island Health region are a mystery; Gustafson says finding the sources of infection is important because it helps contain an outbreak by ensuring those who may be infected are self-isolating.
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