Local News Updates
Updates on what’s happening in Nanaimo and on the Salish Sea.
This summer the Youth Climate Corps of BC expanded to Courtenay, employing a small team of young climate action workers, and collaborating with local organizations.
Students at Vancouver Island University are tired of seeing programs and services at VIU get cut, and now they are calling on the provincial government to make a change.
This summer the Youth Climate Corps of BC expanded to Courtenay, employing a small team of young climate action workers, and collaborating with local organizations.
As many new and returning students are settling into campus life at Vancouver Island University, students through the campus health and wellness centre want to educate students to make sure they know the impacts of the ongoing toxic drug crisis.
This weekend the annual Robbie Thompson Slo-Pitch Tournament will go to bat, raising money for the Cancer Care Unit at the Comox Valley Hospital. This year’s fundraiser has a special focus on honouring late founder Jim Lalic, and the legacy he created within the community.
Local historian Dawn Copeman has proposed the Village of Cumberland become the first municipality in the world to name an Official Village Fungus.
Sunday August 31st was International Overdose Awareness Day, and communities across Vancouver Island gathered on Friday August 29th to honour the day. The Village Clinic in Courtenay hosted an event at the Comox Valley Art Gallery, including a “die-in.”
Concerned citizens took to the streets on August 29 to bring awareness to unregulated drug deaths in Nanaimo.
The Nanaimo Regional General Hospital is set to open its newest unit for patients with complex, high-care needs in the central Vancouver Island area.
When threats of a trade war between Canada and the United States at the beginning of this year started to grow, a lot of Canadians stopped and took a closer look at where their produce was coming from.
Air quality warnings continue for several regions in the central Vancouver Island area due to the nearby wildfires. The BC SPCA is warning pet owners to keep their pets inside during smoky conditions.
Jam Camp, a musical summer camp for families across B.C., is coming to Vancouver Island for the first time this August and will be taking place at Camp Gilwell just outside Courtenay.
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Following decades of advocacy, Hamilton Marsh near Qualicum Beach appears on its way to becoming a protected area. Earlier this month the Regional District of Nanaimo announced it had reached a conditional agreement with Mosaic Forest Management to buy 360 hectares of land for $30 million. That land includes the marsh itself, which is about 36 hectares in size, and a mature forest, that if undisturbed, will reach old growth status within 150 years.
The purchase will require long term borrowing of over 21 million dollars, to be paid back over 20 years.. For an average Nanaimo household, it’s expected the annual repayment cost will be around 19 dollars. The RDN is also looking to raise $7.5 million from partners like the provincial government and conservation groups. The Nanaimo and Area Land Trust (NALT) has committed to raising $250,000. Midcoast Morning met up with longtime advocate Ceri Peacey at the marsh, and spoke with NALT Executive Director Paul Chapman in studio.
The Island Corridor Foundation’s CEO wants Nanaimo’s planning department to keep the potential of the old rail corridor in mind. Thomas Bevan spoke at a Nanaimo city council meeting Monday night to provide an update on the work of the Island Corridor Foundation, as they look to determine the future of what was once the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway. Midcoast Morning spoke with Bevan about the current state of the corridor.
It’s a new year at VIU, and there’s a new president on campus, looking to help steer the school through its financial challenges. Dennis Johnson was appointed as interim president in June. His tenure will be up to two years. Midcoast Morning speaks with Johnson, as well as VIU Students Union Board Chair Sarah Mei Lyana about hopes for the upcoming school year.
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News Staff
Managing Editor & Executive Producer
Jesse Woodward / jesse.woodward@chly.ca
Nanaimo Area Reporter (Local Journalism Initiative)
Lauryn Mackenzie / lauryn.mackenzie@chly.ca
Comox Valley Area Reporter (Local Journalism Initiative)
Heather Watson / heather.watson@chly.ca
Host-Producer (Mid Coast Morning)
Joe Pugh / joe.pugh@chly.ca
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