News Impacting Central and North Vancouver Island
NORTH ISLAND
The Port Alice Volunteer Firefighters Association will be supported with a dinner and dining fundraiser organized by Venus Brignola Moores and Juliet Parr on September 12 at the Port Alice Legion Branch #180.
The Quatsino Nation’s territory near Jeune Landing would be the site of the first closed-containment fish farm in Canada, according to plans presented by Akvafuture at an open house in Port Alice on August 21. The proposal calls for eight such pods, each with a secondary net enclosing an impassable bag and concrete float collars.
Dr. Serag Elhendy has been welcomed to the North Island Community Health Centre, which recently celebrated its second anniversary.
CAMPBELL RIVER
Harbour Air announces an expanded network for the 2025-2026 schedule, featuring 200 daily flights across 15 destinations. Highlights include new winter service from Vancouver to Tofino, the return of Vancouver–Victoria (YVR-YYJ) service, enhanced cross-border options ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™, and the introduction of Campbell River and Ucluelet as new BC destinations. Additionally, more direct services to the Sunshine Coast are set for 2026.
The Campbell River Hospital has acquired a laboratory analyzer with the assistance of a $2,550 donation from the Italian Cultural Society of Campbell River.
The BC Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences Society marked its 20th anniversary in Campbell River.
The Regional District, in collaboration with the Campbell River Hospital Foundation and Seymour Pacific Homes, will be holding a construction ceremony on September 10 to commemorate the groundbreaking and start of construction on the Just Like Home Lodge at 565 2nd Ave., adjacent to the Campbell River Hospital.
COMOX VALLEY
Spas of America is excited to announce the addition of Kingfisher Pacific Resort & Spa to its 2025 Spa Collection.
The Comox Valley Sports Centre and the aquatic centre will reopen on September 2.
The inaugural event of Mint.Dating, a dating service in the Comox Valley, will take place on September 13 at Mulligans Golf Course.
Construction of the initial two of five new Comox Valley BC Transit exchanges is scheduled to commence at North Island College, located on Campus Road at Lerwick Road, while, it is anticipated that construction work will commence in downtown Comox on Port Augusta Street at Comox Avenue in late August or early September. The project will be managed by Wacor Holdings Ltd., a contractor from Campbell River.
Duncan Elliot is launching a new consultancy business named Generations Energy Consulting.
TOFINO – UCLUELET
The Henry Nolla Gallery is showcasing Shannon McWhinney’s coastal-themed art beside Driftwood Café at Wickaninnish Inn until September 3rd.
The Clayoquot Biosphere Trust and local First Nations invite the community to Wickaninnish School on September 20 to celebrate 25 years since the region became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
The seasonal service of the Tofino Free Shuttle ended on September 1, 2025.
New research conducted by Betway has named Ucluelet as the fifth peaceful municipality in Canada.
PORT ALBERNI
Work at Victoria Quay is underway thanks to a $148,400 Time Immemorial Grant, improvements will include: A new structure with improved lighting to house and protect the Whaling Canoe sculpture; Installation of a gifted automated washroom (a self-contained, automated public washroom designed for urban/park settings); New lighting and vegetation trimming to improve safety and visibility; Refurbished park bench and refreshed landscaping and; Increased parking because of the current building’s removal.
The Alberni District Co-op will donate 10 cents from each litre of petroleum purchased to the Sage Haven Society on Tuesday, September 16.
PARKSVILLE – QUALICUM BEACH
Trio Restaurant has opened at 123 Craig Street.
Eve Flynn has secured re-election as chair of the Qualicum School District Board of Education.
Mettle Industrial Services announced that its handling the steel erection and full building envelope for a new Vancouver Island project in Parksville at the water treatment facility.
The City of Parksville will kick off the second phase of its waterfront walkway replacement program on September 15, with an estimated duration of one month.
A Steampunk Miniature Sculpture Workshop is being sponsored by the McMillan Arts Centre and the DeCosmos Art Society at The MAC on September 6.
The Town of Qualicum Beach will conduct a professional traffic analysis and site planning with public participation to ensure that the purchase respects community values and benefits current and future generations after a conditional agreement was reached to purchase the Eaglecrest Golf Course lands. Council will make a decision regarding the purchase prior to the contractual date of November 1, 2025, following consultations.
The Seacrest Place Slope Stabilization Project is making significant progress, and it is expected to be completed by the end of October 2025.
The Town will discontinue the Cardboard Bin and entirely transition its cardboard collection service to the Regional District of Nanaimo’s (RDN) curbside collection program on September 29, 2025.
Vendors are notified that MPE Engineering will be awarded a contract by the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) to provide design and construction management for the transmission main and wellsite infrastructure’s civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, and control/automation components for the River’s Edge Water Quality Improvement Project.
NANAIMO
Cathy Holmes has been appointed as the new Regional Mentor for Central Vancouver Island by the BC Community Response Networks.
Habitat for Humanity Mid-Vancouver Island (HFHMVI), in partnership with Light House’s Building Material Exchange (BMEx) program and with funding from the Regional District of Nanaimo, has launched the Expanded Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Located at 4128 Mostar Road in Nanaimo, this initiative makes it easier for contractors, trades, and suppliers to donate used or excess construction materials, help keep valuable materials out of landfill and put them back into circulation for homeowners, DIYers, and community builders.
Krupa Desai has begun her role as an HR Specialist at Hullo Ferries, the Vancouver Island Ferry Company.
ITC Construction Group has acquired Farmer Construction, a well-regarded builder from Vancouver Island boasting over 70 years of expertise.
The 1983 Creamy Espresso Martini beverage cans, which are now available in BC Liquor Stores throughout the province, were just launched by Gabrielle Mustapich and Sheereen Price.
The BC Agriculture and Food Export Program is now open for applications until September 5, offering funding to assist food and beverage producers and associations in their efforts to enter international markets.
The Vancouver Island and Coast Region Cohort of the Trade Accelerator Program is scheduled to commence on September 17th. This initiative is designed to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in fortifying their global presence by entering new markets.
The Nanaimo Marine Rescue Society is hosting the first Business After Business event of the season for the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce on September 18.
Workers on the Nanaimo-Vancouver Hullo ferry are strongly in favour of the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union‘s planned strike action, and a meeting to discuss future actions is scheduled for September 3.
The planned 306-bed long-term care home in Lantzville will have a series of open houses on September 3, 5, and 6 at Costin Hall, 7232 Lantzville Rd., giving locals an opportunity to learn more and voice their opinions.
A conditional Contract of Purchase and Sale (CPS) for roughly 360 hectares (ha) of land known as Hamilton Marsh has been signed, with the approval of Mosaic Forest Management and the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN). A $30 million offer was accepted, and if all CPS requirements are fulfilled, the sale is expected to be finalized by March 31, 2026. The RDN must obtain at least $7.5 million in funding from additional partners in order to purchase the lands as regional parkland and conservation area.
The Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation (NDHF) has announced the completion of the new Windsor Plywood Foundation Critical Care Building at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH). This state-of-the-art facility is poised to transform the provision of life-saving care for patients across the Central and North Island region.
LADYSMITH – CHEMAINUS
A new No Frills store has opened its doors on August 21 at the site of the former Chemainus Public Market.
The Rotary Club of Chemainus is organizing a bottle drive on September 6th to support the Chemainus Royal Canadian Legion Branch #191.
The Chemainus Community Garden, a joint effort by the Cowichan Neighbourhood House Association, Chemainus Harvest House Food Bank, and Food First Chemainus, celebrated its official opening on Friday, Aug. 22.
COWICHAN – DUNCAN
Rick Doman is now the chair of the Forestry Innovation Investment board.
Shaun Mann, CAIB joins the BFL CANADA team as Client Executive.
Park and David Chung, business partners, recently opened Kalisi Cafe at 1610 Joan Ave.
The Masthead Restaurant in Cowichan Bay has been officially closed. The establishment will undergo a renovation and reopen as the new Oliver’s Lounge & Grill in early September.
A grant from the Union of BC Municipalities is being applied for by the City of Duncan in order to promote the creation of agreements and relationship-building activities with Cowichan Tribes.
The Cowichan District Hospital Foundation has received a $100,000 donation from Peninsula Co-op to support the expansion of healthcare services and the construction of a new hospital in the Cowichan Valley.
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