News Impacting Central and North Vancouver Island
NORTH ISLAND
Jonathan Richardson
Jonathan Richardson, Vice President of Customer and Commercial at Pacific Coastal Airlines, announced the return of Saturday flights on August 22, during a member mixer for the Port Hardy Chamber of Commerce at the Airport Inn.
Kathy Martin, co-founder of Mount Waddington Family Literacy Society, has decided to step down from her role as volunteer Board Chair after 16 years of service.
Lucca Stewart, a former student of North Island Secondary School, won the club championship competition at Seven Hills Golf and Country Club for the second year running.
Construction on Port Hardy’s upcoming Kyle Scow Memorial Skatepark is set to commence on September 9. Jim Barnum, the Senior Designer and Project Manager from Radius Skateparks, will be overseeing the design and construction of the park.
Carrot Park in Port Hardy will play host to the yearly Terry Fox Run on September 15th, organized by Janet Dorward.
CAMPBELL RIVER
Members of the British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association raised $5,000 for the Campbell River Food Bank during their Community Appreciation BBQ on August 22 at Campbell River’s Robert V. Ostler Park.
Hospitals on Vancouver Island now have harm reduction supplies through vending machines, according to an order from Premier David Eby. Naloxone, drug testing strips, safe sex kits, and other drug paraphernalia like bubble pipes and snorting devices are available at these kiosks set up at hospitals in Campbell River, Victoria, and Nanaimo. Conservative candidate Gwen O’Mahony voiced her disapproval of the program’s damage reduction strategy, prompting the evaluation.
Project One of the BC Tourism Climate Resiliency Initiative is currently accepting applications from qualified BC tourism enterprises for the the fall 2024 intake of Facilitated Sustainable Tourism and Climate Adaptation Planning.
Employers in the North Island are welcome to participate in Talent Talks ll, a hybrid learning and networking event for employers. The event will take place on September 17th at the WorkBC Centre-North Island’s Campbell River location.
The Beaver Pond Trail in Campbell River’s Beaver Lodge Lands now has a new pedestrian bridge, planned and built by StoneCroft Engineering Ltd.
COMOX VALLEY
The Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce‘s upcoming Business After Business will be on September 26, 2024 at 98.9 JetFM .
Mooncakes will be available starting September 7th at Lok Yee Bakery for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Comox Valley Schools Board Office has recently moved to 2488 Idiens Way, Courtenay.
The “Move2Electric” show ‘n shine, organised by Emotive BC and the local EV organisation, will take place at Comox Marina on September 8th.
Comox Lake accessibility is improved by the Courtenay and District Fish and Game Protective Association‘s acquisition of MobiMats.
TOFINO – UCLUELET
Mark Fortune, Deputy Chief of Ucluelet Fire Rescue, was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation by the town council on July 30th in recognition of his 25 years of service.
The Federal Housing Accelerator Fund of the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation has dispersed $2.095 million to the District of Ucluelet.
PORT ALBERNI
Port Alberni’s Westwind Pub has re-opened under the new management of Rheana Lyons with Chef Brendan Duggan.
The First Annual Indigenous Forestry Conference takes place Sept. 10 and 11 at the Best Western Barclay Hotel in Port Alberni. The event brings together 175 delegates from businesses and Indigenous communities across British Columbia to focus on sustainable forestry practices and Indigenous stewardship of the land; integrating traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern forestry practices; sustainable logging, land and water management; and addressing the impacts of climate change. Speakers include Robert Dennis, Chief Ken Watts, Dallas Smith and more. Conference hosts and partners are Tseshaht First Nation, Cootes Consulting and Advanced Business Match.
The Community Arts Council of the Alberni Valley is hosting a Dark Arts Market at the McLean Mill National Historic Site, operated by the Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce.
The Alberni District Fall Fair Society is hosting the Alberni District Fall Fair September 5th to 8th. The event includes vendor and local organization booths, a midway and live entertainment coordinated by Five Acre Productions.
The winner of this year’s Port Alberni Salmon Festival fishing derby was Sean Falkenberg from Surrey. Coordinated by the Salmon Festival Society, the event drew locals and visitors to the Port Alberni Port Authority’s Tyee Landing for vendors, refreshments and live entertainment coordinated by Five Acre Productions.
Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD), Tseshaht First Nation, and Hupacasath First Nation are working together on a Rail Corridor Study, to develop a vision for the section of the Island Rail Corridor located within what is now known as the Alberni Valley region. The study will consider opportunities for corridor use within the ACRD and for the entire rail corridor between Port Alberni and Nanaimo (including Duke Point area), as many improvement concepts, such as freight or passenger rail, would require the option to exist beyond the ACRD to be feasible. Feedback is being collected online and at the Rail Corridor’s booth at the Alberni District Fall Fair Sept 5th to 8th.
The City of Port Alberni’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Division is hosting the SendAir Jump Jam, returning for its third year on Sept 15th at Williamson Park. The event engages the mountain biking community.
The City of Port Alberni has completed construction of the final section of the Scott Kenny Trail, nearest the Roger Creek railway trestle.
Port Alberni Marine Fuels and Services Ltd. celebrated 8 years in business.
Port Alberni’s Sam Gentleman spent Grade 12 in Greece, Brazil, Australia and Italy to study and graduate from World Class Kiteboard Academy, an accredited private high school based in the U.S. that combines academics, athletics, travel and cultural immersion with the sport of kiteboarding.
The City of Port Alberni is hosting a Connect With Your City Open House at Echo Centre on September 26th at 6pm.
Huu-ay-aht First Nations is preparing a Framework Plan to guide change and development within the ḥahuułi (ha-houlthee, traditional territory), over a 20–30-year period. This project will be completed by the end of 2024. A new round of community engagement sessions are taking place at open houses in Port Alberni (Sept 22), Anacla (Sept 24) and online (Oct 1).
PARKSVILLE – QUALICUM BEACH
Dane Endresen has been named the new general manager at Parksville Chrysler.
The 20-year-old Parksville swimmer Nicholas Bennett wins gold in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke SB14 Final on September 2, 2024, during the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, France.
The Bayside Oceanfront Resort announces the introduction of its Green Initiative, an effort to promote environmentally responsible and sustainable activities.
The Parksville Rotary recently awarded the SOS Tutoring Program a grant to enhance its services. This program offers professional, one-on-one academic support in Math and English to local students in Grades 6 through 12 at the SOS Community Services Centre in Parksville.
NANAIMO
Karen Fry
The King Charles III Coronation Medal was presented to Karen Fry, a former chief of Nanaimo Fire Rescue, and fifty-four others at a ceremony on August 27 by B.C. Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin.
Dale Parker, who recently received support from the Conservative Party of British Columbia, was announced as the party’s nominee on September 3.
Zack Simon announced the launch of Patchwork Ecosystem Consulting Services, with its new website, patchworkecosystem.com.
Kerilie McDowall has announced that the Canadian Online Guitar Lessons has rebranded to Oceanview Guitar Studio & Creative Services.
Chartwell Retirement Residences is expanding its portfolio with the acquisition of 384 suites in three retirement communities on Vancouver Island. The purchase includes Vista Retirement Residence, Nanaimo Memory Care, and The Edgewater Retirement Residence.
The McDonald’s manager on Bowen Road, Arnold Roxas, was given the 2024 Outstanding Manager of the Year award.
Nine community organizations are chosen by the Nanaimo Foundation to receive prosperity funding. These organisations are: Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society, Nanaimo Association for Community Living, Cedar Opportunities B.C. Society’s COCO Café, Growing Opportunities Farm Community Cooperative, Gabriola Hope Centre, Ladysmith Family and Friends Society, Nanaimo Foodshare Society, Altrusa and Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre.
A recently constructed cedar longhouse, situated within the Shq’apthut building on VIU’s campus, is set to provide support and foster a sense of community for Indigenous students. The project has received a generous $3.8 million in funding from the province and is expected to be completed by spring 2025.
In a collaborative effort between the provincial government and School District 68, plans have been unveiled to expand Nanaimo’s Wellington Secondary School. The development will see the addition of 150 new seats or six new classrooms, all made possible by a $9 million budget from the province. The construction process will use a prefabricated building method, ensuring a timely completion by winter 2026.
LADYSMITH – CHEMAINUS
The Mayor of Ladysmith and Chair of the Cowichan Valley Regional District, Aaron Stone, has announced his resignation, which will take effect on September 30.
The Town of Ladysmith is set to begin decommissioning the abandoned Mackie Dam on September 4. The project is expected to be completed by mid to late October. The project is being funded with a $2.75 million grant that the Town received from the provincial government to remediate three weirs along Holland Creek, including the Mackie Dam. The decommissioning of Mackie Dam is expected to cost an estimated $600,000, with the work being conducted by Spider Mountain Excavators (SME).
COWICHAN – DUNCAN
Leah Owen, owner of CHUBBS Cookies Company, has opened for business in Lake Cowichan.
The 200-unit mixed-use housing project at 222 Cowichan Way, Duncan, is scheduled to break ground on September 12, 2024, according to KDLLP. KDLLP plans to build up to 30 percent of the units at rents below market.
The long-running Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store is relocating to 138 Craig St. on Oct. 1 from its long-time location at 79 Station St.
The Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce is hosting its first Morning Member Meetup of the season at the Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre on Sept. 6. Members are invited to reconnect and network at this event. Shaun Mann, a representative from Axis Insurance, will be attending the meeting to discuss business insurance.
On September 17th, the Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre will host a Super Tourism Tuesday Meetup, which is open to all members of the tourist and hospitality industry.
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