News Impacting Central and North Vancouver Island
NORTH ISLAND
Naomi Kervin Heith
Naomi Kervin Heith has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the Mount Waddington Family Literacy Society.
The Gwa’ni Project hosted an open house for the general public on March 13 at Port McNeill’s Chilton Regional Arena.
The most recent findings from Northisle Copper and Gold exceed expectations in defining a 40 to 50 million tonne resource within the gold-enriched Zone 1, suggesting a potentially higher return on investment than anticipated.
A cutting-edge treatment known as Transarterial Radioembolization, or TARE, is now accessible in the Island Health region. This therapy delivers a concentrated dose of radiation directly to tumours, minimizing damage to nearby healthy tissue. Liver cancer patients now have an additional treatment option available closer to their homes.
CAMPBELL RIVER
The Homalco Business Group joins the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance.
A new alliance has been formed between Homalco Wildife and Cultural Tours and Klahoose Coastal Adventures to provide eco-tourism and cultural tours.
The City of Campbell River is hiring an experienced Project Manager to oversee and manage the delivery of the City’s Housing Accelerator Fund Initiatives.
COMOX VALLEY
Action Heat Pump Service, a family owned and operated business is providing affordable temperature control and clean air solutions in the Comox Valley for 45 years.
The Spool Sewing Studio, located at 420 Fitzgerald Ave #4, Courtenay, is celebrating 5 years in business.
Calais Leisure Escapes is celebrating its 30th year in business with an anniversary sale.
Johns Bedroom will be relocating to 468 29th Street, Courtenay, on July 1st.
Anderton Nursery Ltd. is now open at 2012 Anderton Road, Comox.
PORT ALBERNI
The Shoe Company, new to Port Alberni, is having a ribbon-cutting event on April 20th.
The deadline has concluded for the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District’s survey for the Sproat Lake Active Transportation Network Plan.
Western Medical Canada Inc. is looking for full-time Construction Labourers and Apprentices for its hospital construction project in Port Alberni.
The Ocean Marina Hotel located at 4850 Beaver Creek Rd, Port Alberni is under new ownership.
The Island Indigenous Foods Gathering took place March 21-22. The event is a food sovereignty and food security discussion hosted by Ahousasht om Maht Mas Gym, on Tseshaht Traditional Territory.
On April 14th the Greater Victoria Police Chorus performs at Alberni District Secondary School, as a fundraiser for the Community Arts Council. Tickets are $30 available from the Community Arts Council.
Planning is underway for this summer’s Five Acre Shaker music festival, held on the Fall Fair Grounds in Port Alberni.
On March 20th the Alberni Valley Transition Town Society hosted a discussion at Char’s Landing about the trajectory of Port Alberni’s economy. Speakers include Cliff Atleo, Associate Professor in Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University, and Elvizio Del Bianco, Director of the Jim Green Foundation.
Nuu-chah-nulth youth athletes from Tseshaht Pride and West Coast Thunderbirds competed in the Junior All-Native Basketball Tournament in Terrace.
Three showings of Portal Players Dramatic Society’s production of Calendar Girls were rescheduled for March 28, 29 and 30 following illness among the cast.
The Special Olympics Canada Winter Games took place in Calgary, AB from Feb. 27 to March 2. In five-pin bowling, Port Alberni was represented by the Port Alberni Grizzlies, who took third place in the team event. The Grizzlies are made up of Jenna Domovich, Crystal Domovich, Cody Booth, Dakota Tate and Sebastian Thomas. In addition, Jenna Domovich won an individual gold medal and Booth won an individual bronze medal. Port Alberni athlete Maurice Bernier, who played with the Cowichan Valley Strikers at nationals, won a team gold medal and an individual bronze medal. In figure skating, Port Alberni’s Jamie Amos won gold in the men’s level 1 singles, while Kari Trott won silver in the women’s level 3 singles. Port Alberni also had two players competing in floor hockey. Chris Malboeuf and Kirk Margetish both played on the Comox Valley Vipers, which took fourth place in their division.
Exhibiting artists have been selected for the “All That Moves Us” the 3rd biennial art exhibition coordinated by the Alberni Valley Art Rave Society and set to open June 6th until August 31st at the Alberni Valley Museum.
The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD) board of directors has voted to support an application from Sproat Lake Landing that will allow the resort to double the number of people consuming alcoholic beverages on site. The owners of Sproat Lake Landing Resort are hoping to expand their existing liquor licence to include the lakefront outdoor area and to allow an additional site capacity of 200 people.
TOFINO – UCLUELET
The West Coast Transit, a new regional public transportation service is launching to connect the communities of Ucluelet, Tofino, hitac̓u, Ty-Histanis, and Esowista, beginning April 2.
The Den Refillery has opened a brand new store located at the Outside Break in Tofino, nearby Wildside Grill Coastal Bliss Yoga and Tofino Bike.
Tofino Housing Corporation, a private corporation owned by District of Tofino, is looking for 3 Board of Directors with Real Estate background, particularly non-market housing property management and Vancouver Island presence.
PARKSVILLE – QUALICUM BEACH
Justin Schley
Justin Schley has assumed the position of head of Quality Foods, succeeding Noel Hayward following his retirement at the end of 2023.
The Parksville & District Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament 2024 is happening on Ma 9th at the Fairwinds Golf Club.
The Parksville & District Chamber of Commerce invites members to the Business after Business on April 18th, hosted by Fireside Books at 464 Island Highway E Parksville.
Primerica and Eu-Zen Healing Arts joined the Parksville & District Chamber of Commerce as new members.
NANAIMO
Dillan Eckel, CAFM has accepted a new role at Island Health – Vancouver Island Health Authority as Manager, Logistics and Fleet Operations.
Kerilie McDowall
Kerilie McDowall, a musician-turned-TV-filmmaker, was awarded the Women of Influence (WIN) Creative Innovator Award for her documentary ‘In the Zone: Rick Kilburn’ at the February 2024 WIN Awards Gala in Nanaimo, BC.
The Vancouver International Auto Show returned with an opening night celebration honouring Green Star Dealer Award winners and Salespeople of the Year, including Harbourview Autohaus, Nanaimo for Top BEV Sales and Nanaimo Mitsubishi for Top PHEV Sales.
The Powell River Junior Forest Wardens, an organization whose mission is to educate young people about forestry, forest practices, conservation, and outdoor survival skills, received a $5,000 donation from Mosaic Forest Management.
The facility formerly known as Branch 4 of the B.C. Seniors and Pensioners Nanaimo, located at 2465 Labieux Rd., will now be called the Labieux Seniors Centre.
An innovative recycling method is being developed by Jeff Krafta, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Mid-Vancouver Island, to transform broken and destined for the dump books into firewood.
The cruise ships MV Seabourn Odyssey of Seabourn Cruise Lines and the MS Regatta of Oceania Cruises are scheduled to make port in Nanaimo on May 9th and August 26th, respectively.
The 11th annual 30 Under 30 competition hosted by BC Business honours young leaders with the following awards this year:
- Liam Adams Manager, cybersecurity, PwC
- Prishita Agarwal and Abhiudai Mishra, Co-founders, Mosa Technologies
- Daniel Azad, CEO, Premier Cloud Inc.
- Eve Bennett, Founder and CEO, MeepMeep
- Alex Chan and Gavin Cheung, Co-founders, MotionGrey
- Jeanne Chen, Founder, Ripple Marketing, and partner, The Global Xchange
- Ryan Ching, Co-founder and co-CEO, Vision2Reality Foundation
- Jastej Choong and Prab Mangat, Co-founders, com
- Manvir Deol, Managing partner, Plan Your Space
- Olivia Evans, Investment advisor, Canaccord Genuity Cash Management Group
- Sean Fox, Founder, Fox Group; co-founder and COO, Ovis Group
- LiLi Gao, Co-founder and COO, One Up Party
- Tevon Gill and Brydon March, Co-founders and managing partners, MAG Security Systems and MAG Solar
- Chloe Goodison, Founder and executive director, NaloxHome Society
- Taylor Hui, Founder and executive director, BeaYOUtiful Foundation
- Matthew Hussey, Founder and lead strategist, Generosity X
- Carissa Konesky, E-learning coordinator, ShEvalesco
- Alex Lee, Co-founder and director, Blue Gentian Capital
- Brigitte Leong-Chung, Co-owner and operations director, Culturally Defined
- Jacobo Lopez Chavez, Vice-president of finance and operations, Black Tusk Research Group; co-founder, Arc Biosystems
- Gabrielle Mustapich, Co-founder, Pilothouse Brands
- Sofiia Salimova, Founder and CEO, In Her Wallet
- Esteban Sanchez, Co-founder and CTO, Commutifi
- Lauren Sudeyko, Founder, Seray
- Julie Wang, Founder, CEO and lead strategist, Tiny Planet Digital
- Julian Wells, Co-founder and principal, Student Housing Initiative
LADYSMITH – CHEMAINUS
The expansion of Ladysmith’s Holland Lake reservoir will be funded by $10.9 million from the federal government and the province
Lana Popham, the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport in British Columbia, stated that the new accessible washroom facility at Kin Beach Park in Chemainus, which was formally opened on March 25, represents the completion of another component of the province’s tourism infrastructure.
Western Forest Products has donated Douglas Fir timbers to help complete the new territory and community welcome sign, which was unveiled by Stz’uminus artist John Marston (Qap’u’luq). The sign features Coast Salish style carving and will welcome all to Stz’uminus territory and the Ladysmith.
Orca Wealth has welcomed Andrew Harris, esteemed future Hall of Fame CFL running back, to our team on Vancouver Island. Reach out to him to secure top-tier Employee Benefits for your company.
COWICHAN – DUNCAN
Robert O’Neill‘s Needful Things, a thrift store at 446 Jubilee St. in Duncan, which opened in December, will be incorporating a coffee house into the space by the end of March.
A proposal from EV Island to introduce neighbourhood zero-emission vehicles to certain North Cowichan communities is being considered by the municipality.
The SkySaver Annual Pass program at Malahat SkyWalk ends on April 1.
Peninsula Co-op is accepting nominations for new board members through March 30.
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