CIBH (Parksville, BC)

4 days ago | 885thebeach.com | Daryl Major

NANAIMO — A disturbing case of violence and humiliation at a Nanaimo shopping centre resulted in a Youth Criminal Justice Act conviction. The 13-year-old unnamed offender and an accomplice directed the youth victim to the ground and made him eat cat food after being guided by the duo to Country Club Centre’s entryway on Oct. 3, 2024. Crown Counsel’s Kaitlyn Tourangeau told a recent sentencing hearing in Nanaimo the offender and his accomplice instructed the victim to kiss his feet.

1 week ago | 885thebeach.com | Ian Holmes

NANAIMO — Competing in triathlons across the country won’t be easy, but a Vernon couple has motivation on their side. Mike Pearson, 63, and Donna Bartel, 59, start Trii’ing to End ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) on Sunday, May 11 at Nanaimo’s Westwood Lake Park. The devastating progressive, often fatal neurological disease affects brain and spinal cord nerve cells, leading to increasingly restrictive muscle control. ALS claimed the life of Pearson’s great uncle and Bartel’s mother.

2 weeks ago | 885thebeach.com | Daryl Major

NANAIMO — With one full year in the books, the Evolve e-bikes are getting a lot of usage, with locals apparently utilizing them more than tourists. The network of blue e-bikes was established last year with stations dotting all corners of the Harbour City, allowing users to travel up to 25 kilometres per hour along the active transportation routes.

2 weeks ago | 885thebeach.com | Jordan Davidson

NANAIMO — Amid rising costs and global trade trouble, more people than ever are paying closer attention to the country of origin of stuff they buy, with a local non-profit leading the way for almost three decades. Global Village Nanaimo is in its 28th year of operating on the mid-Island, importing fair trade goods from around the world while emphasizing putting people over profit.

2 weeks ago | 885thebeach.com | Alex Rawnsley

NANAIMO — There’s every possibility a central Vancouver Island riding could be one of the last called on election night. A repeating slate of candidates in Nanaimo-Ladysmith from the 2021 election, which resulted in a three-way race separated by just 2,200 votes, are contesting 2025’s vote with a four-way split of a majority of votes widely expected between candidates for Canada’s major parties.