Vancouver Island Free Daily

6 days ago | vancouverislandfreedaily.com | Michael Briones

Two Ballenas Whalers football standouts will join the top high school players in the province as members of Team BC. Whalers quarterback Tyler Robinson was selected to join the U17 Team BC contingent, while linebacker Bennet Switzer has been named to Team BC's U18 side. Since their selections, they have been training with their respective teams every second weekend in Langley. Both Whalers are proud and honoured to be selected to provincial teams.

6 days ago | vancouverislandfreedaily.com | Karl Yu

A former financial advisor from Nanaimo has been fined $1 million after misappropriating money from clients who were elderly and ill. A panel of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization, which oversees financial service providers, deemed that Michael Rowland Tomkins took part in actions detrimental to the public interest when he misappropriated funds from clients over five years. A $1-million fine was issued and he was ordered to pay back close to $1.3 million.

1 week ago | vancouverislandfreedaily.com | Olivier Laurin

Four years ago, Saanich resident Terry Smollett picked up a copy of the Saanich News and sat down to read. Turning through the pages, he made a perplexing discovery when he came across a photo of a plant all too familiar – one that was sprawling across his own backyard. The article revealed that the lush broad-leafed plant, producing bright orange-red, berry-laden cobs, was actually a non-native weed considered to be both toxic and “highly” invasive.

1 week ago | vancouverislandfreedaily.com | Susie Peterson Quinn

Dozens of workers gathered at the Steelworkers Hall in Port Alberni on April 28 to pay tribute to those killed or injured on the job. National Day of Mourning ceremonies took place across Canada to honour fallen workers. In Port Alberni, speaker after speaker talked about the need for safety, advocacy and safer work conditions. "Six of the 146 who died last year were young workers.

1 week ago | vancouverislandfreedaily.com | Jenna Hauck

A German shepherd named Major excitedly walks around the outside of a boat at Cultus Lake, as handler Sgt. Denny Chrétien points at various spots along the way. Soon Major stops and sits and receives an enthusiastic "good boy!" from Chrétien. The canine successfully found an invasive species of freshwater mussel that was hidden on the boat.