Community

One of the grand prizes for this year's Hometown Heroes Lottery includes a seaside home at SookePoint, $1.5 million, and an Audi Quattro. (Photo courtesy of Hometown Heroes)

Hometown Heroes Lottery features seaside home in Sooke

Home giveaway campaign benefits B.C. health care

 

‘Nanaimo’ will be spelled out in five-foot-tall letters upon a slab of concrete overlooking Swy-a-Lana Lagoon at Maffeo Sutton Park. (Greg Sakaki/The News Bulletin)

Five-foot-tall letters spelling out ‘Nanaimo’ coming to Maffeo Sutton Park

$50,000-project expected to be installed by the end of April

 

City workers from Duncan were busy recently putting up street signs in both Hul’q’umi’num’ and English. (Submitted photo)

Hul’q’umi’num street signs installed in downtown Duncan

Partnership with Cowichan Tribes sees English street names twinned with Indigenous language

  • Apr 14, 2021

 

The area surrounding the Chemainus Rotary Club’s bunker door is one of the new surfaces that will feature a mural. (Photo by Don Bodger)

Up to three new murals coming to Chemainus

Project will be coordinated between the Rotary Club and Festival of Murals Society

The area surrounding the Chemainus Rotary Club’s bunker door is one of the new surfaces that will feature a mural. (Photo by Don Bodger)
Sooke artist Jessica Ruth Freedman is one of nine virtual in-residence artists who share the creative process, conduct webinars, write and offer sage advice with artsUNITE, a free online wayfinding platform for artists. (Contributed - Jessica Ruth Freedman)

Sooke artist joins artsUNITE, getting creative through pandemic

National program brings much-needed support to arts community

Sooke artist Jessica Ruth Freedman is one of nine virtual in-residence artists who share the creative process, conduct webinars, write and offer sage advice with artsUNITE, a free online wayfinding platform for artists. (Contributed - Jessica Ruth Freedman)
Devin Meads planned to walk 150 kilometres from Langford to Qualicum Beach in support of the Victoria Humane Society and homeless animals. (Contributed photo)

Vancouver Island walk to help homeless animals takes detour

Devin Meads forced to quit 24-hour fundraiser at 100-kilometre mark due to injury

Devin Meads planned to walk 150 kilometres from Langford to Qualicum Beach in support of the Victoria Humane Society and homeless animals. (Contributed photo)
Lorne Thickett of the Duncan Knights of Columbus presents a cheque for $50,000 to second prize winner Jennifer Roszell of Duncan. (Submitted)

Duncan woman wins $50K in Knights of Columbus charity draw

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-21 draw forced the Knights to sell tickets virtually

  • Mar 22, 2021
Lorne Thickett of the Duncan Knights of Columbus presents a cheque for $50,000 to second prize winner Jennifer Roszell of Duncan. (Submitted)
Retired SD62 custodian Jim Black brought his ‘pack’ of BARK ambassadors to a drive-thru for David Cameron Elementary School students during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Black championed the BARK program, which encouraged students to keep their school and homes clean. (Courtesy of David Cameron Elementary)

Retired school custodian brought BARK to Vancouver Island classrooms

Colwood custodian’s dachshund-inspired cleaning program a delight for students

Retired SD62 custodian Jim Black brought his ‘pack’ of BARK ambassadors to a drive-thru for David Cameron Elementary School students during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Black championed the BARK program, which encouraged students to keep their school and homes clean. (Courtesy of David Cameron Elementary)
French-Canadian band Hey Wow are among those performing at Nanaimo’s 20th annual Festival du Sucre d’Érable, or Maple Sugar Festival. (Photo courtesy Joël Ducharme)

Nanaimo’s 20th annual Maple Sugar Festival to be held online due to COVID-19

Three-day event celebrates French-Canadian art, music, food and culture

French-Canadian band Hey Wow are among those performing at Nanaimo’s 20th annual Festival du Sucre d’Érable, or Maple Sugar Festival. (Photo courtesy Joël Ducharme)
Chris Straw, pictured with his grandson Luca, left, and Marc Doré have been identified as the men who died in a construction accident on Gabriola Island on Tuesday. (Photos courtesy R. Jeanette Martin)

Gabriolans come to terms with deaths of well-known community members

Chris Straw and Marc Doré identified as men killed when concrete pump boom failed Tuesday

Chris Straw, pictured with his grandson Luca, left, and Marc Doré have been identified as the men who died in a construction accident on Gabriola Island on Tuesday. (Photos courtesy R. Jeanette Martin)
Cowichan Valley’s W. Jeff Leggat is an organizer of the Community Rally to Raise the Rates for Persons living with Permanent Disabilities in B.C. that will take place on the grounds of the legislature building in Victoria on March 18. (Submitted photo)

Islanders rally in Victoria to urge disability pay raise up to the poverty level

Payments currently below poverty level

Cowichan Valley’s W. Jeff Leggat is an organizer of the Community Rally to Raise the Rates for Persons living with Permanent Disabilities in B.C. that will take place on the grounds of the legislature building in Victoria on March 18. (Submitted photo)
Memorial set up at the site where Kim McGregor was killed in a hit-and-run incident. (Photo by Don Bodger)

Opinion: Tragedy is when community shines through

Tough times can be a reminder we really are in this together

Memorial set up at the site where Kim McGregor was killed in a hit-and-run incident. (Photo by Don Bodger)
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the Weir family who lost their Errington home in a fire. (Facebook page photo)

Neighbours, friends quick to assist Errington family that lost home in raging fire

GoFundMe accounts set up for Weir family

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the Weir family who lost their Errington home in a fire. (Facebook page photo)
Willow Street Cafe is going to be looking good as the central building in filming of a movie in Chemainus next week. (Photo by Pete Cavanaugh)

Hallmark movie crews moving into Chemainus for the week

Filming of The Baker’s Sons being conducted downtown

Willow Street Cafe is going to be looking good as the central building in filming of a movie in Chemainus next week. (Photo by Pete Cavanaugh)
The City of Duncan will implement a new pilot project targeting vandalism this spring. (File photo)

Graffiti trouble? Duncan will give you the brush and the paint to remove it

Initiative based on a successful project to protect Port Alberni from unwanted spray paint

The City of Duncan will implement a new pilot project targeting vandalism this spring. (File photo)
OrcaFest parade 2019. (North Island Gazette file photo)

COVID-19: Port McNeill’s annual OrcaFest cancelled again

“We promise you that once we are safely able to do so, OrcaFest will be back!!”

OrcaFest parade 2019. (North Island Gazette file photo)
Kim McGregor died in the Feb. 14 hit-and-run accident in Chemainus. (Photo submitted)

Victim identified in Valentine’s Day Chemainus hit-and-run

Kim McGregor grew up in Chemainus and had recently returned to be close to his parents

Kim McGregor died in the Feb. 14 hit-and-run accident in Chemainus. (Photo submitted)
Chemainus Festival of Murals Society president Tom Andrews displays the Chemainus Dollars $10 bill with the same scene on it as The Native Heritage mural. (Photo by Don Bodger)

Chemainus Dollars revert to being strictly souvenirs on April 5

Unique currency spendable in Chemainus becoming a collectible only

Chemainus Festival of Murals Society president Tom Andrews displays the Chemainus Dollars $10 bill with the same scene on it as The Native Heritage mural. (Photo by Don Bodger)
Cobble Hill’s Angelle Fairall won $75,620 on the Lotto Max draw on Dec. 18. (Submitted photo)

Cobble Hill woman wins $75,620 from Lotto Max

Angelle Fairall said she was excited

  • Feb 18, 2021
Cobble Hill’s Angelle Fairall won $75,620 on the Lotto Max draw on Dec. 18. (Submitted photo)
Paula Charlie hopes a suitable kidney donor can be found in the community. (Submitted photo)

Vancouver Island woman needs a kidney donation

Paula Charlie hopes a match will be found

Paula Charlie hopes a suitable kidney donor can be found in the community. (Submitted photo)