The BC and Yukon Book Prize finalists have been announced for this year, and 11 Island authors have been nominated. Chelsea Wakelyn is from Nanaimo, her book “What Remains of Elsie Jane” is up for the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, which goes to the author of the year’s best literary...

The City of Parksville says they are ready to move into the second of three phases for their Transportation Master Plan.  Residents are being encouraged to attend an open house, participate in online surveys, and meetings to collect data to summarize findings that the city says will define the overall...

A request for funding a road improvement project is on the agenda for Wednesday’s council meeting. According to the agenda, Director of Engineering and operations Kirn Dhillon will present a report to council asking for $530,000 in funding for the Inlet Avenue Road Improvement project. The project is in response to...

A lot of young people are struggling to find jobs across Canada, especially on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast. According to Labour force statistics from the province in March, British Columbia’s unemployment rate was at 5.5 percent, up 0.3 percent from February and 0.9 percent more than the number...

Today marks the eighth anniversary of the toxic drug public-health emergency, and the province recognizes its tragic impact. That comes from Premier David Eby in a statement this morning, saying every life taken by the toxic drug crisis is a loss to our communities. “They are friends, parents, siblings and children....

Coastal communities around Vancouver Island have upgraded ambulance stations, to provide better coverage and staff working conditions. All 16 communities in the Island Health region have now switched from a scheduled on-call system to one of three new models, which all increase hours of coverage by paramedics. “In our many discussions...