Sign In Subscribe Now Nanaimo high school students got a chance to pull the levers of industry at a showcase event for Vancouver Island University trades and tech.  The annual event provides opportunities for Grades 11 and 12 students to explore careers ranging from hair styling to welding and even get their hands on the controls of heavy machinery.  32 students were at VIU’s heavy equipment operators program training area in Timberlands for 'Heavy Metal Rocks' where they climbed in the cabs of articulated loaders dump trucks and equipment operation simulators in the B.C Road Builders' RoadShow simulator trailer coordinator of career options with Nanaimo-Ladysmith Public Schools's career technical centre said last week's event was done in co-operation with Qualicum school district “We’re at mid camp right now and we’ve spent the last two days doing safety training and panel discussions with industry and now we’re at the heavy equipment operators program location for VIU Gowan-Smith said the event is an opportunity for the students to get hands-on experience with heavy duty equipment and some of the students hope to segue into jobs and even careers as heavy duty equipment operators.  The school district’s career technical centre also partners with VIU’s youth explore trades sampler program which allows students to pursue interest in a variety of trades students can move on to further trades training and apprenticeships programs.  Nanaimo District Secondary School Grade 11 students McKenzie Kearns and Piper Faux had their first experience operating a large Caterpillar excavator.  “I’m very interested in heavy duty mechanics like working on these kinds of machines,” Kearns said “I’m mainly interested in carpentry because I love to be able to be creative and this is just another amazing experience that we get to do along with the trades sampler.”  Faux said she also loves carpentry and would like to build her own house so learning to operate heavy equipment could come in handy.  “I just love these big machines,” Faux said “I think it’s so fun to practise and expand my skill set … There’s nothing I’d rather do with my Thursday – I would be in bio right now writing a test.” An estimated 5,140 new heavy equipment operators will be needed across B.C. over the next decade, according to the B.C. Labour Market Outlook.   Trades and technology occupations remain among the top projected job openings in the province dean of VIU’s Faculty of Trades and Applied Technology and noted that the university offers trades programs at its Nanaimo “VIU offers numerous programs that help people land careers in the trades up-skill and even re-skill current workers,” she said A trades and tech showcase was hosted at VIU’s Trades Discovery Centre on Saturday May 3, giving people a chance to try their hand at operating a mini excavator build a wood planter box or even taste liquid nitrogen ice cream Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines The Duncan chapter of the PROBUS retiree social group celebrated its 25th anniversary on April 15 at the Arbutus Ridge Golf Course secular social club for men and women who are retired or semi-retired PROBUS strives to keep life interesting and fulfilling for its members through monthly meetings and speakers visits and tours to businesses and organizations The celebration highlighted the founding members of the local club along with a cake proudly displaying the PROBUS logo from Thrifty Foods You will also start receiving the Star's free morning newsletter Nanaimo—Ladysmith 2025 federal election live results. Browse live results for all 343 ridings 205 of 205 polls are reporting as of 4:22 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election 205 of 205 polls are reporting as of 4:22 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election Kronis has 26,081 of 74,145 votes (35.18%) is in second place with 20,693 votes (27.91%) and incumbent Lisa Marie Barron Barron has represented the riding since 2021 30,051 voters cast ballots at advance polls Looking for another riding? Here are the full results for the 2025 federal election. The Liberals have 169 races called in their favour They have 8,535,128 votes and 43.69 per cent of the popular vote The Conservatives have 144 races called in their favour They have 8,059,938 votes and 41.26 per cent of the popular vote The Bloc Québécois have 22 races called in their favour They have 1,232,095 votes and 6.31 per cent of the popular vote The New Democrats have seven races called in their favour They have 1,231,198 votes and 6.3 per cent of the popular vote The Greens have one race called in their favour They have 243,471 votes and 1.25 per cent of the popular vote There were three independents and four vacancies in the 338-seat Commons the Commons has grown by five ridings starting with this election This article was automatically generated using data provided by Canadian Press and will update as riding results become available Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account The Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce held their annual general meeting on Wednesday held in the conference room at the Microtel Hotel at Oyster Bay was sponsored by the Nanaimo Airport Commission catered by the folks from In The Bean Time attracted almost 70 individuals who heard presentations from Chamber President Cheri Mactier and Treasurer Tammy Leslie with a special report by Dave Devana Special guest Mayor Deena Beeston also gave a presentation to the group Mactier said a highlight for the chamber in the last year was the success of their annual golf tournament She also presented the Chamber’s annual bursary to Keizo Tollefson who was one of the summer students working for the Visitor Info Centre She said she was glad to be a part of the BC Chamber Conference and AGM “The discussions and advocacy efforts were hugely worthwhile,” she said and she will be attending this year’s AGM in Nanaimo "One of our standout achievements for 2024 was the success of the Spirit of Ladysmith Business Awards evening This event allowed us to recognize the outstanding contributions of local businesses and volunteers celebrating all nominees and honouring 10 deserving winners.”  Mactier also pointed out that in December she had an opportunity to meet with MLA Stephanie Higginson to discuss Ladysmith’s economic footprint and the ongoing opportunities and challenges facing the business community Other highlights in her report included dealing with international matters "I joined Member of Parliament Lisa Marie Barron; MLA Stephanie Higginson; Brianne Mactier president of the Downtown Business Association; and the Chamber’s Executive Director Roberta Bowman to discuss the impact of tariffs and explore collective strategies to support Ladysmith businesses," she said I am excited about the opportunities ahead for our Chamber and our business community Bowman followed Mactier with her report which encapsulated various efforts of the Chamber “We continue to advocate for our community and the region through the BC Chamber and Canadian Chamber by working with local Locally we maintain a strong partnership with the Town of Ladysmith and have recently signed a service agreement to continue operating the Tourism Centre and support economic development initiatives we participate in multiple initiatives spanning Vancouver Island The Chamber strategically collaborates with all 30 Chambers across the Island as well as being part of a four-Chamber Accord with Cowichan Valley allowing us to advocate more effectively for our region.” Bowman finished her report by adding that the Chamber will be hosting their 16th annual golf tournament on Friday There is still time to be a supporter of this popular event Besides support from the Town of Ladysmith the local Chamber is supported by the Ladysmith and District Credit Union Nanaimo Airport Commission and FMC Holdings The meeting closed with the selection of the board of directors for 2025 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page We see it beginning to bloom in late spring and early summer Scotch broom is a double edged sword though is a significant problem all over the Island particularly in southern parts of the island and the Gulf Islands It outcompetes native plants and threatens biodiversity by creating dense monocultures and altering soil chemistry Each plant can produce more than 10,000 seeds per year and the seeds can last more than 60 years Fire can potentially kill the plant and seeds but some seeds may still be viable and germinate especially if the fire is not overly intense there is a dedicated group of volunteers who have taken on the overwhelming task of trying to keep broom under control Led by Nikki Toxopeus the small group has already taken on one area in their efforts to reverse the spread of this invasive vegetation Ladysmith students and Cowichan drummers," Toxopeus said "Three of our broombusters quietly cleared broom from the park edges and did trash removal “We have put our broombuster signs up on the highway and will work to clear the broom away from this major corridor between Pamela Anderson's house and Home Hardware," she said "We want to continue to keep Transfer Beach and Hill and Holland Creek clear All part of the plan to protect our special places.” The local group has a plan for areas they wish to cut this year we ask that you come to at least one community cut before working on your own," Toxopeus said "We will give instructions on how to cut and stack broom correctly and believe it or not cutting or stacking incorrectly does more harm than good.” is loppers (pruners) which are used to cut the invasive plants right down at the ground level that don’t have loppers Toxopeus said there will be ones available from the group “If you are planning to cut the broom on your own throughout the season you can sign for and borrow our loppers for the season.” Other recommended items are some gardening or work gloves and sturdy footwear Broom often grows close to blackberries and other thorny vegetation so volunteers should wear long sleeves and long pants People coming out to help are asked to bring their own water and refreshments The group has the support of the Ladysmith Parks Department and the town will be picking up and disposing of all the cut broom from the community events there are recommended ways that the cuttings need to be handled It may take time to get around to pick it up so please make sure your piles are not a nuisance or hazard to others,” Toxopeus said.  Broombusters asks volunteers to stack the piles on the side of the road or path but clearly off the roadside and the shoulder combine smaller piles into larger piles for ease of pick up place the piles close as possible to an area where a truck or ATV can have access and park safely and stack with the stems towards the path or road for ease of pick up If you are planning to cut broom outside of Ladysmith ensure there is a plan for disposal before doing any broombusting For those who want a refresher on how to cut, check out the BroomBuster website www.broombusters.org/how-to-cut-broom/ Upcoming Ladysmith Broombuster’s plans for this season: Meet at the corner of King Road and Roland Lane near the Estuary Trail head Meet in the Kinsmen Hut to have with Friends of Holland Creek Tending the native plant beds and doing broom busting and invasive work along the park edges and towards the pedestrian tunnel Meet in the Holland Creek Estates on Rollie Rose Road and Colonia Drive The priority is to work along the south edge of Holland Creek There is also dense broom on the uphill side of the estate under the hydro lines and on the gated Meet in the parking lot by the water treatment facility accessed via Ryan Place gate or from the trail Continue to clear the area around the waterworks and towards Arbutus Hump.  Check areas cleared last year Meet on Ludlow Road near Home Hardware and work south along the highway/rail towards Transfer Beach Meet in the info hut on Methuen and Sixth Avenue to join Friends of Holland Creek to clear broom from the patch cleared last year and along the trail up towards the Rotary Lookout On the way we will clear Colonia bridge embankments if we have access Meet in the Kinsmen Hut with Friends of Holland Creek We will be tending the native plant beds and doing broom busting and invasive work along the park edges and towards the Dogpatch and then the Waterfront To help in volunteering to rid the local area of Scotch Broom or for more information people can contact Toxopeus at nikki.toxopeus27@gmail.com Restorative Justice Cowichan aims to improve understanding and compassion while delivering a sense of justice to those harmed by crime was started in 2012 and continues to play a positive role in the community as it aims to resolve conflict in a more time sensitive and efficient way than the criminal justice system is able "Those who have offended and take responsibility by participating in restorative justice are far less likely to re-offend again in the future," said RJC president Rosalie Sawrie "Most who volunteer doing community forums will say the best part of the job is the open communication and understanding that happens throughout the community forum process The responsible and affected parties both get to be heard and work together to find common ground on how things can be made right this process builds understanding and compassion and works to repair the harm through resolution and reintegration in the community." This time last year, RJC was offering case manager training at their second floor office at 394 Duncan St. They are looking to start up another round of training at some point before the summer, and another round in the fall. Learn more and stay on top of upcoming sessions by visiting restorativejusticecowichan.ca "We have a diverse group of people who take interest in our training for a variety of reasons some want to volunteer and others find the training helpful in their current line of work," said Sawrie If someone is coming from outside the community and has an interest in participating but not volunteering the cost is $400 There is an online component along with a full weekend of in-person training with meals included." One of the most recent and exciting things that RJC has brought to the community is their school-based program called Restorative Justice in Education that began with some curriculum development in 2022 and assistance in funding from Island Health's Community Wellness Grant Program This enabled RJC to pilot the program at Quamichan school in Duncan during the 2023-24 school year which has now expanded to the Open Learning Program and Mill Bay's Frances Kelsey Secondary for the current 2024/25 school year "The facilitators host pre-conflict circle dialogues with the students and are able to host a community forum if a conflict does arise," said Sawrie. "This is a shift in philosophy moving staff and student interactions away from punitive and exclusive responses to deeper connection thus facilitating a more inclusive school culture."  The new program is only taught in the three schools at this time While the Ministry of Education is in support of the culture shift there is a limited capacity and funding for it at this time. Sawrie said the non-profit organization has applied for multi-year funding to build capacity in the schools and expand on it but whether or not they will receive it is yet to be confirmed The success of Restorative Justice in Education was confirmed at RJC's AGM on April 23 through a presentation by their school program facilitators Carmen Hildebrand and Daphne Hachey who shared some of the lessons learned Also giving a short presentation at the AGM was Staff Sergeant Ken Beard who spoke on behalf of the Duncan/North Cowichan RCMP about the benefits of restorative justice in the community RJC continues to promote restorative for the year ahead beyond the classroom They have been working within the business community to ensure all local business owners are aware of the process in cases of vandalism and plan to continue building that relationship as well as the one they have with the local RCMP RJC has also been working with both the provincial and federal Crown to take referrals when deemed appropriate "To continue to do this work well and continue the schools program we need to build our own capacity which includes seeking funds through grants and fundraising," said Sawrie. "We now have our charitable status which allows us to host more frequent training sessions and build up our volunteer caseworker team We've dramatically increased our case referrals in a short amount of time so this will be important as word spreads and people learn about restorative justice." Stakeholders have given their two cents as Nanaimo Ladysmith school district begins crafting its budget for the 2025-26 school year a budget with $189 million in expenses is forecast along with enrolment of 15,494 full-time students up from the 15,280 recorded last September said the continued upward trajectory in student numbers has Nanaimo-Ladysmith "in a fortuitous space," however inflation and other factors will still make SD68's financial picture "tight." Close to $82 million is projected for teacher salaries a year-over-year increase of $921,000 there will be a salary increase of close to $77,000, to $14.7 million and for support staff an increase of $120,000 to $14.5 million Over $11 million is earmarked for administrative positions representing a $315,000 increase from 2024 At a board meeting April 23, Jo Cornthwaite Nanaimo District Teachers' Association union president said she appreciated the school district's efforts but wondered about the "multiple additional administrative positions created in the last couple months" and how this would impact the "front-line needs of students … with the additional layers of administration." The union is asking for more staffing for the district's distance- and distributed-learning school, Island Connect Ed "It's different work than a traditional classroom but that doesn't mean it's less work," she said "We acknowledge that those ratios are … not something that's protected by collective agreement language but again caseloads are high for those teachers [and] demands are also high Our ask is if there's additional staffing to be placed that Island Connect Ed is one of the places it goes."  CUPE Local 606 education support workers union president was also grateful for the school district's work in crafting the budget The expansion of before- and after-school care is "huge," he said and a chance for education assistants to get more hours "We appreciate the increased hours of some of the EA positions but we still have way too many EAs in the 27-hour range," Virtanen said "And it's not just EAs – cafeteria attendants library clerks … they all need more hours too." Getting to 35 hours won't happen in one budget cycle but added that if the district keeps that goal in mind there could come a day when all "precarious" workers are able to make a livable wage The budget currently carries a $200,231 deficit Ministry of Education to pass a balanced budget A staff report stated the district is "still working [its] way through some final cost-saving adjustments in order to balance the budget and the final preliminary annual budget will include the final cost-saving measures."   "We're confident that's going to be solved without major resource implication to our students," Walsh said at the April 9 meeting Budget deliberations will continue and a final preliminary budget is expected to be presented at a committee meeting Wednesday School districts in the province have a deadline of June 30 to adopt budget bylaws The City of Port Alberni will have to replace the ice chiller at the Alberni Valley Multiplex just six years after they spent thousands of dollars to install it And a replacement could cost as much as $600,000 The chiller suffered its second "catastrophic failure" in six years on April 13 and after an ammonia leak was detected the chiller was shut down and the Multiplex was closed The tube and shell chiller was installed in spring of 2019 and in November of 2019 suffered a serious ammonia leak The ice was lost in both rinks and multiple cracks on the exterior shell of the chiller were discovered This time the ice was again lost in both rinks and the Alberni Valley Bulldogs were forced to relocate to Nanaimo in the middle of their B.C told city council on April 28 that the chiller cannot be fixed She asked council to approve a plan to rent a plate and frame chiller for one year so the ice can be put back into the arena in time for West Coast Prep Camp in the summer and the following hockey season Thorpe laid out three options for a rented plate and frame chiller: rent one for a total cost of $485,000 (which would include an expansion after the first year); rent a chiller for up to a year and then buy a replacement for a cost of $735,000 to $835,000; or replace the chiller with a new one at a cost of $595,000 If the chiller were to be replaced with a new one the Multiplex would have to be closed for a few months Waiting for a new chiller to be built and then installed will delay the start of hockey season and would affect all the users who count on the ice rinks in the summer officials and family members come to the Alberni Valley for Prep Camp and many of those travel arrangements were made months ago It is already going to cost the city $45,000 to "hit the reset button," Thorpe said because they have to dispose of brine from both rinks Council agreed to spend $485,000 to rent a chiller and have it installed for a year Thorpe said staff members are still looking into warranty and insurance claims and that the replacement costs are "worst-case scenario" if they don't receive money from an insurance claim Voters of Nanaimo-Ladysmith have elected a Conservative MP to sit in the House of Commons in a federal Liberal government With 99 per cent of polls in the riding reporting results Tamara Kronis of the Conservative Party of Canada is in the lead with approximately 35 per cent of the vote Michelle Corfield of the Liberal Party of Canada is in second and Paul Manly of the Green Party and incumbent Lisa Marie Barron have been jockeying for third place all night. Stephen Welton Kronis delivered remarks to supporters at a private gathering at the Nanaimo Curling Centre saying she was “ecstatic” about winning the Nanaimo-Ladysmith riding “It has been an incredible experience,” she said happy positive team where our campaign was built on hope for the future and for making sure to work for the things that Nanaimo really needs We’re going to be focused on affordability on housing and on making sure that we make a serious plan to do everything we can to deal with the overall crisis in the city and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to serve this community.” Corfield watched results come in with supporters and volunteers at her campaign office in Nanaimo “I think we raised the right issues at the right time and put them on the floor in the midst of all the chaos and all the confusion that has been plaguing politics as of recent," she said "And I think it’s important that we were resilient we were strong and we put a platform out there that would take Nanaimo-Ladysmith into recovery.” Addressing her supporters at MGM restaurant after the numbers came in, Barron expressed gratitude to her team of volunteers and the campaign stating they "were doing the important work of making sure that we were not spreading division or hate."  When asked about what direction the federal NDP should go Barron said the party should maintain the course "I think that we need to make sure that the party is doing exactly what they have been doing and making sure that we are seeing tax fairness that we're seeing health care public and accessible," she said "We're seeing what's happening with Donald Trump and what happens when we have somebody that's in it for billionaires … we have seen consecutive Liberal and Conservative governments doing similar things and making sure that corporations are allowed to avoid taxes." The topic of strategic voting was broached during the campaign and Barron said she did think it was a factor more than I anticipated by the conversations I was having and my hope is that we don't continue to see that because when we split three ways on the progressive side and that's exactly what's happened here," she said When asked about her time representing Nanaimo-Ladysmith as MP "I could not be prouder of the work that we did and all of the incredible people that I've met along the way and the ways that they have served people in this riding and case work and so many ways I know that we have made a positive impact on this riding," she said Manly addressed supporters at the Beban Park Social Centre telling them the results weren't what he had been hoping for you know where I stand in this community and I am going to continue to work hard for the community," he said "I am going to continue to advocate for this community I am going to continue to fight for the things we need in this community and that includes affordable housing and improved health care and protection of biodiversity and fighting climate change and ensuring that young people have a future that they can count on, an education that they can afford Asked about the notion of vote-splitting in the riding Manly pointed to the Liberals breaking a promise to bring in proportional representation and also to the NDP for not pushing for it harder in the confidence and supply agreement with the Liberals The Liberal Party of Canada will again form government Sign up for free account today and start receiving our exclusive newsletters About the Author: Nanaimo Bulletin News Staff Stage 1 water restrictions take effect May 1 for the town of Ladysmith Diamond Improvement District and Stz’uminus First Nation as the region begins its seasonal water conservation measures lawn sprinkling is permitted for a maximum of two hours on designated days: Wednesdays and Saturdays for even-numbered addresses and Thursdays and Sundays for odd-numbered addresses.  All outdoor watering is prohibited between 9 a.m “We encourage all residents to follow the water restrictions These are conservation measures that help us use water efficiently as we head into the warmer months,” said Nicholas Pescod the town’s communications and engagement specialist “By watering only on designated days and during cooler times we can all do our part to reduce waste and protect our community’s water supply.” In addition to conserving the region’s limited water resources following the restrictions can also help residents save money by reducing household consumption Watering vegetable gardens and fruit trees is permitted for up to four hours per day The same methods may be used on ornamental trees shrubs and flower gardens for up to two hours daily Watering should take place outside of the 9 a.m window to reduce evaporation and maintain system efficiency There are no restrictions on washing vehicles hoses must be equipped with a spring-loaded shutoff nozzle and residents are urged to avoid water waste such as allowing water to run onto paved surfaces or into storm drains Stage 1 restrictions also allow for recreational sprinkler use including weeper hoses and drip lines operating below 25 psi and 90 litres per hour ​​Properties on private wells or alternative water sources are not subject to the municipal water restrictions the town encourages all residents to be good environmental stewards by following the same guidelines Since aquifers are often connected to local rivers and neighbouring water systems reducing water use helps protect shared resources and benefits the entire community The town’s water supply comes from Holland and Stocking Lakes and restrictions are implemented as needed based on seasonal demand and reservoir levels may follow later in the summer if conditions warrant For more information contact the town of Ladysmith at 250-245-6446 or visit ladysmith.ca Nanaimo-Ladysmith constituents had factors like Trump and strategic voting in mind as they went to the polls earlier this week Tamara Kronis of the Conservatives won the riding with 26,081 votes Michelle Corfield representing the Liberals received 20,693 (27.9 per cent); Lisa Marie Barron of the New Democratic Party saw 13,591 (18.3 per cent); Paul Manly of the Greens 13,486 (18.2 per cent) and Stephen Welton of the People's Party of Canada received 294 votes (0.4 per cent).  Tariff and annexation talk from President Trump and the United States were hot election topics and David Livingstone a Vancouver Island University political studies professor said while Nanaimo-Ladysmith was previously NDP territory allegiances may have changed due to that threat He pointed to comments from Barron at the all-candidates' forum at VIU the week before the election "She said the thing she consistently heard [while] door-knocking was ‘What do we have to do to stop the Conservatives from winning?' So there seemed to be not so much of but ‘Who are we voting against?' So there was definitely that strategic voting idea," said Livingstone The Conservative Party's promises to address affordability and other aspects of the economy "What's interesting is to see a younger generation starting to drift towards the Conservatives "But I think that signals to me that the message is getting through to those individuals who are very worried about what jobs they're going to get in the future and how secure those jobs are That is resonating with young people like it's not resonated before … the Conservatives have done a pretty good job speaking to those issues." a perception that the Conservatives didn't sufficiently distance themselves from U.S Republicans was detrimental federally who said the Tories instead seemed to continue to push the policies that had served them well in the election's lead-up The prof suggested that Liberal leader Mark Carney presented himself well during the campaign and may have benefited from exceeding some people's expectations "I think a lot of people thought a guy that [has] lots of other experience and he came across as competent and unflustered," said Livingstone "His experience on the world stage seemed to help … I think people are also evaluating who is best to confront Trump. They were watching the demeanour of these two individuals and I think it seemed to a lot of people that Carney seemed to appear very prime ministerial very quickly." The prof said he couldn't say whether the Greens and NDP siphoned votes from each other, but did note that partway through the campaign the NDP seemingly pivoted to a strategy with messaging stating "Here on the Island we vote NDP to stop the Conservatives," but it wasn't enough they were campaigning on the goal of vote-splitting,” said Livingstone "What's interesting is that it seemed that the people that may have normally voted for the NDP decided to park their vote with the Liberals … so we ended up with gains for the Liberals and gains for the Conservatives and the NDP losing quite a few seats." Voter turnout in Nanaimo-Ladysmith was 72.3 per cent and Livingstone felt high voter turnout had everything to do with the U.S is Trump and rise of this new nationalism in Canada … There was an emotional uplift about Canada [meaning] something and that drove people to be very interested in this election," he said "They could see it as a as a vital election about who's going to take us through this next very difficult few years." Cole Reschny and Keaton Verhoeff didn’t just show up – they showed out The pair of Victoria Royals standouts made a clear impact on the world stage this weekend helping Canada claim gold at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship in stunning fashion The golden moment for 🇨🇦’s 26 CHLers at the #U18MensWorlds! 🥇 pic.twitter.com/uDegbvKAWW With a 7–0 rout of Sweden in Saturday’s final Canada capped off an undefeated run and secured back-to-back U18 titles for the first time in program history The Canadians were relentless from puck drop to final buzzer controlling play from start to finish and outshooting the Swedes 42–28 Canadian goaltender Jack Ivankovic stopped every shot he faced notching his second shutout of the tournament and anchoring a complete team effort that saw 14 skaters register at least one point It was a gold medal game that left no doubt with six different players finding the back of the net Xavier Villeneuve opened the scoring just over four minutes in and precision overwhelmed a Swedish team that has medalled in seven straight tournaments but looked overmatched in every zone on this night Few players left a bigger mark than Reschny and Verhoeff Both joined Team Canada after the Royals were eliminated by Spokane in the second round of the WHL playoffs and both wasted little time proving they belonged Their performances not only helped secure gold but likely earned them serious consideration for spots at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minneapolis and St Paul – the biggest stage in the world for under-20 players wore an ‘A’ on his sweater just as he does in Victoria and played a key leadership role he still racked up five goals and three assists in six appearances finishing with a +8 rating and tying for 11th in tournament scoring He was named one of Canada’s top three players alongside Ivankovic and Seattle Thunderbirds forward Braeden Cootes "It was very special to win with a very special group We knew what we had in mind when we came to this tournament and to be able to do that is pretty special," Reschny said I think (Sweden) thought it was going to be a bit easier than it was the youngest player on Canada’s roster at just 16 The smooth-skating blueliner finished with five points in five games – a goal and four assists – and a +6 rating while logging steady Head coach Cory Stillman praised the group for their progression and composure crediting their gold-medal performance as their best of the tournament “It’s been a long season for these guys and you always want to finish the season with a championship with your club team you get to represent your country and that’s pretty special Tonight was the best game we played and we came out winners.” Canada’s path to gold included wins over Slovakia They edged Czechia 3-2 in overtime in the quarterfinals and blanked Slovakia 4-0 in the semis to reach the final along with one silver and four bronze medals But few will shine quite like this one – not just because they won slid by Slovakia 4-3 as they claimed a medal in their fourth straight tournament.  Nanaimo is one of Canada's fastest-growing metropolitan areas and at a federal election debate this week candidates talked about their parties' plans to address the housing crunch The Canadian Home Builders’ Association Vancouver Island the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce and the Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce co-hosted an all-candidates' meeting Wednesday All five Nanaimo-Ladysmith candidates attended and answered questions about small business arts and culture, homelessness and more but one of the primary topics of discussion was housing said wholesale change is needed on the file and said a Conservative government would "supercharge" the home-building efforts already being made She said young people can't afford to live in B.C interest rates are unaffordable and housing starts aren't where they need to be "These are problems that are not going to be solved by layering on another housing bureaucracy as the Liberal platform plans to do," she said "We need the government to get out of the way to get more homes built at a lower cost." Kronis said the Conservatives would boost trades training and eliminate the federal sales tax on new homes but for all Canadians including seniors looking to downsize said the federal government can help with the housing crisis by assisting in streamlining permitting processes and supporting local governments' infrastructure needs so they can keep up with growth He said the Greens would address speculation and real estate investment trusts and support tripling Canada's affordable housing stock and the federal government's role should therefore be in building affordable and co-op housing "I have a development behind my house that was zoned 10 years ago and that's because it is a market-driven economy," he said promoted her party's housing platform and indicated support for training tradespeople bringing in skilled workers via immigration supporting the forest industry to provide finished wood products for home construction and cutting permitting delays for Indigenous Canada needs to get back in the business of building homes," she said talked about her party's platform to replace the federal housing accelerator fund with a strategy to empower communities and provinces with tools to get homes built faster and protect affordable rental homes She also mentioned the importance of supporting provinces to help deliver trades training and said the NDP wants to better protect renters from renoviction and price gouging "Housing is a basic human right and instead what we've seen is consecutive Liberal and Conservative governments that have allowed the housing market to be used as an investment tool," Barron said expressed skepticism about the government's ability to pay for housing programs but he also suggested that even more home building won't solve housing affordability because it will lead to increased material costs and exacerbate worker shortages He suggested that "extraordinary" immigration rates encouraged by the federal government have created outsized demand for housing so an answer is to reduce the immigration to a more sustainable level and that will reduce the pressure on house prices," he said "We'll actually be able to house people again Three Nanaimo-Ladysmith candidates participated in a forum at Nanaimo District Secondary School on April 15, and four participated in an all-candidates' meeting at Vancouver Island University on Tuesday I have not crossed the border into the U.S I like (most) Americans and count many of them as friends and relatives but the new administration in Washington has sent a chill down the spines of many Canadians who want to travel into the U.S. In the name of increasing security and cracking down on Illegal immigrants and fentanyl(?) crossing the border from Canada American authorities have cracked down on cross-border travel to the point that Global Affairs Canada and the federal government have issued warnings and travel advisories for Canadians looking to head to the U.S The authorities are warning that Canadians crossing the U.S border should expect thorough and extensive questioning and potential searches of their electronic devices If the American border officials find anything that they consider disparaging about their country or government on your electronic devices or if they just don’t like the look of you not only could you be denied entry to the U.S. was detained for almost two weeks in scary conditions in American prisons while applying for a work visa at the U.S./Mexico border and the number of Canadians travelling into the U.S has dropped considerably over the last few months as a result It’s a real shame and I’m beginning to miss the days (which was really just last year) when we were proud to say that Canada and the U.S share the longest undefended border in the world No passports were required to cross the land border for most of the time that I was young(er) and just a driver’s licence and another form of ID would do even less was needed sometimes when you came across a friendly and sympathetic border guard as I did in the late 1980s as I was moving to Toronto I was driving my well-used and aging Toyota Tercel through Quebec and I was trying to drive around Montreal to avoid getting caught up in the city’s traffic but with all the road signs in French and my limited ability to understand the language so I pulled over before I reached the border facility got out a map and began trying to figure out how I had gotten off course a Canadian border guard tapped on my window asking what I was doing there I explained what had happened and asked if he could give me directions from there to Ottawa The guard looked me (I was in my mid-20s at the time) over as well as my car which had peace symbols on four of its tires that were spray painted in neon green the night before I left home by some friends as a “going-away present” without my knowledge The back seat and rear of my Toyota were also packed with everything I owned at the time the kindly border guard said lots of motorists get lost in Montreal and end up at the border He said to wait where I was a minute and he called over to the guards on the American side of the border to talk about my situation The guard then told me that the best and quickest way to get to Ottawa from there was to cross the border and then come back into Canada just south of Ottawa So I was allowed to pass through the Canadian and American border gates without anyone taking a look at what I had in the car or even asking me for an ID like a driver’s licence when I got to the border crossing south of Ottawa the guards there were told I was coming and they waved me through as well without me even having to stop gone forever as we all hunker down for safety as the world becomes increasingly unfriendly I find it sad that I have to look back at that border incident with nostalgia A message in the DriveSmartBC inbox observes that there is such an incredible shortage of common sense about the practicalities of driving as well as so many people who seem unable to think clearly any more You cannot get people to drive better just by saying "drive better" I think the problem of poor driving habits and some of the emotional and health issues (fatigue time shortage) behind bad driving are more a social problem This person's observations are something that I have often commented on Many drivers seem to be saying "I'm important get out of my way" when they are behind the wheel they are anonymous and to some extent so is everyone else present on the highway Perhaps we think that because we don't know each other and probably won't ever meet face to face we don't have to extend social courtesies to each other Other drivers like you when you conform to their concept of proper driving whether they are correct about what is proper or not Witness a long line of cars that have merged into one lane well before an adjacent lane is closed due to construction There is nothing unlawful with using the lane that is going to be closed until the point where it is actually closed open their doors to prevent you passing and wave in a very unfriendly manner How do we change the social outlook of a driver As a police officer I had only education and enforcement to use in conjunction with the Ministry of Transportation's engineering solutions It was not a simple task and I often wondered if I was making a difference at all Tim Schewe is a retired constable with many years of traffic law enforcement. To comment or learn more, please visit DriveSmartBC.ca Think about the “magic of Disney” and what's sure to come to mind is the music and there’s been no shortage of memorable characters brought to life in the more than 130 Disney movies we’ve grown to love but whether your particular most beloved character is Snow White’s Dopey or Stich from Lilo and Stich the throughline for all the greatest films has been the music Walt Disney was a great believer in the use of music to convey his stories He believed that the best way to learn about a character was through music and lyrics He applied that belief to his films and the results have made the catalogue of songs some of the most relatable and inspiring music of the age when Sound the Alarm: Music Theatre presents it’s latest production A Whole New World to the public it’s certain to leave audiences smiling and humming their favourite tunes long after the final note has been sung The show's cast includes the same four amazing vocalists that presented Sound the Alarm’s previous production The expanded cast allows for the option of alternating cast members to allow for some rest between the performances “There are some huge vocal challenges in these songs,” says vocalist Gorgia Bennett “There is also a lot of emotional energy required The creators of the show have been mindful of that fact and have allowed for the expanded cast when you’re putting together a show like this We start at the beginning of Disney and take the audience right to the modern day and others allow us to put our own interpretation on the melody.” with the first being a tribute to Disney studios’ productions that include Frozen The second act showcases hits from iconic musicals like The Sound of Music The amazingly talented vocalists are accompanied by an equally gifted band made up of Evan Berndt “The band members are all such incredible musicians and they’re right there beside you I’ve never worked with a band that can bring you to a different world the way these people can,” Bennett says.  the show has a backdrop that includes stunning lighting effects courtesy of Jason Hand as Lighting Designer Hand brings a wealth of experience in his work with Disney’s global immersive events Walt Disney once said that the magic of his productions was “as wide as a smile and as narrow as a wink It is the magic that begins the happily ever after.” That spirit and that philosophy comes through in Sound the Alarm’s production of A Whole New World and it is a must see for anyone who has ever carried a bit of that magic away from a Disney movie “Our goal is to bring people what they know and love…to bring it to them in a neatly wrapped package of joy,” Bennet says “It’s music that you can take away with you when the curtain falls.” For tickets and more information on A Whole New World, visit soundthealarm.ca/a-whole-new-world Sign up below for unlimited digital access for 30 days receive our daily news alerts & breaking news BC — The Town of Ladysmith officially has a new mayor Deena Beeston was sworn-in as the Town of Ladysmith’s newest mayor at a ceremony held during the Inaugural Meeting of Council at the Ladysmith Seniors Centre on Tuesday who received the highest number of votes in the 2025 mayoral by-election becomes the 23rd mayor in Ladysmith’s history and only the second woman to hold the position “It is truly an honour and a privilege to be Ladysmith’s mayor I am committed to working tirelessly to meet our community's needs and build a future that reflects our shared values and aspirations,” says Mayor Deena Beeston Beeston will also serve as the Town of Ladysmith’s Director on the Cowichan Valley Regional District board for the 2025 term after being appointed by Council during Tuesday’s meeting who had been acting mayor since October following the resignation of Aaron Stone in September For the latest news and updates, visit the Town’s website at www.ladysmith.ca, as well as Facebook and Instagram The Town of Ladysmith respectfully acknowledges that we gather and work on the unceded territory of the Stz'uminus First Nation Businesswoman Kara Bayley is the new owner of Duncan’s Allure Spa Bayley recently took over the beauty destination from her long-time friend Marissa Brown who began the business 10 years ago who is also the owner of Orka Gems that will be operating from the Allure location said the two women started their businesses in the Cowichan Valley when they were both just 18 years old and they have been good friends ever since She said they have shared a parallel journey of building something meaningful from the ground up we’re coming together to pass the torch,” Bayley said “After years of pouring her heart into Allure Marissa is stepping into a new chapter and I’m honoured to carry on her legacy as the new owner of Allure Spa This transition is about more than business; it’s about two young women supporting each other and celebrating what’s possible when you dream big and work hard in a community like ours.” Brown said on her Facebook page that Allure has been her whole world and gave thanks to her many customers and her “most amazing team” “I can’t thank you enough for the love and support you’ve given me over the years,” she said “You’ve helped make Allure the beautiful and amazing space it is staying close to my incredible Allure girls The Cowichan Spring Home Show will be held at the Cowichan Community Centre’e hockey rink from May 2-4 The annual spring Home Show is considered the Cowichan Valley’s ultimate one-stop shop for home improvement and building products samples and advice in one convenient location The show also features products and services to help people live and support their lifestyles admission to the show and parking are free to the public The Downtown Duncan BIA elected a new board “We’d like to extend a special thank you to Peter de Verteuil for joining us as our guest speaker and sharing valuable insights with our members,” the DDBIA said “We’d also like to give heartfelt thanks to Dina Steuhler for agreeing to continue in the role until a new president is elected We’re looking forward to another great year ahead with this incredible team supporting our downtown community.” The Cowichan Regional Visitor Centre is looking for more volunteers If you or someone you know loves chatting with people and sharing about favourite local spots the visitor centre encourages you to join the volunteer team Whether you’re recommending the best scenic drives or explaining how to find the best ocean views you’re creating memorable moments every day “It’s a fun and fulfilling way to give back to the community and enjoy access to some of Cowichan’s top attractions,” the centre said you get to tell people where to go (in the nicest way possible) Reach out to Kirsty at visitorinfo@duncancc.bc.ca will be the speaker at the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce’s next Speaker-Series Luncheon that will be held on May 6 Wolfe will provide an in-depth look at B.C.’s evolving energy landscape addressing rising demand and the need for diverse energy solutions Attendees will gain insights into the role of dual fuel systems and policy developments shaping the future of energy in the province now’s the time to get informed and connect with others who care about what’s next for our region,” the chamber said Anyone interested is invited to attend the luncheon and tickets are $35 each plus taxes for chamber members and non-members call 250-748-1111 or email chamber@duncancc.bc.ca Enjoying Reading The Ladysmith Chemainus Chronicle Enter your email to connect to 30 more days worth of stories by journalists living & working in Ladysmith Nanaimo-Ladysmith candidates fielded questions about the U.S president and debated accuracy of polls in front of future voters in the riding's first all-candidates' forum were at Nanaimo District Secondary School on  Tuesday for a youth-moderated event where they outlined their party platforms and talked about election issues At an election press conference last month Manly said that polling research conducted on behalf of the Greens suggested he would came in second in the riding She said the information was "not clear and transparent" and wanted to know how the information was compiled because I know to be true when I'm out on the door people are talking about the NDP and the Conservatives," she said "We know that the NDP is the party to best beat the Conservatives and make sure that we have strong representation here in this riding." Manly said Oraclepoll Research contacted 600 respondents via cellphones and landlines He also pointed to broken promises of proportional representation "The Liberals said that 2015 would be the last first-past-the-post election," said Manly "Then we had a confidence-and-supply agreement with the NDP holding real power in our House of Commons but they didn't include proportional representation as part of that we got leaflets that were sent out to the community saying we should ask the Liberals for that Why didn't they ask the Liberals for that?" Corfield said there is no proportional representation without Indigenous voices "We haven't elected a Liberal here for a long time but I'm going to be the first Liberal elected in this riding and I'm going to stand up for the people in Nanaimo-Ladysmith I'm going to do it to be the voice of the people and the voice of the First Nations people," she said "Representing government is sitting in government that actually holds power." With Trump and tariffs on the mind of many Canadians students wanted to know how candidates and their parties would handle those potential threats from south of the border Manly referred to his time representing the riding during Trump's first term in the White House when he was part the discussion when the North American Free Trade Agreement was renegotiated.  "I fought for a fair trade agreement that protected workers' rights consumer standards and environmental standards," he said "We need to negotiate from a position of strength and that means reducing interprovincial barriers to trade and building up our own economy so we stop ripping and shipping raw resources and selling them overseas and selling them to the Americans."  Barron preached unity and stated Canada must stand its ground and we are coming together to make it very clear to Donald Trump that he cannot push us around," Barron told the audience. "I had … 450-500 people that came together just a few nights ago saying exactly this Corfield pointed out that her party's leader has held talks with Trump during the campaign He has protected our country against the tariffs thus far,” said Corfield “He will continue to protect our country going forward We are a country at war … He's the right man for the job at the right time and I'm [the] right candidate for the job at the right time.” Health care and hospital improvements were issues during the recent provincial election and candidates were asked what they could do to help reduce wait times in hospitals Manly said Nanaimo Regional General Hospital is 60 years old and in need of a new patient tower and noted that the federal government doesn’t directly put capital into the hospital system any more “We're relying on the RDN … for 40 per cent of a $1.7-billion project,” said Manly “It's not exactly a fair way of dealing with things We need to ensure that we have more doctors and we need good health facilities to do that … When we transfer health funds to the provinces we need to make sure that they actually put those funds into health care who worked with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. said improving wait times is a complicated issue that will involve not only adding doctors but also increasing graduation rates for nurse practitioners She hopes that the federal government would be a partner in paying for hospital tower infrastructure “We need hard advocacy to get the medical care that we deserve and we deserve tertiary medical care,” she said Barron said the situation didn’t occur “overnight,” and comes from “generations" of underfunding “We cannot be moving towards a privatized system where people are forced to use the credit cards instead of their care card to access essential health care,” she said “We know also that when we have increased privatization the valuable health care workers that are in our public health care system get siphoned out into private care – it's highly problematic.” More money from the federal government is needed so “people can access head-to-toe care” in the public system and the feds also needs to provide money for infrastructure Students wanted to also hear candidates’ views on the solutions for the housing crisis and Corfield said "the solution is complicated only because the problem is complicated." She noted that the Liberals are promising to increase home-building in Canada to 500,000 per year over the next decade but we have to reduce the barriers in the regional district and City of Nanaimo and the province Manly said the answer to the crisis could lie in the past referring to when the federal government was involved in ensuring affordable and co-operative housing was constructed between the Second World War and the 1970s starting with the Conservatives in the '80s and again with the Conservatives in the 2000s,” said Manly “That has left us with a deficit in affordable housing We're always going to have people who need non-market housing … once we do that that will alleviate the market for the rest of us.” Barron said the solution is limiting the wealthy’s ability to buy for profit “I actually don't think it's all that complicated,” she said “The housing market has been set up to do exactly what it's intended to do which is to be an investment tool for rich corporations instead of ensuring that it is used as a basic human right We need to ban corporations from swooping in and buying up affordable homes and leaving people in our communities without the opportunity to actually keep a roof over their head.” students have expressed interest in the upcoming election politics becoming part of the discussion "Donald Trump is always an interesting character "The foundations of the world economy are collapsing and our identity as Canada is really coming to the fore in a way we haven't seen Parker said he wished that the other two candidates had been able to attend "There are kids here who are interested in conservative politics and if [PPC and Conservative candidates are] worried about not being able to approach a certain topic there's so much to talk about; we need all the perspectives," the teacher said Rhees William Kendall and Tanisha Lynn Kendall were found guilty of one count each of willfully causing or permitting unnecessary pain suffering or injury to an animal or a bird contrary to section 445.1(1)(a) of the Criminal Code BC SPCA animal protection officers seized 177 animals in distress from a property in Ladysmith Several other animals were subsequently surrendered to the BC SPCA or born once in the BC SPCA’s care They were all living in unsanitary conditions A lack of appropriate veterinary care for the animals was also evident as many had unaddressed medical concerns,” says Eileen Drever senior officer protection and stakeholder relations with the BC SPCA “This sentencing sends a clear message that abuse and neglect of animals will not be tolerated.”  the BC SPCA learned that additional charges under Section 446(1) (b) and Section 445.1(1) (a) of the Criminal Code and Saskatchewan’s Animal Protection Act (APA) Section 4(2) had been approved on August 15 Kendall have each been ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and are both prohibited in Canada from owning having the custody or control of or residing in the same premises as any animal or bird for a period of 10 years The only exceptions to these prohibitions are one female adult Dachshund one female adult Himalayan mixed breed cat with documented proof submitted to the BC SPCA of medical spay procedures to prevent any future breeding of these animals These animals may not be substituted or replaced at any point during the term of their prohibition order If any member of the public has firsthand information about either of Rhees William Kendall or Tanisha Lynn Kendall breaching the conditions of their prohibitions within Canada they are encouraged to reach out to the BC SPCA’s Animal Helpline (1-855-622-7722) or the local police and animal welfare enforcement agencies where the offense occurred Older animals like Layla need a little extra special care and attention sometimes Check out our online database of adoptable animals and find a fuzzy buddy today Join our team of more than 5,000 dedicated volunteers across the province Our mission is protecting vulnerable animals and mobilizing communities so animals and people thrive together The BC SPCA respectfully acknowledges that we live work and play on the unceded traditional territories of the numerous and diverse First Nations within British Columbia We express our gratitude to all Indigenous communities - First Nations Métis and Inuit for stewarding and sharing this land and there are often circumstances outside of our control that mean we have to restrict access to our animal centres we appreciate your understanding if we need to reschedule your volunteer day at short notice We also kindly request at least 48 hours notice if your group is no longer able to attend your scheduled volunteer day Please Note: We request a minimum donation of $3,000 from your company to cover arranging the day In consideration of being permitted to participate in the Volunteer Programs of the BC SPCA agree to assume all risk of loss or injury to myself or damage to my property while on any of the premises of the BC SPCA including its Shelters and elsewhere while participating in any Volunteer Programs and hereby release and waive any rights of action I presently have or may in the future acquire against the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals agents or volunteers for any such loss or injury even though such loss or injury is caused by the negligence or default of the BCSPCA whether acting in the scope of employment or not I acknowledge that the animals of the BC SPCA are not trained by the BC SPCA and that they can be unpredictable and dangerous I also acknowledge the BC SPCA strongly recommends I keep current with my tetanus and rabies immunizations and to consult my physician about this and any other concerns relating to working with animals If I have any reason to suspect I am pregnant BCSPCA recommends I may wish to ask my physician about working with cats I hereby waive for my personal representatives and dependents all such claims or rights of action aforementioned that the undersigned or my personal representative and dependents may herein have against the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals I also acknowledge that the Senior Staff person present is in full and total charge of the facility GENERAL PHOTO & VIDEO RELEASE AND AGREEMENT or volunteer of The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA) I hereby authorize the use and reproduction by the BC SPCA of any and all photographs sound recordings and any other audiovisual materials taken of me for promotional material or for any other use for the benefit of the BC SPCA I understand that cameras and video recorders including phone cameras and video recorders are not permitted to be used within any BC SPCA facility or site unless authorized by the facility or site manager or dispose of audiovisual materials without authority I understand that my legal obligation does not end with my employment contractor or volunteer activities with the BC SPCA but continues in perpetuity and that failure on my part to adhere to these standards is grounds for legal action GENERAL PHOTO & VIDEO RELEASE AND AGREEMENTAs an employee or for any other use for the benefit of the BC SPCA.I understand that cameras and video recorders including phone cameras and video recorders are not permitted to be used within any BC SPCA facility or site unless authorized by the facility or site manager.I understand that discipline or sanctions or dispose of audiovisual materials without authority.I understand that my legal obligation does not end with my employment contractor or volunteer activities with the BC SPCA but continues in perpetuity and that failure on my part to adhere to these standards is grounds for legal action.I acknowledge that I have read We also kindly request at least 48 hours notice if your group is no longer able to attend your scheduled volunteer day.Please Note: We request a minimum donation of $3,000 from your company to cover arranging the day Plans to address the unregulated toxic drug supply, seniors' pensions and climate change were among the topics posed to candidates at an election candidates' town hall forum at VIU.  Four out of five of the Nanaimo-Ladysmith candidates were in attendance at VIU's Malaspina Theatre on Tuesday including Lisa Marie Barron with the NDP Paul Manly with the Greens, Michelle Corfield with the Liberals and Stephen Welton with the People's Party of Canada The Conservative Party's Tamara Kronis was invited but did not attend Three audience questions were given to the group at a time allowing each candidate to answer any or all within a time limit.  The first three revolved around protecting seniors' pensions plans to ensure candidate signage isn't placed near polling stations and if regional interests are being adequately addressed at the federal level Barron and Welton focused their answers on pensions Corfield noted that pension increases are guaranteed in law and drew attention to the work the Liberal Party did in the last term including the universal dental plan; Barron supported a national strategy toward protecting and increasing pensions as well as grocery affordability through price caps and banning corporations from buying homes as investment property; and Welton blamed inflation as the cause of unaffordability for seniors and said it "would be a lot easier to control inflation than come up with more money for pensions" through government program cuts saying he ensures his team has the proper distance measured at polling stations for signage supports senate reform with senators elected rather than appointed and that reform should also be put into how judges are selected to separate them from the political process he advocated for more protections for workers' pensions when companies go bankrupt, and added that the federal government should commit to regular "check-ups" on pensions to ensure they are being indexed and paid out properly He also condemned foreign ownership of long-term care facilities for profit.  The next three questions were around medical cannabis plans to address the unregulated toxic drug supply and participation in the Paris Agreement to limit global warming stating she was on the board of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia when the guidelines were first drafted for medicinal cannabis Welton said he is a supporter of plant-based medicine and the PPC does take a "harder line" on illicit substances and would re-criminalize hard drugs but focused much of his answer on the Paris Accords calling human-made climate change a "hypothesis" and even if it were true Canada going to net zero wouldn't make a difference.  and supported the safe supply of well-regulated fentanyl patches taxes and insurance due to the natural disasters Barron supported ensuring access to medical cannabis and in terms of the toxic drug supply crisis saying that they are the groups the government should be listening to along with public health experts in the field on strategies to address the crisis This includes more available beds for treatment and wraparound supports such as on-demand treatment or mental health counselling She also supported increasing the number of border officers to prevent the import of illicit substances.  The following three questions involved strategies to support vulnerable populations including those experiencing homelessness as well as missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls potentially representing constituents without official party status, and Bill C-295 which would have made it a criminal offence for long-term care facilities their owners and their managers to fail to provide necessities of life to residents Manly drew attention to his previous time as an MP and the motions as well as private member's bills he put forward despite the Green Party not having official party status and work across party lines and be respectful that he opposed the hyper-partisan view of Parliament Manly mentioned that while MP he voted in favour of bills focused on addressing missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls including public transportation on the infamous Highway 16 he said he was "sure" it would be brought back and would work with other parties to do so and will build it to the point they can make "real change" and step away from Liberal leadership Barron supported Bill C-295 being brought back and drew attention to the difficulty it would take to govern without party status while there is "so much at stake" in a trade war with the U.S Corfield said that the sovereignty of Canada is threatened but she feels the Liberal Party will be elected and she will be on the "front-line team with Mark Carney" tackling the tariff issues In terms of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls she drew attention to her time as vice-president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council where she advocated for missing and murdered women and girls.  navigating a potential minority government Barron supported ending the first-past-the-post electoral system in which people vote for single party in a riding and the one with the most votes out of the others wins the riding saying that it has caused a situation in which people are voting for keeping out who they want to not represent them, rather than who they actually want In terms of working with other parties as a minority government Barron drew attention to her party's confidence and supply agreement with the Liberals that she said led to pharmacare $10-a-day childcare and covered dental care Corfield focused on regional growth and the local forestry sector prioritizing Indigenous or value-added bids in public projects and launching a reconciliation fund for Indigenous led forestry or exports She also talked about ferries as an essential service Manly argued that if the New Democrats wanted to end the first-past-the-post system they could have included it in the confidence and supply agreement he supported Canadian lumber being used to build Canadian homes and said "the only thing we should be exporting should be in flat boxes." He also spoke in support of expanding dental and pharmacare suggesting ending the system in which ridings are determined by population as he argued "larger [rural] areas with more diverse interests" are "underrepresented." He also touched on immigration and although he admitted it may not be a popular view he blamed immigrants for causing competition driving down wages and increasing the cost of housing.  The final three questions were on immigration as a means to solve labour shortages in hospitality and construction, education affordability as well as seniors and disability support and the right of media accessibility to political events Barron spoke on pushing the Liberals to create a national disability benefit during her time as MP but criticized the Liberals for capping it at $200 a month calling it a "slap in the face." Despite this she said the work is continuing and she will fight to raise it arguing that all people have the right to question their electoral candidates calling it a "right" to access Canadian-made content and information Manly advised people to read the Green Party platform on their website for immigration and stated that the party is a proponent for a Scandinavian-style post-secondary education model to create more affordability He argued that medical assistance in dying needs changes to better protect disabled Canadians should only be used in last resort and that disabled Canadians can be economically supported Manly said he condemns any notion of the Trump regime approach to limiting media being adopted north of the border.  Welton drew attention back to his desire for a dramatic reduction in immigration favouring those with skills to fit specific demands for workers rather than "cheap foreign labour." BC — BC Transit has suspended service on the following routes in Ladysmith due to ongoing job action by Unifor locals 114 & 333 (operating under Transdev Canada) 34 or 36 in Ladysmith until further notice The Nanaimo Cowichan Express (NCX) remains unaffected and is running as usual there is no local fixed-route service beyond the NCX drop off locations and no ability to travel to and from Victoria The handyDART service will continue to operate for essential trips All other pre-booked trips will be cancelled The Town encourages transit users to visit BC Transit's website, https://www.bctransit.com/cowichan-valley, or follow them on social media for the latest updates It’s important to take time to stop and smell the flowers such as the ones that have been blossoming at Nanaimo's Bowen Park every spring for 50 years The Nanaimo Rhododendron Society is holding a special event this weekend to invite community members to the park's Hailey Rhododendron Grove More than 350 rhododendron plants have burst into blossom each spring since 1975 when Ellen Hailey donated her collection of 350 rhododendron plants to the City of Nanaimo soon after the death of her husband Alfred The Haileys were founding members of the Vancouver chapter of the American Rhododendron Society in the 1950s The Nanaimo chapter of the society formed in 1992 became involved with the Hailey collection and in 1994 adopted the grove as a part of the city’s Partners in Parks program It helped that the parks director at the time was a member of the club The group set out to map the garden and to identify the plants as most were not tagged by the Haileys The club became less involved with the grove until 2019 when the link was revived and today a small dedicated group of volunteers work to remove the many invasive plants that compromise the collection The grove is in flower from late February until early July but the height of the bloom is from mid April to mid May Many of the rhodos in the grove are hybrids and some are thought to be one of a kind and some are between 60 to 70 years old.  Rhodo varieties have a broad size range “There are more than 1,000 varieties of rhodos that range in size some being able to hold in your hand to more than 50 feet tall,” said Deborah Francis who oversees work at the grove for the club Francis and Cadwaladr said blooming in the grove is a little behind where it would usually be at this time of year.  just given the cold snap of weather that we had,” Francis said “Some of the bud got frozen because we were developing bud at that point.” Members of the Nanaimo Rhododendron Society invite community members to explore the grove with them Saturday starting at the Bowen Park tennis court Rhodo society members are active in the community with events including work parties at the rhododendron grove and monthly meetings with guest presenters support charity, and maintain an active association with Vancouver Island University’s Milner Gardens and Woodland Yearly events include garden tours and social activities and the annual Truss Show and Plant Sale which will happen on May 10 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m This year’s sale will have rhododendrons and more with enough exciting new and returning vendors to fill up the hall “This year there’s going to be lots of rhododendrons for sale some of whom are really quite expert at rhododendrons,” Cadwaladr said No One Covers Ladysmith Like The Ladysmith Chemainus Chronicle Don’t miss out on reading the latest local Join our community and receive daily news alerts & breaking news Alex Denman recently joined the Ladysmith News to cover school sports according to a May 1 item in the Ladysmith News Denman began contributing photographs for the newspaper and applied when the position recently opened He is married with a daughter and two step-children Denman previously photographed local events for the News but now will assume additional duties and sports editor and photographer.  The campus-community radio station of Nanaimo BC Run mostly by volunteers from Vancouver Island University Help us hit our $70,000 goal for 2023-2024. Support local journalism with our Non-Profit Newsroom Project, as well as our local arts, culture, and music programs by donating today Nanaimo–Ladysmith candidates from left to right: Paul Manly (Green) Photo collage: Jesse Woodward / CHLY 101.7 FM The deadline for candidates to apply for the riding has officially passed and Elections Canada has put out the official list of who voters in the Nanaimo–Ladysmith riding will see on their ballot there are five candidates on the ballot; the incumbent Lisa Marie Barron with the federal NDP Liberal Party of Canada candidate Michelle Corfield Tamara Kronis with the Conservative Party of Canada Green Party of Canada candidate Paul Manly and Stephen Welton with People's Party of Canada This year’s ballot reflects the 2021 federal election when each of the current candidates also ran CHLY reached out to each of the candidates to see how the elections have been going for them Former Member of Parliament Paul Manly is once again running for the Green Party of Canada He held the role as MP for the riding from 2019 until losing his seat to Lisa Marie Barron in 2021.  Manly told CHLY he feels there are a lot of challenges currently facing Canadians with tariffs and threats to Canadian sovereignty from the United States “It's been a serious problem for a number of years now and I used to be the executive director at the Nanaimo Unitarian shelter so I've seen lots of people at the shelter door who shouldn't be at the shelter door even had a [Vancouver Island University] student there at one point,” Manly said and too many people in Nanaimo do not have a family doctor We've gone from multimillionaires to multibillionaires with the tax cuts that they've received over the last three decades “The services that we rely on have been cut and we have a lot of problems based on that Incumbent Lisa Marie Barron with the New Democrat Party said she has been spending this election getting out into the community to hear from people on what issues they are currently facing “One thing I love about elections and about putting my name forward in elections is that I'm spending all day hearing about the path forward,” Barron said “What's really clear when I'm knocking on doors is that people are–rightfully so really worried about what our future looks like for our kids and our grandkids I'm hearing from so many people about the concern of having Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives in power.” She said it is important in this election that everyone gets out and votes “There's clearly so much support out there “So just talking to people about how important it is that they're out voting and bringing friends with them to vote this election None of the other candidates in the riding got back to CHLY by the deadline While many of the candidates are going door-to-door to speak with residents, there will be several opportunities for voters to hear from the candidates at upcoming candidate forums in the community  with advance voting happening April 18 until the 21st Information on where to vote in advance voting and on election day can be found at www.elections.ca Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada Our station is nonprofit and independent. We rely on listeners and readers like you to support the local programming we produce. Your support makes local news programs like Midcoast Morning available to everyone, supports our non-profit newsroom and keeps our station broadcasting the eclectic mix of music it is loved for Please give today Help us hit 1000 total donors this 2024-2025 Receive updates from our music department + more Radio Malaspina Society / CHLY 101.7FM | #2—34 Victoria Cres. Nanaimo, BC Canada V9R 5B8 | 250-716-3410 | www.chly.ca CHLY 101.7FM is Listener supported on the Salish Sea Our non-profit station is funded in part with by grants from the following sources. Learn more about our funding on our about page. CHLY 101.7FM acknowledges and thanks the Snuneymuxw First Nation as we broadcast from their traditional territory up and down the coast of Vancouver Island and across the Salish Sea to the Southern Sunshine Coast and Lower Mainland CHLY is currently not active on Facebook or Instagram due to Meta’s retaliation and banning of Canadian media organizations in response to the Online News Act. Please consider signing up for our mailing list! © Content published, produced, broadcast, or podcasts by CHLY 101.7FM (The Radio Malaspina Society) is protected by copyright. Content published, produced, broadcast or podcast with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative is Creative Commons. 7 days agoDuration 1:38Tight 4-way race in Nanaimo-Ladysmith ends in Conservative win7 days agoNewsDuration 1:38What was billed as a tightly contested race in the Vancouver Island riding of Nanaimo-Ladysmith ended in a runaway Conservative victory. Claire Palmer caught up with the candidates in Nanaimo. Video evidence, NHLer testimony raise questions in world junior sexual assault trialThe National |May 2Video4:45 Trump repeats 51st state taunt as Carney prepares for White House visitThe National |May 5Video11:28 It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem CANADA VOTES: It’s Election Day in Nanaimo-Ladysmith!  The election was called March 23 amid a trade war with the United States A new federal government is expected to be named Monday night as Canada’s 2025 snap election gets underway.  The main parties vying for the 343 seats in the House of Commons are Mark Carney’s Liberals Elizabeth May and Jonathan Pedneault’s Greens Yves-François Blanchet’s Bloc Quebecois and Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada Join thousands of other like-minded readers and sign up below to gain immediate & unlimited access to our news for the next 30 days – plus start receiving our newsletters The fire grew to 80 hectares but BCWS is classifying the fire as being held meaning it is not expected to spread further.  Fraser-Fort George has rescinded the evacuation order and alert put in place due to the fire The regional district of Fraser Fort George issued an evacuation alert for properties north of Hixon.  The fire's behaviour has subsided since sunset last night and with windy conditions there is still risk Wildfire crews are continuing to battle the fire and protect infrastructure While BCWS says there is no risk to the highway at this time they are asking that those travelling on the highway do not stop to look at the fire The wildfire near Hixon is now estimated to be 70 hectares Friday evening Prince George Fire Centre lists the fire as out of control and says it measures 45 hectares and was human-caused.  British Columbia will be testing it's Emergency Alert System on Wednesday an alert tone and message will be broadcast to radio and television stations as well as compatible cell phones The test takes place to make sure the province is ready when or if a large-scale disaster or emergency does strike This is an example of the message that will appear on Wednesday: "This is a TEST of the Emergency Alert system this message would tell you what to do to stay safe This information could save your life. This is ONLY a TEST The public is asked to not call 911 in response to the alert or for information about the test as it could delay help for people in crisis This is the first of two tests the province conducts every year The second will is scheduled for Wednesday the event has to follow the following criteria: Alerts can be send out by different agencies depending on the emergency.  More information about Wednesday's test or about the Emergency Alert System in general can be found on the Government of B.C.'s website.  There have been no emergency alerts in B.C the quirky sci-fi comedy Resident Alien has used Ladysmith to stand in for the fictional town of Patience First Avenue was once again transformed into Patience as the crew returned to shoot scenes for Season 4 A quaint wooden sign outside the RBC welcomed visitors to Patience said that when Alan Tudyk first auditioned for the lead role he immediately knew it was perfect casting but there was also a real human inside the alien facade he put on Sheridan felt the same way about Ladysmith “When I came to Ladysmith and saw our main intersection here I saw the pizza place...there's a life to the town of Ladysmith that was everything I wanted in Patience,” Sheridan said “There's a happiness and there's a joy in it to me It felt like the characters would want to live here Resident Alien stars Alan Tudyk as a stranded extraterrestrial who takes on the identity of a small-town doctor The show has developed a loyal following thanks to its blend of humour While the series leans into aliens and absurdity Sheridan said the tone of the show is carefully grounded in emotional truth “The only way to balance the tones in this especially where there's aliens — the show could get very broad — is to try to ground everything in reality So all the comedy from our main characters When you're shooting up in Whistler or on a glacier that kind of scope — which we also get here in this town — is usually associated with dramatic projects So it helps ground the show and makes it feel more real as well.” Ladysmith residents are no strangers to the bright lights and occasional road closures that come with hosting a television production But Sheridan said the community has gone above and beyond in making the cast and crew feel welcome When you go to a town or a house or a neighbourhood there's going to be someone who's not thrilled that you're there,” he said I feel like Ladysmith is more welcoming than almost any other place I've shot at.” One of the scenes shot in March featured a dance sequence with several of their leads waltzing.  “We try to hire locals as much as we can,” he said “We’ve got 30 waltz dancers and 50 other general background [performers] in that one scene alone.” Locals are also brought on as production assistants The impact of the production on the town goes beyond job opportunities we've got 120 people who are captives essentially at work and inevitably they wander into the stores So it's a win-win,” Brooker said.  Film Cowichan noted that Resident Alien spent more than $700,000 for just a few days of filming in 2021 the Vancouver Island North Film Commission reported an economic impact of $11.8 million from 59 projects in the mid-Island area It’s not just the scenery and local support that grounds the show The performances help make the characters feel real Sometimes that involves giving actors room to improvise during a scene “We try to have them do what's written first they can sort of play with it,” Sheridan said we try to shoot in a way where we can let them go a little bit One unscripted moment even helped define a key relationship on the show “There’s a scene in the pilot where Sheriff Mike and Deputy Liv are in the car and they start beatboxing I can beatbox.' Then he beatboxed while humming 'Amazing Grace' but I'm going to find some way to put it in the show.” It started out as a scene with characters just waiting in a car But by giving his actors the opportunity to incorporate their own quirks a perfect encapsulation of their friendship and their work relationships.” actor Elizabeth Bowen is the only series regular on the show who is Canadian While filming in Ladysmith affords her the opportunity to visit family who live on the Island she has also spent time in town outside of shooting and has high praise for the community Plantitude and the gorgeous views,” Bowen said “I have yet to see or meet Pamela Anderson combined with the small-town beauty of Ladysmith continues to shape the world of Resident Alien He recalled a moment when they were editing Season 1 and the sign for Ladysmith Trading Company was visible in a shot The post-production supervisor (who oversees editing visual effects and delivery of the final show on time and on budget) told Sheridan they should probably blur the sign “To me leaving it there was sort of a shout-out to the town,” he said “We appreciate everything you’ve done for us Voters in the Nanaimo–Ladysmith riding will have the chance to hear directly from local candidates ahead of the upcoming provincial election at an all-candidates meeting The public event will take place Wednesday at the Coast Bastion Hotel in downtown Nanaimo (11 Bastion St) Hosted by the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Canadian Home Builders’ Association–Vancouver Island and the Ladysmith Chamber of Commerce the evening aims to offer a fair and informative platform for all declared candidates in the riding A seven-year-old missing Chilliwack girl has been found alive after she went missing from Winona Road in the Chilliwack River Valley the previous day around 4 p.m she's in good health as far as we can tell."  Chilliwack RCMP had just wrapped up a press conference when media were called back to the detachment for the good news Bowerman said that Lily had wandered "quite a distance" from her home but was in good enough shape to walk out on foot with the search-and-rescue team in place.  "I really want to the opportunity to thank the citizens of Chilliwack that assisted in this search," he said Bowerman had explained the lengths that rescuers had already gone to in order to find the young girl She had chased some neighbour's dogs into the woods beside her home on Thursday (May 1) at about 4 p.m A massive search was launched immediately by neighbours in the closely knit rural area People in Chilliwack gathered Thursday evening to help in the search for a missing seven-year-old girl and she still hadn't been found by Friday at noon.  Chilliwack RCMP put a call out at 10 p.m Thursday night, asking for the public's help to find Lily Coursol Chilliwack Search and Rescue is on scene with a command unit and crews from around the Fraser Valley were out until about 5 a.m. They are conducting a full search on the ground According to a Chilliwack RCMP news release crews are using “all technological resources available” to find Coursol.  They are urging those who want to help to stay away from the area and let the search and rescue teams do their work Initially there were about 20 neighbours searching for the girl into the night and a call was put out for more searchers to arrive Friday morning.  officials decided to stick with trained search crews and those who arrived were turned away. A police checkpoint is in place along Sleese Road.  "We understand the public’s concern and wanting to help; however the search consists of difficult terrain and is a heavily wooded area Untrained personnel in the area will make search efforts more difficult and put others at unnecessary risk," Chilliwack RCMP said.  Police say the child apparently followed her neighbour's dogs into a wooded area but did not return with them An air and ground search are currently underway She was last seen wearing all pink clothing.  Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Lily Coursol is urged to contact their local police, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) The most productive government of my lifetime was that of Lester Pearson who served from 1963 to 1968 and never once held a majority He managed to retain the confidence of the House by striking a deal with Tommy Douglas and the New Democrats for their support in exchange for passing the Canada Health Act creating the access to health care Canadians have enjoyed for the last 60 years each candidate got the chance to introduce themselves to an audience of approximately 285 people before taking questions Nanaimo-Ladysmith candidates took to the stage to answer questions from engaged voters the Vancouver Island University Political Studies Department hosted a Candidates’ Town Hall at the Malaspina Theatre for students and community members to hear from those running to be the next Member of Parliament for the riding of Nanaimo-Ladysmith In attendance was Lisa Marie Barron with the NDP and Stephen Welton with the People's Party of Canada Tamara Kronis with the Conservative Party of Canada was the only candidate not in attendance for the event then each candidate had the opportunity to respond The first question asked Barron and Corfield what action their parties would take to protect employees and retirees whose pension plans are underfunded Corfield responded by saying seniors built this country so they deserve real care and peace of mind when it comes to their pension plans and she said she was going to run out of money when she was 100 and I said I would talk to [Mark Carney] about making sure that she was adequately taken care of,” Corfield said “So I'm going to think about how to protect our Canadians who reach the age of 100.” Barron said she is seeing many seniors in the community who are now retired after working their whole lives “Everybody should be able to retire with dignity and respect So there's so much work that has to be done around that I don't understand why we don't have a national strategy,” Barron said Another audience member asked the candidates what their plan is to address the increasingly toxic and unpredictable nature of the unregulated drug supply in Canada saying he and his party take a harder line on the issue of illicit substances he and his party would recriminalize hard drugs “Which would empower the police to do things about a lot of social issues that we suffer because of substance abuse,” Welton As the former executive director of the Nanaimo Unitarian Shelter Manly said he has seen firsthand the effects of the toxic substances and addiction “I know we have some of them use things like fentanyl patches and other ways to mitigate the addiction and the sickness that's caused by opioids So people do need a safe supply,” Manly said “It needs to be regulated very well because we can't have it out in the community I saw something that was a reasonable way to give people the dosage that they needed when they need it on a regular basis break up and smoke or something like that.” Barron pointed out how many lives have been lost due to the toxic substances that are in the communities 566 people have died from unregulated drugs in Nanaimo “The people that we need to be listening to are the public health experts who are in the field I will tell you the very first thing that they say is to please so they can access the treatment that they need to access whatever that looks like for them.” Barron said as both the Green Party and the PPC do not have official party status what they would do if elected to best support and advocate for their party platform in the House of Commons he was still able to put forward motions and private members' bills.  “I don't need official party status to get things done in the House of Commons Elizabeth May never had official party status She's had two private members' bills that have been passed one on Lyme disease and one on protecting whales,” Manly said it's about being respectful and working with other people and treating them humanely and in a human way.” saying advocating for their newer party’s platform is just part of the job “The reason I'm with the PPC is that we've seen this over this last decade as Canada's economic measures and social measures are going down the toilet,” Welton said “So what I'm here to do is represent the PPC and build this party to where we can go in there and make real change.” The final day to vote in the Federal Election is on April 28 or podcasts by CHLY 101.7FM (The Radio Malaspina Society) is protected by copyright broadcast or podcast with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative is Creative Commons April 22 is International Earth Day and it also marks the start of Ladysmith’s annual Spring Cleanup but both events share a common goal: helping to keep our corner of the planet clean Spring Cleanup is a great opportunity for residents to clear out unwanted household clutter Items will be picked up on residents’ regular curbside collection days Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. 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