News

Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder The province should establish a fund to help local purchase of land for biodiversity protection, a letter from the Regional District of Nanaimo will say. The RDN board passed motions...

Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Curbside utility fees are going up in the Regional District of Nanaimo, but the cart exchange fee for recycling bins will be eliminated. The RDN board of directors passed an amendment to the...

Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Electric school buses have come with “extensive growing pains,” according to Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools’ transportation department. The department is experiencing compatibility issues...

Hosackia pinnata is listed as endangered on the federal species at risk registry. Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder A rare flower in the pea family is only known at six sites in Canada, including one on Gabriola Island. With...

Derek Kilbourn Sounder News The Gabriola Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC) announced on March 22 that the Terminal Redevelopment Plans for the Gabriola ferry route have been put on hold until further notice. This announcement came after the FAC was given this news by...

Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Gabriola’s farmers market had an economic impact of $1.28 million in 2023, according to a study conducted by the British Columbia Association of Farmers’ Markets and a researcher at the...

Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Funds have been approved for a water availability assessment on Gabriola Island, a crucial aspect to planning for water security into the future, local trustees say. As part of Trust Council...

Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder The business committee received three-year enrolment projections for Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools, hearing that immigration is expected to contribute to higher enrolment over the coming...

Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder How does building permit activity compare over the last few years on Gabriola? In 2023 there were 52 building permits issued in Electoral Area B (Gabriola, Mudge, DeCourcy), according to...

Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder The Regional District of Nanaimo is not pursuing setting up a business licensing service at this time, though recent provincial legislation gives it the authority. As part of the Short-Term...

Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder No major changes are proposed for school bus routes for Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools though several routes are under the 50 per cent utilization rate that marks them for review by staff....

Derek Kilbourn Sounder News The Gabriola Fire Protection Improvement District is increasing the offered wage for Deputy Fire Chief to $75,000, per a request from Fire Chief Will Sprogis. During the Fire Chief’s report portion of the February Board meeting, Sprogis...

The inaugural Breaking Bannock event, organized by the Gabriola Arts Council, featured guest speakers Gabriolan Katherine Palmer Gordon, and Sqwulutsultun William (Bill) Yoachim, Snuneymuxw First Nation citizen, recently re-elected Snuneymuxw Councillor and Executive...

Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Reserve contributions related to the Regional District of Nanaimo’s administrative building plans will go down following an amendment to the 2024-28 financial plan. The board of directors...

Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder How Regional District of Nanaimo directors could be supported with parental leave will be the subject of a report following the unanimous passing of a motion at the RDN’s Feb. 13 board...

African chamber music - Kurai Mubaiwa, Kofi Gbolonyo and Curtis Andrews will be performing at the Phoenix Auditorium on March 9. Photos courtesy Ruby SinghAlexander Varty Lulu Performing Arts Society Curtis Andrews, the globetrotting adventurer behind the African...

Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder The B.C. government’s secondary suites incentive program (SSIP) has expanded to 16 regional districts, including the Regional District of Nanaimo. The three-year pilot program launches April...

Derek Kilbourn Sounder News The Board of the Gabriola Fire Protection Improvement District Board issued a statement at its last meeting, read aloud by Chair Paul Giffin. In it, the Board outlines the difficulties that Freedom Of Information requests are placing on the...

Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Regional District of Nanaimo staff say they hear the community’s frustration about sports field access on Gabriola and are working to bring improvement proposals to the parks and open spaces...

People for a Healthy Community March 19 has been set by PHC for their first medical appointment van trip to Nanaimo.  The Gabriola MediGo van will provide free rides to Gabriolans going to medical appointments.  Riders will book a ride on the PHC website, or by phone...

Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Paving work for the last stretch of the Village Way path began this week, and it will involve use of a new material for the Regional District of Nanaimo in some sections. A contractor will...

Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder The Regional District of Nanaimo is resubmitting its “groundbreaking” waste hauler licensing (WHL) bylaw for approval after working on changes requested by the Ministry of Environment and...

Sounder News UPDATE: Gabriola RCMP advise that as of 4pm on Feb. 7, North Road had been reopened to traffic. A section of North Road on Gabriola is closed after one of the fire trucks from the Gabriola Volunteer Fire Department went into the ditch around 10am on...

Derek Kilbourn Sounder News Call volumes for all of Gabriola’s emergency response agencies continue to climb. BC Emergency Health Services (which runs BC Ambulance Service), as well as Gabriola Volunteer Fire Department, and the Gabriola RCMP Detachment, shared their...

Press Release NDP MP Lisa Marie Barron (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) is celebrating that Members of Parliament agreed to the NDP’s amendments to Bill C-33 to get freighter anchorages out of the Salish Sea. These changes are a much-needed first step in bringing relief to coastal...