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| Vancouver Island has seen a number of major wildfires, and several smaller ones near Nanaimo, this summer.
One reader wrote to us asking what we knew about wildfire response on private forest lands, of which there are significant amounts on the Island as part of the history of the E&N Land Grant in the late 19th century.
This sparked my interest and I did my best to answer the question in my story this week that looks at what forestry companies are doing, and what critics say they could do better, when it comes to wildfire prevention and response.
Thank you for reading, Mick Sweetman
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| What are forestry companies doing to prevent wildfires?
| Critics say forestry practices must change as wildfire season intensifies
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| Read the full story
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| Happy Labour Day from the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU)
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In hard times, investing in public workers is how we build a stronger B.C. When workers succeed, everyone moves forward. So, let’s invest in public services to keep our province safe. Join the BCGEU today. |
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| | Council corner
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A meeting of the Nanaimo Performing Arts Guild, which operates the city-owned OV Arts Centre, will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 4 p.m. in the boardroom of the Service and Resource Centre.
On the agenda are reports on the OV Arts Centre’s filming project and a painting and flooring update. A work plan for the committee and a technical report will be discussed, as will a potential stage redesign.
The next regular city council meeting will be held on Monday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. in Vancouver Island Conference Centre’s Shaw Auditorium. An agenda for that meeting has not yet been published. | |
On the Island
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🌊 Comox Valley Pride celebrated its community in Courtenay last week and our Comox Valley reporter Madeline Dunnett was there to capture the event. You can see her photos here.
🌊 North Cowichan council has voted to make logging in the municipal forest reserve a strategic priority, despite warnings from some councillors and staff that the move could jeopardize years of work with the Quw’utsun Nation on a forest co-management framework. Cowichan Valley reporter Eric Richards has the story.
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| In other news |
👉 A new High Acuity Unit at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital opened today and will treat patients with serious health issues who need more care than on a regular floor, but less than in intensive care. CHLY 101.7FM has the story.
👉 Rent increases will be capped at 2.3 per cent in 2026 after the provincial government tied it to inflation. Landlords must provide three months notice to tenants and can only increase rent once in a 12-month period. CBC News has the story.
👉 Vancouver Island University graduate Isabelle Desrosiers recently researched an often-overlooked eating disorder where a person obsesses over only eating “pure” or “healthy” foods. “I noticed how easily healthy habits could become overly strict,” she said in a news release by the university. “That sparked my interest in the connection between food, body image and mental health.”
👉 B.C.’s police watchdog organization, the Independent Investigations Office, has opened an office in Nanaimo. The city was picked for the office because of its "centralized location on Vancouver Island” the organization told the Nanaimo News Bulletin, which has the story.
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| Community photo |
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A skateboarder does a steezy Smith grind on Victoria Crescent during the third annual block party and skate jam on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. Photo by Mick Sweetman / The Discourse.
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