PARKSVILLE — Organizers of a Vancouver Island beach festival say multiple artists were left devastated after vandals partially destroyed several sand sculptures over the weekend.

First, anyone who wants to harvest shellfish — clams, oysters, crab, prawn — needs a tidal waters sport fishing licence. An annual licence for a B.C. resident is under $26.

Erin Milligan, shellfish sanitation program coordinator for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, said it’s important to read and understand the conditions of the licence.

St. Andrews Lodge in Qualicum Beach, B.C., is a Tudor-style, waterfront home with three bedrooms that opened in 1938 to become a popular vacation destination on the east coast of Vancouver Island.

The Town of Qualicum Beach, B.C., released a statement on Tuesday saying it was aware of online posts that claimed the council would vote on whether to close the airport the following day.

"There is no intent to close the airport," the statement said.

The idea to rename the highways, which run through Parksville's downtown core, was part of a larger traffic-calming initiative that aims to make the neighbourhood more walkable and accessible.

cross-posted from: /c/VancouverIsland

Historically, the Island has not been considered a year-round habitat for grizzlies, although some bears will occasionally swim over from the mainland in the summer, says Nick Scapillati, executive director with the Grizzly Bear Foundation.

But sightings of the mom and her cubs goes back to 2024 and Scapillati says that due to the small size of the cubs, they wouldn’t have been able to swim over. He believes it could be evidence of the first ever grizzly cubs to be born on Vancouver Island — a sign that grizzlies could be wintering on the Island.

The owners of the Truffle Farm in Parksville, B.C., about 120 kilometres northwest of Victoria as the crow flies, say they found two of their sheep dead from an apparent cougar attack Saturday morning.

The farm says the neighbouring property then had a sheep killed the next night and an emu the night after that, prompting people in the community to start patrolling the area in an effort to ward off the animal.

A delegation representing caregivers in the Oceanside region of mid-Vancouver Island, B.C., delivered a petition to Qualicum Beach town council on Wednesday, asking for more respite and seniors care facilities in the area.

The Hamilton Marsh is a 360-acre parcel of land, located along Highway 4, just north of Nanaimo, B.C., near the Town of Qualicum Beach. The wetlands are a major part of the French Creek watershed and is home to over 120 species of birds.

Wind and rainfall warnings have been issued for a large portion of British Columbia on Thursday, as Environment Canada is forecasting 110 km/h gusts and 140 millimetres of rain throughout the day in some areas.

The town first proposed in July that it had reached a conditional agreement to purchase the nine-hole golf course for $8.5 million. Plans for the property include housing, parkland and a refurbished golf course.

Officials say money from the development and sale of homes on the golf course would go towards the purchase. Last month, an anonymous donor pledged $2.1 million if the town keeps 40 acres, or about 16 hectares, of the 42.5-hectare property as parkland.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/50641122

This project is part of a $19-billion housing investment by the B.C. government. Since 2017, the province has more than 93,250 homes delivered or underway, including 280 new homes in Oceanside.

Deep Bay fire Chief George Lenz said a sailboat exploded with three people on board, causing extensive damage, but he did not yet know the cause, though propane was suspected.

The odour control upgrades, part of the French Creek Pollution Control Centre: Expansion and Odour Control Upgrades project, will begin in 2026 and be operational in spring 2027

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/42350343

Sea levels are projected to rise by half a metre by 2050, increasing both the frequency and severity of flooding. By century’s end, the ocean could rise as much as 1.3 metres — enough to submerge entire neighbourhoods.

Other high-risk communities include Courtenay, Campbell River, Parksville, Sidney, Qualicum Beach, North Saanich, and Victoria’s Inner Harbour.

This popular community event, following a large turnout at the January event, will take place at St. Stephen’s United Church hall, located at 150 Village Way, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to a news release.