Tamara Cunningham

John Fitzsimmons of Nanaimo is part of a project that encourages transgender people to write about their personal experiences, which are being compiled into a collection of their works. CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin

Nanaimo teen helping to tell transgender stories

Dover Bay grad John Fitzsimmons involved in Trans Tipping Point Project

John Fitzsimmons of Nanaimo is part of a project that encourages transgender people to write about their personal experiences, which are being compiled into a collection of their works. CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin
Curtis Vizza, left, and Rob Stevenson, who coach football and teach at John Barsby Secondary School, are the masterminds behind the school’s new Mastery and Performance program that will teach students physical literacy. (CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin)

Nanaimo high school launches sports mastery program

Mastery and Performance program now offered at John Barsby Secondary School

Curtis Vizza, left, and Rob Stevenson, who coach football and teach at John Barsby Secondary School, are the masterminds behind the school’s new Mastery and Performance program that will teach students physical literacy. (CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin)
Nanaimo’s Joan Deebank, 92, waits her turn on Tuesday at Malaspina Theatre to cross the stage and receive her high school diploma along with other Island ConnectEd and Vocational Adult Secondary Training students. CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin

B.C. woman graduates high school at age 92

Nanaimo’s Joan Deebank the oldest high school graduate ever in B.C., as far as ministry can confirm

Nanaimo’s Joan Deebank, 92, waits her turn on Tuesday at Malaspina Theatre to cross the stage and receive her high school diploma along with other Island ConnectEd and Vocational Adult Secondary Training students. CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin
Nanaimo parents Jennifer Smith, Kelsey Thomas and Michelle Fairbanks are concerned a district policy on out-of-catchment students could put them in the position of having to either pull their children from Departure Bay Eco School to keep siblings together, or separate siblings in two different schools. TAMARA CUNNINGHAM/News Bulletin

Nanaimo students getting sqeezed out?

Eco school full, out-of-catchment younger siblings might not get in

Nanaimo parents Jennifer Smith, Kelsey Thomas and Michelle Fairbanks are concerned a district policy on out-of-catchment students could put them in the position of having to either pull their children from Departure Bay Eco School to keep siblings together, or separate siblings in two different schools. TAMARA CUNNINGHAM/News Bulletin
Wellington Secondary’s Queer Strait Alliance members Clara Jaeger, left, Hannah Hitchen, Bethany Morley, Alexis Barudin and Onuku Larochelle stand on a new rainbow crosswalk, the first of its kind in the school district. TAMARA CUNNINGHAM/News Bulletin

Wellington Secondary paints Nanaimo school district’s first rainbow crosswalk

High school will hold a ribbon cutting Friday to celebrate new coloured crossing

Wellington Secondary’s Queer Strait Alliance members Clara Jaeger, left, Hannah Hitchen, Bethany Morley, Alexis Barudin and Onuku Larochelle stand on a new rainbow crosswalk, the first of its kind in the school district. TAMARA CUNNINGHAM/News Bulletin
The Cowichan Tzinquaw Dancers open the first-ever t’uxusthumpsh Vancouver Island Indigenous Language Symposium at the Port Theatre. The event pulled language teachers, elders, youths and school staff from across the Island together to discuss language revitalization. TAMARA CUNNINGHAM/News Bulletin

Revitalizing indigenous language at heart of Island’s first symposium

About 100 people from across Vancouver Island attended the event at the Port Theatre

The Cowichan Tzinquaw Dancers open the first-ever t’uxusthumpsh Vancouver Island Indigenous Language Symposium at the Port Theatre. The event pulled language teachers, elders, youths and school staff from across the Island together to discuss language revitalization. TAMARA CUNNINGHAM/News Bulletin
Arthur Taylor, 12, has been named a finalist in CBC Books’ Shakespeare Selfie Student Writing Challenge. Winners will be announced on Wednesday. TAMARA CUNNINGHAM/News Bulletin

Nanaimo student a contest finalist for his Shakespeare-inspired soliloquy

Rutherford Elementary student Arthur Taylor channels voice of Hamlet for CBC Books contest

Arthur Taylor, 12, has been named a finalist in CBC Books’ Shakespeare Selfie Student Writing Challenge. Winners will be announced on Wednesday. TAMARA CUNNINGHAM/News Bulletin
Trudy Chatwin, former species-at-risk biologist with B.C.’s Ministry of Forests, Lands and Nature Resource Operations, front, keeps an eye out for a western painted turtle at Buttertubs Marsh. She’s joined by Connie Miller Retzer, ecosystems biologist with the ministry. CHRIS BUSH/News Bulletin

Biologists keep an eye out for Island’s next generation of turtles

Cameras at Nanaimo marsh help monitor populations of western painted turtle, a species-at-risk

Trudy Chatwin, former species-at-risk biologist with B.C.’s Ministry of Forests, Lands and Nature Resource Operations, front, keeps an eye out for a western painted turtle at Buttertubs Marsh. She’s joined by Connie Miller Retzer, ecosystems biologist with the ministry. CHRIS BUSH/News Bulletin
Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools superintendent John Blain, a former CFL player, and NDSS football coach Nate Stevenson get ready to run a play on the new artificial turf field at NDSS. TAMARA CUNNINGHAM/News Bulletin

Artificial turf field officially dedicated in Nanaimo

City and school district dedicate $3.6-million NDSS Community Field

Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools superintendent John Blain, a former CFL player, and NDSS football coach Nate Stevenson get ready to run a play on the new artificial turf field at NDSS. TAMARA CUNNINGHAM/News Bulletin
The Men’s Centre, located in Nanaimo, could close without financial aid from the provincial government, the organization says. NEWS BULLETIN photo

Men’s Centre on mid Island warns it will have to close

Centre, located in Nanaimo, has offered programs for men in the region for more than 15 years

The Men’s Centre, located in Nanaimo, could close without financial aid from the provincial government, the organization says. NEWS BULLETIN photo
A new project will prescribe recreation to kids. STOCK PHOTO

Nanaimo kids will receive recreation prescriptions for digital detox

Recreation project wins nearly $50K grant from Island Health

A new project will prescribe recreation to kids. STOCK PHOTO
High school lacrosse players Jayden Thomas and Jake McInnes have found themselves benched from the game because a lack of capacity to take on more players at Nanaimo and District Secondary School’s field lacrosse academy. (CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin)

NDSS full, out-of-catchment lacrosse players are out of luck

High school can’t accommodate any more students, impacting field lacrosse academy

High school lacrosse players Jayden Thomas and Jake McInnes have found themselves benched from the game because a lack of capacity to take on more players at Nanaimo and District Secondary School’s field lacrosse academy. (CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin)
Amos Harris and Isaiah Harris are enrolled in a Ladysmith Secondary School class that’s all about culture and the Hul’qumi’num language. CHRIS BUSH/News Bulletin

Saving Hulquminum

Vancouver Islanders pushing hard to keep indigenous language alive

Amos Harris and Isaiah Harris are enrolled in a Ladysmith Secondary School class that’s all about culture and the Hul’qumi’num language. CHRIS BUSH/News Bulletin
Kristen Atwell-Pope, neurologist, left, Amber Holden, MS nurse clinician and clinic coordinator, and Samantha O’Niell-Edgar, patient, do a trial run of the TeleMS program at a new clinic location at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital on Thursday. The Nanaimo clinic will begin doing actual consultations this week. (CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin)

Telehealth connects MS patients and doctors without lengthy travel

Clinic based out of Nanaimo Regional General Hospital serves north and central Island

Kristen Atwell-Pope, neurologist, left, Amber Holden, MS nurse clinician and clinic coordinator, and Samantha O’Niell-Edgar, patient, do a trial run of the TeleMS program at a new clinic location at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital on Thursday. The Nanaimo clinic will begin doing actual consultations this week. (CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin)
Pills found circulating in Terrace, B.C., last year. Nanaimo school district is considering measures to help with substance misuse after a spike in students using Xanax or a Xanax-like drug earlier this year. BLACK PRESS file photo

Nanaimo proposes groundbreaking new position to deal with student drug abuse

Move coincides with spike in use of a Xanax-like drug in schools earlier this year

Pills found circulating in Terrace, B.C., last year. Nanaimo school district is considering measures to help with substance misuse after a spike in students using Xanax or a Xanax-like drug earlier this year. BLACK PRESS file photo
School districts challenged to fill substitute teacher list

School districts challenged to fill substitute teacher list

Principals, vice-principals and support teachers taking on additional duties in Nanaimo

School districts challenged to fill substitute teacher list
Daryl West, general manager of the Coast Bastion Hotel, shows four of six hives that are housing the hotel’s new guests – 60,000 New Zealand honeybees. The hotel is hosting the honeybees as part of a larger efforts around environmental stewardship. TAMARA CUNNINGHAM/News Bulletin

60,000 bees check in at Nanaimo hotel

Coast Bastion Hotel has six rooftop hives

Daryl West, general manager of the Coast Bastion Hotel, shows four of six hives that are housing the hotel’s new guests – 60,000 New Zealand honeybees. The hotel is hosting the honeybees as part of a larger efforts around environmental stewardship. TAMARA CUNNINGHAM/News Bulletin
$40-million condo project planned for Nanaimo’s Old City

$40-million condo project planned for Nanaimo’s Old City

Redevelopment of former hospital site will pay homage to property’s past

$40-million condo project planned for Nanaimo’s Old City
The artistic collaboration between Joel Good, Coast Salish carver, and Sophia Seward-Good, second from left, Sandra Moorhouse-Good and Aunalee Boyd-Good, of Ay Lelum-The Good House of Design, will be part of Vancouver Fashion Week. CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin

Nanaimo designers featured in Vancouver Fashion Week

Fashion design a family affair

The artistic collaboration between Joel Good, Coast Salish carver, and Sophia Seward-Good, second from left, Sandra Moorhouse-Good and Aunalee Boyd-Good, of Ay Lelum-The Good House of Design, will be part of Vancouver Fashion Week. CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin
VIU has released the results of an updated transportation demand management strategy, which makes 14 recommendations including an increase to parking rates. CHRIS BUSH/News Bulletin

VIU transportation study steers toward higher parking rates, student transit pass

Advisory task force to come up with transportation solutions at VIU

VIU has released the results of an updated transportation demand management strategy, which makes 14 recommendations including an increase to parking rates. CHRIS BUSH/News Bulletin