Samwise Vancouver Island Newsletter
Friday, April 10, 2026
BC Ferries CEO Apologizes After Easter Weekend Chaos; Aging Fleet and Rejected Fifth Vessel Blamed
BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez apologized Thursday after Easter long weekend cancellations stranded thousands of travellers between Vancouver Island and the mainland. Three major vessels — the Spirit of Vancouver Island, the Queen of Surrey, and the Coastal Celebration — were simultaneously unavailable due to mechanical failures and a refit overrun, triggering dozens of cancellations on the Tsawwassen–Swartz Bay and Duke Point routes. A senior BC Ferries official conceded the disruptions “may have been avoidable a number of years ago,” citing the aging fleet. Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog called it a “failure of service.” Jimenez said the rejected request for a fifth new vessel remains “front of mind.”
Sources: CBC News, Global News, CTV News
Nanaimo’s Duke Point Wastewater Plant Flagged After Fecal Discharge Hit 16 Times Legal Limit
The B.C. Ministry of Environment has issued a compliance letter flagging the Regional District of Nanaimo for sewage exceedances at its Duke Point wastewater treatment facility, including a July 2025 incident in which fecal coliform levels reached 16 times the provincially mandated limit. The letter cites monitoring data spanning January 2023 to January 2026, recording three separate instances of effluent exceeding discharge standards. One violation stemmed from a power outage that briefly took ultraviolet disinfection offline while wastewater continued to discharge into Northumberland Channel. Snuneymuxw First Nation has previously called for a full investigation, calling the ongoing incidents a “systemic failure” at the industrial park.
Sources: Nanaimo News Bulletin, Nanaimo News Now, CHEK News
BC Ferries’ Only Cable Ferry Fails on Denman Island Route as Cable Issue Cancels Wednesday Sailings
BC Ferries says an issue with the Baynes Sound Connector’s cable caused cancellations Wednesday night between Buckley Bay on Vancouver Island and Denman Island West. The Baynes Sound Connector, built in 2015, is BC Ferries’ only cable ferry — crossing what is considered one of the world’s longest cable ferry routes at more than two kilometres. The vessel Quinitsa was redirected to provide service on the route Thursday, maintaining the existing schedule. The cable incident adds to a difficult week for the ferry corporation, which was already managing multiple simultaneous mechanical failures on its major Tsawwassen routes during the busy Easter long weekend.
Sources: CHEK News
B.C. Invests $52 Million in New Ladysmith Schools, Including Province’s First All-Prefab Seismic Build
The B.C. government announced Wednesday a $52 million investment to build a new Ladysmith Intermediate School and expand Ladysmith Primary School, both in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district. The new intermediate school, replacing the existing structure on the École Davis Road Elementary site, will accommodate 390 students — 90 more than the current school — and will be the province’s first seismic replacement constructed entirely using prefabricated building techniques. The primary school expansion will add 10 new classrooms and 250 seats. The province is contributing $37 million for the intermediate school and $15 million for the primary expansion, with construction at Ladysmith Primary scheduled to begin this fall.
Sources: Ladysmith Chronicle, Nanaimo News Now, Nanaimo News Bulletin
Victoria Rents Fall for Over a Year While Nanaimo Bucks National Trend With Rising Prices
Victoria’s average asking rents fell again in March while Nanaimo continued bucking the national trend with rising prices, according to the latest monthly rental market report released Thursday. Across Canada, asking rents dropped 5.3 per cent to a 35-month low of $2,008 per month — the fastest pace of decline since COVID, according to Urbanation president Shaun Hildebrand. Purpose-built apartment and condo asking rents in B.C. are now 12.2 per cent below their August 2023 peak. Victoria has seen rents fall for more than a year, while Nanaimo recorded year-over-year increases on both one- and two-bedroom units, running counter to the provincial and national softening trend.
Sources: CHEK News
70 km/h Wind Gusts Forecast for Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands; More BC Ferries Cancellations Possible
Environment Canada issued a special weather statement Thursday warning of strong winds affecting southeastern Vancouver Island from Greater Victoria to Nanaimo, the southern Gulf Islands, and Metro Vancouver, with gusts forecast to reach 70 km/h starting late Thursday afternoon through to early Friday morning. BC Ferries said evening sailings on the Tsawwassen–Swartz Bay route could face further cancellations as winds approach operational limits for vessels already depleted from the Easter long weekend breakdowns. The warnings come just days after record-breaking spring temperatures were recorded across parts of Vancouver Island and the B.C. coast, reflecting an unusually volatile early-April weather pattern.
Sources: CBC News, CBC BC Weather
Island Health Adjusts Laboratory Hours at Two Nanaimo Locations Starting April 13
Island Health will restructure outpatient laboratory services at two Nanaimo locations starting Monday, April 13. The satellite lab at 2-1599 Dufferin Crescent will reduce hours from its current 7:15 a.m.–5 p.m. schedule to 7:15 a.m.–3:15 p.m., Monday through Friday, but will remain open for both walk-ins and appointments. The main laboratory inside Nanaimo Regional General Hospital will shift to a 9 a.m.–5 p.m. window — previously 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. — and will now accept appointments from the general public, having previously served urgent collections only. Island Health says the changes are meant to better align services with patient demand and staffing capacity.
Sources: Nanaimo News Bulletin, Comox Valley Record
Curated by JD · samwise.agency