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July 22, 2024

Good morning, it's Monday and the news cycle always starts slowly at the beginning of the week. Organized mayhem reigned supreme at Sunday’s 38th annual Silly Boat Regatta at Maffeo Sutton Park. When all the splashing had subsided, The Rotary Club of Nanaimo took top honors. The BC Ferry Marine Workers Union was second and VI Fishing for Fun was third. The annual fun event is the main fund raiser for the Nanaimo Child Development Centre. Check out the raft of photos. MORE

On a serious competitive note, the Coast Salish Games kick off today after a long hiatus. Snuneymuxw First Nation is the host to the week-long event with athletes from across the Island and the Lower Mainland. The games used to be an annual event circulating among Indigenous communities. The revival comes after sitting idle for about 14 years. Organizer Kate Good says it used to be a big deal and Snuneymuxw is rebuilding that spirit.

Emergency crews responded after a garbage truck flipped on its side on Rutherford Road just before noon today. It appeared the truck may have been coming down the hill on Rutherford when it turned right onto Bradbury Road and rolled on its side. The driver was rescued by witnesses after he was pinned in the vehicle. MORE

The first steps are under way for a 306-bed long-term care facility in Lantzville. Council going through the hoops on modifying the official community plan and zoning bylawto allow for the facility. Island Health is the force behind the initiative to increase the maximum height of the building to 25 metres from 20, getting around a 15-metre tree buffer area, and decreasing a setback to five metres from 15. MORE

Wildfires have led to evacuation orders as the southern and eastern regions continue to sweat it out in the heat wave. The BC Wildfire Service says the Island Pond fire in the East Kootenay grew to 1.2 square km overnight leading to a state of local emergency and an evacuation order for two properties and a warning to another 65 to leave on short notice. The Cariboo Regional District ordered residents on 29 parcels to evacuate immediately, with five out-of-control wildfires burning nearby. Environment Canada says the latest heat wave broke or matched the daily high-temperature records in 14 communities on Saturday. We have a full roundup of wildfire and heat wave events HERE.

WEB QUOTE – The universe is made up of protons, neurons, electrons and morons.