I'm working on a story for @thediscourse.ca! I want to chat to Comox Valley folks about what you're doing to prep for various different emergency scenarios: Climate, geopolitical, natural disaster, etc… Have you experienced an emergency? what did you do/ learn? Are you prepared currently?

The Atlantic Magazine just dropped a tremendous story on the Minnesota Resistance. The author is a war correspondent & sees the echoes of leaderless community empowerment around the globe: www.theatlantic.com/politics/202... (supposed to be a gift link, might not work, it’s in Apple News, too.)

Curators Jesse Birch and Imogene Lim, along with exhibition artists will hold an informal community gathering today at 1 p.m. to celebrate the exhibition Bleached by the Sun: Perspectives on Chinatown at the Nanaimo Art Gallery.

I still have my Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back LPs fron the 80s. The force is strong in John Williams.

I did a deep dive into Nanaimo's Community Safety Officer program. I spoke with experts, city councillors, business owners, social service providers and people who are unhoused. I went out on patrol with a CSO team to see their work firsthand. Here's what I saw. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/comm...

Check out Nanaimo's newest poetry reading series Grub Street tonight at The Vault Cafe and get all your music, arts and community events listings from our weekly newsletter The Hub. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/even...

These events listings are from The Hub Nanaimo, your weekly insider guide to the best of community arts and culture. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/even...

“Enough is enough.” Family and leaders are demanding answers from Island Health after the death of Lenny Sylvester, a Penelakut man whose care they say reflects systemic racism. Read more:

Thinking about building a cob home in the Regional District of Nanaimo? We have put together this FAQ after talking with both owner / builders on Vancouver Island and district staff. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/thin...

“If you want everything as per staff reports, we wouldn't have councils. You'd have bureaucracy running the councils,” Coun. Tek Manhas told a packed public hearing as North Cowichan voted to amend its official community plan on Nov. 19.

“The proposed site layout diagram solves a lot of problems by saving the mature trees, playground and beach areas in a cohesive way that allows for easy public access and maximum use,” Lana Fitzpatrick from the Wellington Action Committee told councillors.

“This motion is not about reexamining philosophy, it’s about how many funerals we are prepared to accept.”

"It does save lives, but saving those lives for what purpose?" asked Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog during a city council debate about overdose prevention sites and the province's approach to harm reduction in the toxic drug crisis on Monday night.

Grateful to have @thediscourse.ca / @micksweetman.bsky.social and the rest of the folks at The Discourse reporting in communities like Nanaimo, Cowichan, and Comox. Their journalism is vital. Support it if you can!

Nanaimo city council voted to allocate $10.2 million for a new boathouse and community space at Loudon Park on Long Lake at a special finance and audit committee meeting on Friday. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/coun...

“Politicized arguments like this motion driven by nimbyism and colonial privilege, undermine science, threaten public health and jeopardize the health and safety of our entire community," Sarah Lovegrove, vice-president of the Harm Reduction Nurses association told Nanaimo city council on Monday.

Ah, the peaceful sound of nature.

Looking for something fun to do in Nanaimo this weekend? From holiday markets to live music, arts and sports, reporter @micksweetman.bsky.social has curated a list of what's happening. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/even...

Nanaimo RCMP have confirmed that officers responded to reports of a plane crash in a wooded area near Twilight Way, south of Nanaimo, B.C., at approximately 3 a.m. this morning. RCMP say the plane was found "in a large debris field and there were no survivors." The investigation is ongoing.

Everything you want to know about the Nanaimo data centre, and how much water it will use, explained. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/what...

Check out Nanaimo Artwalk and all of our weekly music, art and community events listings in Nanaimo for the week of Nov. 20 to 27, 2025. Let us know if any events you think we should include for next week! thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/even...

Sometimes stories don't go as planned, motions get withdrawn and changed, but showing up to cover council in person allows me to talk with both councillors and community members about the issues that matter to them beyond the constraints of the formal meeting. Here is my latest story.

The province should re-examine its drug policy but rather than as the councillor implies, our drug policy should aim to build a better future for all @micksweetman.bsky.social bchumanrights.ca/resources/pu...

Nanaimo is among the most important battlegrounds for harm reduction in BC, with influential players having spent years attempting to pin the city’s ills on supervised consumption. When Aaron Gunn ran his ‘Vancouver is Dying’ homeless hate tour, those same folks welcomed him with an open theatre.

A motion by Nanaimo Coun. Ian Thorpe to ask Island Health to close the Overdose Prevention Site on Albert Street was withdrawn at last night's city council meeting. But a new motion to send a letter to the province to reexamine its drug policy is hotly contested. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/moti...

After the Remembrance Day Service people in attendance were welcomed to leave a poppy on the cenotaph in downtown Nanaimo. Photo by Mick Sweetman / The Discourse.

Scouts attended the Nanaimo's Remembrance Day Service and an CP-140 Aurora did a flyover. Photos by Mick Sweetman / The Discourse.

Veterans and Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog lay wreaths and salute the fallen at Nanaimo's Remembrance Day Service on Nov. 11, 2025. Photos by Mick Sweetman / The Discourse.

The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) at Nanaimo's Remembrance Day Service on Nov. 11, 2025. Photos by Mick Sweetman / The Discourse.

Photos from Nanaimo's Remembrance Day Service by Mick Sweetman / The Discourse.

Check out my photos from the 2025 Remembrance Day Service in Nanaimo at the below link.

See the photos from Nanaimo’s 2025 Remembrance Day Service. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/in-p...

A list of events, ceremonies and information on Remembrance Day 2025 in the Comox Valley, Nanaimo and Cowichan Valley thediscourse.ca/vancouver-is...

Looking for something to do in Nanaimo this weekend? Check out our events listings, covering everything from local music, markets and sports. 👀 Like what you see? Tap the link at the top of the story to get these listings in your inbox every Thursday. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/even...

The City of Nanaimo put additional protections in place for owners of mobile homes in the city, but advocates say it isn't enough. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/a-st...

If you are looking for haunted happenings in Nanaimo tonight (and this weekend) be sure check out this week's issue of The Hub, witch lists scores of spooky spots and poltergeist parties. thediscourse.indiegraf.com/index.php?ac...

I ain't afraid of no ghost!

Explore Nanaimo's haunted history and spooky spots this week. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/haun...

“We never surrendered our land. Not one acre.”

fantastic and detailed piece by @micksweetman.bsky.social about the impacts and implications of the government's decision to make prescribed alternatives to the unregulated drug LESS accessible #SafeSupply

Members from Save Our Forests Comox Valley think the province should be doing more to protect old-growth forests and biodiversity, and they are not alone. Read the full story: thediscourse.ca/comox-valley...

This Monday's Nanaimo city council meeting created a friendship city policy, renewed the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Area, expanded two dry recovery houses and defeated a motion to support a community health centre. Read more in Council Corner: thediscourse.indiegraf.com/index.php?ac...

$2.2 million land purchase to expand Loudon Park was “fair market value,” Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog says. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/loud...

“They thought they were trying to civilize us, which is really ironic. They don't understand the cultural and traditional ways that we live and that we practice daily is our strength.”

Today is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. See the events in your community and additional resources in our special newsletter for today. thediscourse.indiegraf.com/index.php?ac...

“I know that $6,000 more to travel to a conference in Ottawa does seem like a lot of money, and it’s a lot of money to me,” Coun. Hilary Eastmure told The Discourse. “…But I really consider these conferences to be a critical part of my job as a councillor.”

“Nanaimo activists have been an inspiration to people across the country and across the world.” thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/pale...

Exciting news! The Discourse is a finalist for the 2025 Webster Awards in the Excellence in Community Reporting category for TWO different stories by reporters @juliechadwick.bsky.social and Rowan Flood. 🎉 Find links to the stories in this thread:

It was lovely to chat with Lenae Silva about her experience and upcoming art exhibition at @viuniversity.bsky.social organized by @viuhra.bsky.social.

Layoffs at VIU not being done “willy nilly,” says interim @viuniversity.bsky.social president Dennis Johnson in sit-down interview with @thediscourse.ca. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/qa-i...