News
RDN board, fire chiefs support report on banning fireworks sales
Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder A report on banning fireworks sales in Regional District of Nanaimo electoral areas will be developed following support from the region’s fire chiefs. The fire services committee passed a...
Gabriola Fire hosts junior firefighting camp
Firefighters Ben Hooton (left) and Flynn McCreath with the attendees of this year’s Junior Firefighting Camp held in partnership with the Gabriola Recreation Society. Submitted photoGabriola Volunteer Fire Department Submitted article In July, the Gabriola Volunteer...
Fire Board questioned on authority to levy taxes for medical call-outs
Derek Kilbourn Sounder News The Board of the Gabriola Fire Protection Improvement District has been asked if it is considering whether it has the authority to collect taxes to pay for the medical call-outs responded to by the Gabriola Volunteer Fire Department. The...
FAC conducting survey on trial schedule
BC Ferries will be running a trial schedule from Aug 12 to Aug 16, with the second ship schedule starting and finishing one round trip later than usual.Heather O’Sullivan Co-Chair, Gabriola Ferry Advisory Committee As you probably know, BC Ferries is running a trial...
RDN submitting second tiny homes resolution to UBCM
Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder The Regional District of Nanaimo board of directors continues to advocate for building code changes to support moveable tiny homes, sending its second resolution on the topic to the Union of...
Coastal Marine Strategy responds to some of Islands Trust’s concerns
Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder The newly released B.C. coastal marine strategy is meant to guide decision-making that supports biodiversity, productivity, resiliency and the prosperity, health and well-being of coastal...
Grant applications aim to reduce RDN contribution to decommission of Coats Marsh weir
Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Grant applications are in process for the Coats Marsh weir decommissioning project that, if successful, will reduce taxpayer contributions, according to Regional District of Nanaimo staff....
The Lund Gathering Place Grand Opening on August 10
Completed and ready - the Grand Opening of the Lund Gathering Place will be at 4pm this Saturday, August 10, immediately followed by the 69 Annual Salmon BBQ, at the Gabriola Island Community Hall. Submitted photoElizabeth Iachelli Gabriola Island Community Hall The...
Help Gabriola Players make magic!
Miranda Holmes Gabriola Players Do you love theatre? Are you an organized and details-orientated person? Are you good at herding cats? Gabriola Players needs you! We want to bring the panto back to the Community Hall this year, but before auditions can be held we need...
RDN community grants for Gabriola
Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Three Gabriola non-profits have received funding from the Regional District of Nanaimo via the 2024 round of community grants. The RDN board approved grants to 27 organizations in the RDN,...
Jamie Ovens: Gabriola Volunteer Fire Department’s new Deputy Fire Chief
Jamie Ovens (left) is presented with the Deputy Fire Chief helmet by Gabriola Fire Chief Sprogis after being hired on to the GVFD.Gabriola Volunteer Fire Department Submitted Article Jamie Ovens is the new Deputy Fire Chief for the Gabriola Volunteer Fire Department...
Ferry shutdown costly
July 17 Editorial Over a thousand vehicles a day go back and forth between Gabriola and Nanaimo during the early spring and into summer. That’s what the traffic statistics from BC Ferries itself show. This is an average. Some days will have more than that, and some...
Ferry closed to vehicle traffic for 6 to 8 weeks in 2026
Derek Kilbourn Sounder News BC Ferries is planning some major work on the Descanso Bay terminal in spring of 2026 which could see vehicle service on the route shut down for six to eight weeks. Ritinder Matthew is the Director, Media and Issues for BC Ferries. She...
Request for Health And Wellbeing Coordinator garners two submissions
Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder The request for statements of qualifications for a new taxpayer funded health and wellbeing coordinator position for Gabriola closed last week and the Regional District of Nanaimo says a...
69th Salmon Barbecue coming August 10
Joyce Babula President, on behalf of the Board ofthe Gabriola Island Community Hall Association We are gearing up for the Gabriola Community Hall’s 69th Salmon BBQ. The board is happy to announce that Gail Wilson has come on as a coordinator for the BBQ. She will...
Two vehicle MVI on ferry hill
Sounder News On July 9 at 8:15pm, RCMP, Gabriola Fire and BCEHS were called to a motor vehicle collision on North Road near the ferry line up. Cpl. Jordan Mullen, Detachment Commander for Gabriola RCMP said a pickup (silver Ford) had been travelling up ferry hill when...
GVFD Summertime “Bare Necessities”
Fire Chief Will Sprogis Gabriola Volunteer Fire Department The heat and summer winds have returned. Islanders and summer visitors understandably get more nervous about wildfires. Climate change models for our region are pointing to longer and hotter dry seasons,...
South Gabriola to get EV charger at Community Hall
Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder The Regional District of Nanaimo’s long in-the-works electric vehicle (EV) charging station for Gabriola Island is now headed for a new location. One of 10 stations already or to be installed...
Electric buses will lower fuel costs, and potentially maintenance costs
Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder GERTIE’s future electric buses will be the first new vehicles in the community bus service’s fleet. The Gabriola Community Bus Foundation (GCBF) received a $718,967 federal grant and $80,000...
Seasonal conditions for Gabriola aquifer considered below average
Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Groundwater monitoring wells on Gabriola showed a mix of springtime conditions. The Regional District of Nanaimo board of directors received a staff report at their June 25 meeting providing...
NDSS at capacity for Grade 8
Rachelle Stein-Wotten Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Nanaimo District Secondary School is full for grade 8 next school year. Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools posted an announcement on their registration page on their website dated May 4, 2024...
Portion of Commons closed to public after wildfire
Firefighters at the site of the wildfire at the Commons on Monday, July 8.Photos courtesy Bob Andrew, Gabriola CommonsSounder News On July 9, a portion of the Commons property was closed to the public. Gabriola Fire Chief Will Sprogis said the closure comes after a...
GERTIE: Shaping the Future of Gabriola’s Beloved Bus Service
Gabriola Community Bus Foundation For the past decade, GERTIE (Gabriola Environmentally Responsible Trans Island Express) has been a cherished part of our community, providing convenient and eco-friendly transportation. Operated by the Gabriola Community Bus...
BC Ferries agrees to FAC request to shift second ship schedule for Fridays this summer
Derek Kilbourn Sounder News BC Ferries will be shifting the schedule of the Gabriola ferry this coming summer, to alleviate the build up of summer traffic in the evenings at the Nanaimo Terminal. That according to BC Ferries communications staff, who met with the...
May sees increase in overdose calls on Gabriola
Sounder News According to media representatives for BC Emergency Health Services (BC EHS), there has been an in increase in the number of overdose calls in May 2024 compared to previous months. As of May 30, 2024, BCEHS paramedics have responded to 13 overdose/...
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