July 20, 2025 • 20 mins
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Check podcasts. This is an abbreviated version of check news
watch full Check newscasts weekdays at five, six, and ten,
or anytime one Check plus or checknews dot CA.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
The public was not aware of any of this plan.
It was a secret plan.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
New information tonight about a plan not shared why. Some
say a lack of transparency killed a grizzly on Tech
eight Island.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
Gone are the days where I think you're seeing rents
under one thousand dollars. The reality of the cost of
construction is such that you will see rents being higher
than anybody.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Wants many new builds on the island, but experts are
saying don't expect prices to drop, even when the marketing
says student friendly. A once in a lifetime moment in
our water is a rare sighting of a leatherback turtle.
What it means and how rare it is? Good evening,
(01:11):
and thanks for joining us. Some say it was a
predictable and tragic end to the story of texts the
grizzly bear on Texxeda Island, and now tonight we are
learning there was a plan en route to the island
to remove that bear. Just a day before the bear
was found dead. Many on the island and the first
nation involved are still filled with anger and now the
(01:32):
community wants answers on who did it.
Speaker 5 (01:35):
Chattis Leo reports and a warning.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
You will see images of the dead bear in this
story and some viewers may find them disturbing.
Speaker 6 (01:46):
A somber moment on Tixeda Island as text, the grizzly
who made headlines across the country this month, is given
a traditional cedar blessing. The grizzly bear was shawn and
killed on Monday, according to the BC Conservation Officer Service,
and reaction over its killing has been emotional and swift.
Speaker 7 (02:07):
I became quite angry.
Speaker 6 (02:08):
The roughly four year old male grizzly bear was first
spotted on Texxeda Island on May twenty fifth. Since then,
what to do with the bear has been contentious for
people on Taxeda and beyond, with an outpouring of reaction
on social media.
Speaker 7 (02:21):
Sitting there watching all of the comments on this is
what you guys should be doing, and you should do
it this way, and you should just shoot him. You know,
I didn't realize there were so many bear biologists in
the province.
Speaker 6 (02:34):
We are now learning there was a concrete plan to
trap the grizzly this past week, and the bear barrel
was one day away from landing on the island when
the grizzlies carcass was discovered. Some on the island say
the lack of transparency about the plan may have cost
the bear its life.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
The public was not aware of any of this plan.
Name was a secret plan. Everything of us inevitable one
hundred percent, And because we had a plan for text
on the ninth of June.
Speaker 6 (03:02):
Despite support from other nations, the province never responded to
the plan of action. However, Blaney says the decision to
keep the provincial relocation plan quiet was to not draw
a tension to the bear's location.
Speaker 7 (03:14):
You don't really want to release a whole lot of
detail into where the trap is going to be going
and how it's going to be deployed, and you know,
people just needed to know that there was a plan
in place.
Speaker 6 (03:26):
In a sayment from the Minister of Water, Land and
Resource Stewardship, Randy Neil said the timing was unfortunate as
the province was actively working with First Nations on a
new plan to capture and translocate the grizzly. Bear. Blaney
says that Shishal was working with the province and the
Hamako First Nation to relocate text somewhere along the Beauty
Inlet coast or on the Homofko River away from people.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Goodbye texts as to who.
Speaker 6 (03:53):
Hunted down and killed the bear.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
The community knows who did it, and it actually has
not divide it to community. It actually has brought the
community more together.
Speaker 6 (04:04):
VCRCMPNBC Conservation have not responded to our request for information
about the investigation if any arrests have been made or
charges in the killing of the grizzly bear.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
New warning site for a popular swimming hole on the
South Island the CRD is saying there is a blue
green algae bloom in the lake. The advisory from the
city says the bloom is at the main beach at
Thetis Lake. This on top of advisories for Prior Lake
and Elk and Beaver Lake. Blue green algae produces toxins
and people are being advised not to make contact with
(04:37):
it and keep animals on a leash to prevent them
from drinking or swimming in the bloom. The bloom, when
ingested can cause problems for humans and even be lethal
for dogs.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
For more information, you can head to the CRD website.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Sanich firefighters are reminding the public of the high wildfire
risk across the South Island after Cruise contained a grass
fire near the summit of Mount Polemey's Saturday night. The
fire broke out just before five Saturday, burning an area
roughly eighty by eighty meters in size. The fire was
visible from across the region and drew concern from lots
(05:12):
of people on social media. No homes or structures were damaged,
but Santage Fire says the incident highlights how dry conditions
are despite the region's coastal climate, and their crews are
on high alert.
Speaker 8 (05:25):
The time of year and the conditions. So we're in
an extreme fire condition and we've been to that state
for a few days, so you know, when that happens,
we're on a higher alert. So we increase our response,
our initial response to all wildline fires.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Now, any evidence of how the fire started burned up.
Sanach Fire stressing Sandwich remains under a fireban and urging
residents to remain villagant vigilant rather. The BC Wildfire Service
currently has most of the South Island under an extreme
fire danger rating, meaning new fires will start easily, spread
rapidly and challenge fire suspression efforts. Well, there have been
(06:05):
some positive developments in the fight against wildfires in our province.
Officials say a fire burning in the Fraser Canyon is
now considered held now. That means the fire is not
expected to spread beyond its current size of two point
five hectares. Nearly two dozen firefighters are on the ground
battling the flames. The fire broke out Friday and is
believed to have been sparked by human activity.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
So far, no structures have been lost here on the island.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
A new apartment building in Sanwich is starting to accept
applications and it's being advertised directly at students, but it
may not be student friendly.
Speaker 5 (06:41):
Housing experts say, despite.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Many new builds on the island during this housing crisis,
don't expect anything to be affordable.
Speaker 5 (06:48):
Corey Sitaway reports.
Speaker 9 (06:50):
At the intersection of two of Sandwich's busiest roads are
massive changes popping up. First on the corner is an
apartment building University Heights, now open for rent.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Gone are the days where I think you're seeing rents
under one thousand dollars. The reality of the cost of
construction is such that you will see rents being higher
than anybody wants.
Speaker 9 (07:13):
At University Heights, the units are small and they're expensive,
between three hundred and fifty to nine hundred square feet,
with studios ranging from eighteen hundred to two thousand dollars,
one bedrooms from twenty three hundred to twenty eight hundred dollars,
and two bedrooms from thirty three hundred to thirty seven
hundred dollars. The price is the target of online backlash
(07:34):
by some who can't fathom who could possibly afford it.
The building is the first Canadian development by the American
company Gray Star. They're branding the units as modern rentals,
a step above with premium finishes. It's pet friendly with
an outdoor courtyard, shared spaces like a gym, and study
rooms with air conditioning and in house washer dryer. Designed
(07:56):
to attract renters with a higher budget.
Speaker 10 (07:58):
So what we need is more now. You might say
the rent should be affordable, when they should be forced
to be affordable. But look, new housing's job is to
provide housing, and what it does is it absorbs the
top of the demand.
Speaker 9 (08:11):
You we see housing economists Tom Davidoff says expecting developers
of new builds to be responsible for creating affordable renters
is asking for too much that could result in a
building freeze. Instead, David Off argues new buildings like university
heights have a secondary effect on affordability.
Speaker 10 (08:29):
They perform the service of absorbing demand from those with
the greatest willingness to pay, leaving other people suffering less
from competition for older units.
Speaker 9 (08:38):
In other words, new builds creates more supply, which lowers
competition and ultimately prices. A softening Canada's market is currently seeing,
with Canada's Mortgage Housing Corporation and Rentals dot CA observing
a two point seven percent drop in the national average rent.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
While I acknowledge that when these units come online they
are going to be expensive, can you imagine how much
the current stock would be if we didn't have more
stock coming on?
Speaker 9 (09:06):
The argument from this economist and municipal politician is clear,
don't expect new rental stock to be directly affordable. Their
impact is basic economics that in creating more supply, it
will lower demand and over time prices.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Elsewhere well, the City of Nanaimo is looking at long
term parking needs and strategies as it seeks to help
remove red tape around housing developments, especially in the downtown area.
As Claire Palmer reports, it's one of a handful of
areas that have been earmarked as key centers for residential development.
Speaker 11 (09:43):
This is The Vault, a popular cafe in downtown Nanaimo.
The cafe doesn't have any parking after the city did
away with commercial parking regulations a few years ago, but
that hasn't kept patrons away. It's always busy. Advocates say
it's a success story on how removing parking regulations can
help build up downtown.
Speaker 12 (10:01):
But I think places like the places like Nanasushi everywhere
along Victoria Crescent here there's a testament to how these
places can remain financially resilient and economically viable without parking.
Speaker 11 (10:13):
In May, the city voted to remove parking minimums for
new residential development in downtown Nanaimo, making Nanaimo just the
second city in BC after Vancouver to do so. Now,
the city is looking at expanding that strategy to other
primary and secondary centers such as downtown, the country Club Center,
the wood Grove Center, and others. The city has been
working with consulting firm Urban Systems, who gave a presentation
(10:35):
to Council on July fourteenth about the ripple effects parking
changes could have on the community.
Speaker 13 (10:40):
Parking is a broad ranging subject matter, and so we
do think there's some opportunity through parking related regulation that
we can actually sort of start to reach some broader
city policy objectives. It's not strictly parking itself, but areas
around housing, affordability, environmental sustainability, health and wellbeing.
Speaker 11 (10:59):
The silly said it will make it easier for developers
to build downtown and that parking doesn't make her break
a neighborhood or a downtown. If the city invests in
other modes of transportation, people will naturally shift away from cars.
Speaker 12 (11:11):
As we've seen in places like Victoria. Right down the
way is that people they really do appreciate living in
their city, living in their public space. So showing people
that these transportation options exist and building the permeability of
transportation in the fabric of our city is sort of
the next up.
Speaker 11 (11:27):
City staff are due to return to Council in late
October with recommendations on both the parking strategy and on pricing.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
A Nanaimo couple is heartbroken and angry tonight that a
wedding ring they'd forgotten on vacation.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
In the US is being slacked.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
With US tariffs and Canadian duties. To have it returned
to them will it will cost them about two hundred
bucks and fees on top of the cost of shipping,
and as Sky Ryan reports, their priceless family heirloom hangs
in the balance.
Speaker 14 (11:55):
I'm doing find When Nanaimo's Andrea Nelson and James Baker
Taylor said I do. They wanted to include his late dad, James,
who they both loved dearly and who had recently passed
away from kidney failure.
Speaker 15 (12:08):
He was quite the character and he was a lot
of fun, so.
Speaker 14 (12:11):
They chose his gold rings, precious family heirlooms that he'd
handed down to them as their wedding rinks.
Speaker 16 (12:16):
It's a really nice reminder of my father and something
that he gave me.
Speaker 17 (12:20):
And the fact that it's being kept from us because
we need to pay for it is the most ridiculous
thing I've ever heard in my life.
Speaker 14 (12:26):
But taxes and US tariffs are now what they're being
faced with, because while visiting family in Washington State, Baker
Taylor took off his wedding ring when he took a
shower and forgot it. There had to have it shipped
to them in Nanaimo label to return with a five
hundred dollars value on it for insurance. When their courier
arrived at their Nanaimo door Wednesday, they got it costly surprise.
Speaker 17 (12:48):
I was told it was going to be one hundred
and eighty nine dollars to get my husband's wedding ring
back from across the border.
Speaker 15 (12:55):
When he found out, he of course was very upset.
It's his ring.
Speaker 17 (13:01):
His father has passed away as of twenty twenty two,
and it means a lot to us, incredibly like it
just I was.
Speaker 18 (13:09):
We were flabbergasted, especially because she's a student and he
has a small education business that he says is already
being hit hard by US tariffs when ordering supplies.
Speaker 16 (13:19):
And they've applied duties, taxes and tariff onto the item.
And it's just amazing to see this list on a
small wedding band, our wedding band.
Speaker 15 (13:31):
It was just.
Speaker 14 (13:33):
So The Nanaimo Copple is finding these fees by filling
out forms, making phone calls explaining the rings of family
heirloom they've owned for years, but so far it hasn't
gotten the results.
Speaker 15 (13:45):
That ring is just way too important.
Speaker 14 (13:47):
The Canadian Border Service Agency to stated to Check News.
Under certain conditions, bequests of personal and household goods may
be imported by residents of Canada's duty and tax free.
Prime document normally used for the purpose is a copy
of the deceased person's will to The couple hopes to
raise awareness to others who may find themselves facing similar
cross border fees just to get their hands on what
(14:10):
they already own.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Nanaimo's waters full of wacky water crafts today for the
annual regatta that puts waste in water for a good cause.
Floats funneling down to the waters and Mafeo Sutton Park
as part of the Silly Boat Regatta, paddlers are raising
money to help fund programs and therapeutic equipment at the
Nanaimo Child Development Center. To compete, all the silly boats
(14:35):
must be constructed out of recycled material, they can't have
a motor, and they must float for even a second
to be able to count in the competition.
Speaker 19 (14:44):
The Child Development Center's largest fundraising event, eight to ten
thousand people down at the park our goal is to
raise one hundred and twenty five thousand dollars, so that's
the goal and hopefully we make it there today.
Speaker 5 (14:56):
Amazing turnout.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Of course, many of the vessels not seaword, but they
do bring smiles to the faces of everyone involved. The
boats out today aren't the only silly speech stirt sailing
these waters right now.
Speaker 5 (15:08):
The Silly Boat.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Regatta also serves a reminder the International World Championship Bathtub
Race is less than a week away. Those boats hit
the water on July twenty fifth. Well a BC nurse
is being credited with documenting a rare sighting of one
of the ocean's most elusive giants, a leather back sea turtle,
swimming off the coast of Haida Gwai Now. She works
(15:29):
at a fishing lodge near Langara Island and was out
on the water last week with a colleague when she
saw this this unusual creature surfacing near their boat. Now
cutting off the power to the motor. They took this video,
quickly filming the massive creature as it swam peacefully near
the surface.
Speaker 20 (15:47):
I canna say anywhere from six to eight feet Obviously
we really only saw his head.
Speaker 15 (15:53):
But when it did originally pop up. I thought it
was a sea lion, so the.
Speaker 20 (15:58):
Head was the same size as a because it was
a brief kind of little pop up, and then he
kind of circled round, so then we realized what it was.
But I mean, if you can imagine the size of
a sea lion, the head, so we were just seeing
his shell. Gosh knows how long his legs and arms
and everything else were.
Speaker 5 (16:15):
So yeah, so cool. It's huge.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Since nineteen thirty one, there have actually only been one
hundred and forty nine sightings of leatherback turtles off the
coast of our province. That's according to the Department of
Fisheries and Oceans Now. The encounter was also confirmed by
the DFO as the first verified leatherback sighting in BC
waters this year in twenty twenty five. The animal appeared healthy, uninjured,
(16:39):
and no signs of plastic entanglement that is one of
the leading.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
Threats to the species.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
A global study of four hundred and eight dead leatherback
turtles found that more than thirty percent had plastic in
their intestines. For more information on how to report a
sighting if you're lucky enough to see one in the wild.
You can head to our website at checknews dot Ca.
It's amazing the size of the them.
Speaker 12 (17:00):
So cool.
Speaker 21 (17:01):
I love sea turtle. Oh, it's incredible, so cool to
have them in our waters.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
And I always thought it was interesting because when you
go on BC Fairies, they have like a mural showing
you all the mammals and creatures in the sea, and
there's leather back on there, and I'm like, come on,
there's no leather bags here, Like, when do you ever
see them?
Speaker 21 (17:16):
We have palm trees and sea turtles coming.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
Here to eat the jellyfish.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
So it's an incredible migration from Indonesia to see them
here so far.
Speaker 21 (17:23):
What a story to come all of that way through no.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Kidding, unbelievable chili water but mild outside. When it popped
its head out, maybe got a little bit of a suntan.
Speaker 21 (17:32):
Yeah, and this week it might get more of a
suntan because we have warm weather again ahead and our forecast.
Let's take a look at our satellite radar and you
can see some areas of Washington State getting some much
needed precipitation today. But this system tracking further south, so
not really hitting us here. But you can see some
heavier bands in it, moving into the orange, red and
pinks there. So that's good news for Washington Steak because
(17:53):
they're also facing increased drought and over the last few
years a huge rainfall deficit, particularly in summer, same as
what we're seeing here in southern BC. So dry conditions
persisting for most parts of Vancouver Island. Unfortunately, that's the
bad news. There's only some areas that have a chance
of drizzle in the forecast, and drizzle it's not going
to do very much. We also have a risk of
thunderstorms for parts of the island in the forecast early
(18:16):
this evening and then again tomorrow afternoon, which of course
could spark more fires with those lightning strikes. So ideally
it would bring some precipitation and not spark any fires
because most of the fires and the rest of the country,
the majority of fires are sparked by lightning. And we
do have some severe thunderstorm warnings and watches in effect
over a good chunk of the country, including parts of
BC Hope and Merit and Clona have that in effect
(18:37):
right now. Here's a look at the fire danger rating
right now. So this was updated this afternoon for the province,
and it sure has changed a lot in a few days.
For Vancouver Island in particular, we are the driest spot
in the province. Right now, we have the highest fire
danger in the province. So when I looked at this
a couple of days ago, we were looking at half
of the island. Actually this map has just changed right now,
(18:59):
it's actually looking like most of the island is extreme
and then high. And before it was yellow for a
good chunk of the island which was moderate, and there
were even some little small pockets of green on the
map as well, So that red area has increased. It's
now going all the way to where you see port
Albernie dipping in, so all the way past Nanaimo was
now read this is actually yesterday's map, so we do
have red and then extreme for a good chunk of
(19:21):
the island as well as high conditions. Now today's weather photo,
in honor of the moon landing anniversary, which was back
on this day in nineteen sixty nine, are these shots
from Glenn Halverson, titled the Eagle has Landed. Canadians and
Canadian companies played a big and often overlooked role in
the moon landing developing the legs for the Apollo eleven's
lunar lander was one of the things, according to history
(19:42):
expert Craig Barrett, who says you could say it was
a Canadian. It was Canadian feet on the moon first.
And with Duce Days wrapping up today, I just had
to share these shots from Check viewers Sharon Anderson of
her pop Elsie in her little Deuce coop, including a
shot of Elsie checking the engine of her cool ride.
(20:03):
Very cute. We have more pet photos coming off as
well as kittens on today on Pet Check from Broken
Promises Rescue and the latest on our forecast and when
we can expect rain for the driest series of the islands,
South Island, East Island. It's not looking good at this point, Scott, all.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
Right, looking forward to it, Thanks so much, test Well.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Cattle ranchers in our province say large parcels of crownland
are sitting empty. They want to use them, but the
province has other ideas.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
Watch full Check newscasts weekdays at five, six, and ten
or anytime on Check plus or check News dot Ca.
Check podcasts. This is an abbreviated version of check news
watch full Check newscasts weekdays at five, six, and ten,
or anytime one Check plus or checknews dot CA.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
The public was not aware of any of this plan.
It was a secret plan.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
New information tonight about a plan not shared why. Some
say a lack of transparency killed a grizzly on Tech
eight Island.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
Gone are the days where I think you're seeing rents
under one thousand dollars. The reality of the cost of
construction is such that you will see rents being higher
than anybody.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Wants many new builds on the island, but experts are
saying don't expect prices to drop, even when the marketing
says student friendly. A once in a lifetime moment in
our water is a rare sighting of a leatherback turtle.
What it means and how rare it is? Good evening,
(01:11):
and thanks for joining us. Some say it was a
predictable and tragic end to the story of texts the
grizzly bear on Texxeda Island, and now tonight we are
learning there was a plan en route to the island
to remove that bear. Just a day before the bear
was found dead. Many on the island and the first
nation involved are still filled with anger and now the
(01:32):
community wants answers on who did it.
Speaker 5 (01:35):
Chattis Leo reports and a warning.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
You will see images of the dead bear in this
story and some viewers may find them disturbing.
Speaker 6 (01:46):
A somber moment on Tixeda Island as text, the grizzly
who made headlines across the country this month, is given
a traditional cedar blessing. The grizzly bear was shawn and
killed on Monday, according to the BC Conservation Officer Service,
and reaction over its killing has been emotional and swift.
Speaker 7 (02:07):
I became quite angry.
Speaker 6 (02:08):
The roughly four year old male grizzly bear was first
spotted on Texxeda Island on May twenty fifth. Since then,
what to do with the bear has been contentious for
people on Taxeda and beyond, with an outpouring of reaction
on social media.
Speaker 7 (02:21):
Sitting there watching all of the comments on this is
what you guys should be doing, and you should do
it this way, and you should just shoot him. You know,
I didn't realize there were so many bear biologists in
the province.
Speaker 6 (02:34):
We are now learning there was a concrete plan to
trap the grizzly this past week, and the bear barrel
was one day away from landing on the island when
the grizzlies carcass was discovered. Some on the island say
the lack of transparency about the plan may have cost
the bear its life.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
The public was not aware of any of this plan.
Name was a secret plan. Everything of us inevitable one
hundred percent, And because we had a plan for text
on the ninth of June.
Speaker 6 (03:02):
Despite support from other nations, the province never responded to
the plan of action. However, Blaney says the decision to
keep the provincial relocation plan quiet was to not draw
a tension to the bear's location.
Speaker 7 (03:14):
You don't really want to release a whole lot of
detail into where the trap is going to be going
and how it's going to be deployed, and you know,
people just needed to know that there was a plan
in place.
Speaker 6 (03:26):
In a sayment from the Minister of Water, Land and
Resource Stewardship, Randy Neil said the timing was unfortunate as
the province was actively working with First Nations on a
new plan to capture and translocate the grizzly. Bear. Blaney
says that Shishal was working with the province and the
Hamako First Nation to relocate text somewhere along the Beauty
Inlet coast or on the Homofko River away from people.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Goodbye texts as to who.
Speaker 6 (03:53):
Hunted down and killed the bear.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
The community knows who did it, and it actually has
not divide it to community. It actually has brought the
community more together.
Speaker 6 (04:04):
VCRCMPNBC Conservation have not responded to our request for information
about the investigation if any arrests have been made or
charges in the killing of the grizzly bear.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
New warning site for a popular swimming hole on the
South Island the CRD is saying there is a blue
green algae bloom in the lake. The advisory from the
city says the bloom is at the main beach at
Thetis Lake. This on top of advisories for Prior Lake
and Elk and Beaver Lake. Blue green algae produces toxins
and people are being advised not to make contact with
(04:37):
it and keep animals on a leash to prevent them
from drinking or swimming in the bloom. The bloom, when
ingested can cause problems for humans and even be lethal
for dogs.
Speaker 5 (04:47):
For more information, you can head to the CRD website.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Sanich firefighters are reminding the public of the high wildfire
risk across the South Island after Cruise contained a grass
fire near the summit of Mount Polemey's Saturday night. The
fire broke out just before five Saturday, burning an area
roughly eighty by eighty meters in size. The fire was
visible from across the region and drew concern from lots
(05:12):
of people on social media. No homes or structures were damaged,
but Santage Fire says the incident highlights how dry conditions
are despite the region's coastal climate, and their crews are
on high alert.
Speaker 8 (05:25):
The time of year and the conditions. So we're in
an extreme fire condition and we've been to that state
for a few days, so you know, when that happens,
we're on a higher alert. So we increase our response,
our initial response to all wildline fires.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Now, any evidence of how the fire started burned up.
Sanach Fire stressing Sandwich remains under a fireban and urging
residents to remain villagant vigilant rather. The BC Wildfire Service
currently has most of the South Island under an extreme
fire danger rating, meaning new fires will start easily, spread
rapidly and challenge fire suspression efforts. Well, there have been
(06:05):
some positive developments in the fight against wildfires in our province.
Officials say a fire burning in the Fraser Canyon is
now considered held now. That means the fire is not
expected to spread beyond its current size of two point
five hectares. Nearly two dozen firefighters are on the ground
battling the flames. The fire broke out Friday and is
believed to have been sparked by human activity.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
So far, no structures have been lost here on the island.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
A new apartment building in Sanwich is starting to accept
applications and it's being advertised directly at students, but it
may not be student friendly.
Speaker 5 (06:41):
Housing experts say, despite.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Many new builds on the island during this housing crisis,
don't expect anything to be affordable.
Speaker 5 (06:48):
Corey Sitaway reports.
Speaker 9 (06:50):
At the intersection of two of Sandwich's busiest roads are
massive changes popping up. First on the corner is an
apartment building University Heights, now open for rent.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Gone are the days where I think you're seeing rents
under one thousand dollars. The reality of the cost of
construction is such that you will see rents being higher
than anybody wants.
Speaker 9 (07:13):
At University Heights, the units are small and they're expensive,
between three hundred and fifty to nine hundred square feet,
with studios ranging from eighteen hundred to two thousand dollars,
one bedrooms from twenty three hundred to twenty eight hundred dollars,
and two bedrooms from thirty three hundred to thirty seven
hundred dollars. The price is the target of online backlash
(07:34):
by some who can't fathom who could possibly afford it.
The building is the first Canadian development by the American
company Gray Star. They're branding the units as modern rentals,
a step above with premium finishes. It's pet friendly with
an outdoor courtyard, shared spaces like a gym, and study
rooms with air conditioning and in house washer dryer. Designed
(07:56):
to attract renters with a higher budget.
Speaker 10 (07:58):
So what we need is more now. You might say
the rent should be affordable, when they should be forced
to be affordable. But look, new housing's job is to
provide housing, and what it does is it absorbs the
top of the demand.
Speaker 9 (08:11):
You we see housing economists Tom Davidoff says expecting developers
of new builds to be responsible for creating affordable renters
is asking for too much that could result in a
building freeze. Instead, David Off argues new buildings like university
heights have a secondary effect on affordability.
Speaker 10 (08:29):
They perform the service of absorbing demand from those with
the greatest willingness to pay, leaving other people suffering less
from competition for older units.
Speaker 9 (08:38):
In other words, new builds creates more supply, which lowers
competition and ultimately prices. A softening Canada's market is currently seeing,
with Canada's Mortgage Housing Corporation and Rentals dot CA observing
a two point seven percent drop in the national average rent.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
While I acknowledge that when these units come online they
are going to be expensive, can you imagine how much
the current stock would be if we didn't have more
stock coming on?
Speaker 9 (09:06):
The argument from this economist and municipal politician is clear,
don't expect new rental stock to be directly affordable. Their
impact is basic economics that in creating more supply, it
will lower demand and over time prices.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Elsewhere well, the City of Nanaimo is looking at long
term parking needs and strategies as it seeks to help
remove red tape around housing developments, especially in the downtown area.
As Claire Palmer reports, it's one of a handful of
areas that have been earmarked as key centers for residential development.
Speaker 11 (09:43):
This is The Vault, a popular cafe in downtown Nanaimo.
The cafe doesn't have any parking after the city did
away with commercial parking regulations a few years ago, but
that hasn't kept patrons away. It's always busy. Advocates say
it's a success story on how removing parking regulations can
help build up downtown.
Speaker 12 (10:01):
But I think places like the places like Nanasushi everywhere
along Victoria Crescent here there's a testament to how these
places can remain financially resilient and economically viable without parking.
Speaker 11 (10:13):
In May, the city voted to remove parking minimums for
new residential development in downtown Nanaimo, making Nanaimo just the
second city in BC after Vancouver to do so. Now,
the city is looking at expanding that strategy to other
primary and secondary centers such as downtown, the country Club Center,
the wood Grove Center, and others. The city has been
working with consulting firm Urban Systems, who gave a presentation
(10:35):
to Council on July fourteenth about the ripple effects parking
changes could have on the community.
Speaker 13 (10:40):
Parking is a broad ranging subject matter, and so we
do think there's some opportunity through parking related regulation that
we can actually sort of start to reach some broader
city policy objectives. It's not strictly parking itself, but areas
around housing, affordability, environmental sustainability, health and wellbeing.
Speaker 11 (10:59):
The silly said it will make it easier for developers
to build downtown and that parking doesn't make her break
a neighborhood or a downtown. If the city invests in
other modes of transportation, people will naturally shift away from cars.
Speaker 12 (11:11):
As we've seen in places like Victoria. Right down the
way is that people they really do appreciate living in
their city, living in their public space. So showing people
that these transportation options exist and building the permeability of
transportation in the fabric of our city is sort of
the next up.
Speaker 11 (11:27):
City staff are due to return to Council in late
October with recommendations on both the parking strategy and on pricing.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
A Nanaimo couple is heartbroken and angry tonight that a
wedding ring they'd forgotten on vacation.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
In the US is being slacked.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
With US tariffs and Canadian duties. To have it returned
to them will it will cost them about two hundred
bucks and fees on top of the cost of shipping,
and as Sky Ryan reports, their priceless family heirloom hangs
in the balance.
Speaker 14 (11:55):
I'm doing find When Nanaimo's Andrea Nelson and James Baker
Taylor said I do. They wanted to include his late dad, James,
who they both loved dearly and who had recently passed
away from kidney failure.
Speaker 15 (12:08):
He was quite the character and he was a lot
of fun, so.
Speaker 14 (12:11):
They chose his gold rings, precious family heirlooms that he'd
handed down to them as their wedding rinks.
Speaker 16 (12:16):
It's a really nice reminder of my father and something
that he gave me.
Speaker 17 (12:20):
And the fact that it's being kept from us because
we need to pay for it is the most ridiculous
thing I've ever heard in my life.
Speaker 14 (12:26):
But taxes and US tariffs are now what they're being
faced with, because while visiting family in Washington State, Baker
Taylor took off his wedding ring when he took a
shower and forgot it. There had to have it shipped
to them in Nanaimo label to return with a five
hundred dollars value on it for insurance. When their courier
arrived at their Nanaimo door Wednesday, they got it costly surprise.
Speaker 17 (12:48):
I was told it was going to be one hundred
and eighty nine dollars to get my husband's wedding ring
back from across the border.
Speaker 15 (12:55):
When he found out, he of course was very upset.
It's his ring.
Speaker 17 (13:01):
His father has passed away as of twenty twenty two,
and it means a lot to us, incredibly like it
just I was.
Speaker 18 (13:09):
We were flabbergasted, especially because she's a student and he
has a small education business that he says is already
being hit hard by US tariffs when ordering supplies.
Speaker 16 (13:19):
And they've applied duties, taxes and tariff onto the item.
And it's just amazing to see this list on a
small wedding band, our wedding band.
Speaker 15 (13:31):
It was just.
Speaker 14 (13:33):
So The Nanaimo Copple is finding these fees by filling
out forms, making phone calls explaining the rings of family
heirloom they've owned for years, but so far it hasn't
gotten the results.
Speaker 15 (13:45):
That ring is just way too important.
Speaker 14 (13:47):
The Canadian Border Service Agency to stated to Check News.
Under certain conditions, bequests of personal and household goods may
be imported by residents of Canada's duty and tax free.
Prime document normally used for the purpose is a copy
of the deceased person's will to The couple hopes to
raise awareness to others who may find themselves facing similar
cross border fees just to get their hands on what
(14:10):
they already own.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Nanaimo's waters full of wacky water crafts today for the
annual regatta that puts waste in water for a good cause.
Floats funneling down to the waters and Mafeo Sutton Park
as part of the Silly Boat Regatta, paddlers are raising
money to help fund programs and therapeutic equipment at the
Nanaimo Child Development Center. To compete, all the silly boats
(14:35):
must be constructed out of recycled material, they can't have
a motor, and they must float for even a second
to be able to count in the competition.
Speaker 19 (14:44):
The Child Development Center's largest fundraising event, eight to ten
thousand people down at the park our goal is to
raise one hundred and twenty five thousand dollars, so that's
the goal and hopefully we make it there today.
Speaker 5 (14:56):
Amazing turnout.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Of course, many of the vessels not seaword, but they
do bring smiles to the faces of everyone involved. The
boats out today aren't the only silly speech stirt sailing
these waters right now.
Speaker 5 (15:08):
The Silly Boat.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Regatta also serves a reminder the International World Championship Bathtub
Race is less than a week away. Those boats hit
the water on July twenty fifth. Well a BC nurse
is being credited with documenting a rare sighting of one
of the ocean's most elusive giants, a leather back sea turtle,
swimming off the coast of Haida Gwai Now. She works
(15:29):
at a fishing lodge near Langara Island and was out
on the water last week with a colleague when she
saw this this unusual creature surfacing near their boat. Now
cutting off the power to the motor. They took this video,
quickly filming the massive creature as it swam peacefully near
the surface.
Speaker 20 (15:47):
I canna say anywhere from six to eight feet Obviously
we really only saw his head.
Speaker 15 (15:53):
But when it did originally pop up. I thought it
was a sea lion, so the.
Speaker 20 (15:58):
Head was the same size as a because it was
a brief kind of little pop up, and then he
kind of circled round, so then we realized what it was.
But I mean, if you can imagine the size of
a sea lion, the head, so we were just seeing
his shell. Gosh knows how long his legs and arms
and everything else were.
Speaker 5 (16:15):
So yeah, so cool. It's huge.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
Since nineteen thirty one, there have actually only been one
hundred and forty nine sightings of leatherback turtles off the
coast of our province. That's according to the Department of
Fisheries and Oceans Now. The encounter was also confirmed by
the DFO as the first verified leatherback sighting in BC
waters this year in twenty twenty five. The animal appeared healthy, uninjured,
(16:39):
and no signs of plastic entanglement that is one of
the leading.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
Threats to the species.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
A global study of four hundred and eight dead leatherback
turtles found that more than thirty percent had plastic in
their intestines. For more information on how to report a
sighting if you're lucky enough to see one in the wild.
You can head to our website at checknews dot Ca.
It's amazing the size of the them.
Speaker 12 (17:00):
So cool.
Speaker 21 (17:01):
I love sea turtle. Oh, it's incredible, so cool to
have them in our waters.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
And I always thought it was interesting because when you
go on BC Fairies, they have like a mural showing
you all the mammals and creatures in the sea, and
there's leather back on there, and I'm like, come on,
there's no leather bags here, Like, when do you ever
see them?
Speaker 21 (17:16):
We have palm trees and sea turtles coming.
Speaker 5 (17:18):
Here to eat the jellyfish.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
So it's an incredible migration from Indonesia to see them
here so far.
Speaker 21 (17:23):
What a story to come all of that way through no.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Kidding, unbelievable chili water but mild outside. When it popped
its head out, maybe got a little bit of a suntan.
Speaker 21 (17:32):
Yeah, and this week it might get more of a
suntan because we have warm weather again ahead and our forecast.
Let's take a look at our satellite radar and you
can see some areas of Washington State getting some much
needed precipitation today. But this system tracking further south, so
not really hitting us here. But you can see some
heavier bands in it, moving into the orange, red and
pinks there. So that's good news for Washington Steak because
(17:53):
they're also facing increased drought and over the last few
years a huge rainfall deficit, particularly in summer, same as
what we're seeing here in southern BC. So dry conditions
persisting for most parts of Vancouver Island. Unfortunately, that's the
bad news. There's only some areas that have a chance
of drizzle in the forecast, and drizzle it's not going
to do very much. We also have a risk of
thunderstorms for parts of the island in the forecast early
(18:16):
this evening and then again tomorrow afternoon, which of course
could spark more fires with those lightning strikes. So ideally
it would bring some precipitation and not spark any fires
because most of the fires and the rest of the country,
the majority of fires are sparked by lightning. And we
do have some severe thunderstorm warnings and watches in effect
over a good chunk of the country, including parts of
BC Hope and Merit and Clona have that in effect
(18:37):
right now. Here's a look at the fire danger rating
right now. So this was updated this afternoon for the province,
and it sure has changed a lot in a few days.
For Vancouver Island in particular, we are the driest spot
in the province. Right now, we have the highest fire
danger in the province. So when I looked at this
a couple of days ago, we were looking at half
of the island. Actually this map has just changed right now,
(18:59):
it's actually looking like most of the island is extreme
and then high. And before it was yellow for a
good chunk of the island which was moderate, and there
were even some little small pockets of green on the
map as well, So that red area has increased. It's
now going all the way to where you see port
Albernie dipping in, so all the way past Nanaimo was
now read this is actually yesterday's map, so we do
have red and then extreme for a good chunk of
(19:21):
the island as well as high conditions. Now today's weather photo,
in honor of the moon landing anniversary, which was back
on this day in nineteen sixty nine, are these shots
from Glenn Halverson, titled the Eagle has Landed. Canadians and
Canadian companies played a big and often overlooked role in
the moon landing developing the legs for the Apollo eleven's
lunar lander was one of the things, according to history
(19:42):
expert Craig Barrett, who says you could say it was
a Canadian. It was Canadian feet on the moon first.
And with Duce Days wrapping up today, I just had
to share these shots from Check viewers Sharon Anderson of
her pop Elsie in her little Deuce coop, including a
shot of Elsie checking the engine of her cool ride.
(20:03):
Very cute. We have more pet photos coming off as
well as kittens on today on Pet Check from Broken
Promises Rescue and the latest on our forecast and when
we can expect rain for the driest series of the islands,
South Island, East Island. It's not looking good at this point, Scott, all.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
Right, looking forward to it, Thanks so much, test Well.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Cattle ranchers in our province say large parcels of crownland
are sitting empty. They want to use them, but the
province has other ideas.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
Watch full Check newscasts weekdays at five, six, and ten
or anytime on Check plus or check News dot Ca.
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