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Author: Nila Abasian
When Sgt. Adrian Last joined the Canadian Rangers in early 2020, he didn’t expect the experience to reconnect him with his Indigenous roots. But over the past five years, serving with the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group in his hometown of Gold River has done exactly that, and given new meaning to a day that honours the generations who came before him. “It’s really important to acknowledge that there are Indigenous veterans, and that there have been Indigenous veterans,” Last told Victoria News. “Even though the relationships in this country haven’t always been perfect, Indigenous people have been fighting for Canada throughout history, right alongside everyone else. We’re all Canadians, and that’s what we fight for.” Each year on Nov. 8, communities across the country mark Indigenous Veterans Day, a national day of remembrance that originated in Winnipeg in 1994. Before its creation, Indigenous veterans were often excluded from Remembrance Day ceremonies. They couldn’t march together as a group or lay wreaths at cenotaphs. The day was established to correct that oversight and recognize the thousands of First Nations, Métis and Inuit soldiers who served in conflicts dating back to the War of 1812. More than 12,000 Indigenous people served in the Canadian Armed Forces in the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War. Many brought valuable traditional skills to the battlefield, scouts, trackers and snipers whose knowledge of the land made them invaluable in combat. That same spirit of service continues today through the Canadian Rangers, a reserve force made up largely of Indigenous members who patrol and support remote and northern communities. They’re known as the “eyes and ears” of the Canadian Armed Forces, drawing on their traditional knowledge to assist during emergencies, sovereignty patrols and search and rescue operations. In Gold River, the Rangers have been part of the community since 1992. Last joined after his two children became involved in the Junior Canadian Rangers program, and the whole family soon followed suit. “It’s a really good way to serve your community and your country,” he said. “You feel like you’re part of something bigger than just the little villages we’re from.” Through his time with the Rangers, Last has also found space to rediscover parts of his own identity. His mother’s side of the family is Algonquin (Ontario), and he grew up in Mowachaht/Muchalaht (Gold River) territory on Vancouver Island. For years, he said, conversations around their Indigenous background were quiet, even avoided. “My mom was of the age where it wasn’t really talked about,” he said. “For me, joining the Canadian Armed Forces introduced me to strong, proud Indigenous men who encouraged me to explore my culture. It really opened a floodgate for me. It came at the right time.” Now, when Indigenous Veterans Day arrives each November, Last takes it as a day for reflection. “There aren’t big ceremonies in Gold River, but I use these days to think about the people who served before us,” he said. “It’s more meaningful now that I understand that part of my history.” For Last, the day is a reminder that honouring Indigenous veterans isn’t about separation from Canada’s story, it’s about completing it. “It’s all part of the same history,” he said. “Recognizing Indigenous veterans just makes that history more whole.” Indigenous veterans and military personnel will be honoured during an Indigenous Veterans Day ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 10 a.m. at the cenotaph outside the B.C. legislature. After that, Legion #292 (Trafalgar/Pro Patria) will welcome Sgt. Last and CR. Smecher of the Canadian Rangers from noon until 2 p.m. to share how their local knowledge and heritage help them patrol, provide surveillance, and support the Canadian Armed Forces.
Parksville Fire Rescue was awarded $40,000 from the Union of BC Municipalities Community Emergency Preparedness Volunteer (Composite Fire Departments Equipment and Training) Fund enabling the purchase and installation of advanced decontamination equipment. Grant funding was approved in 2024 and the project with a total cost of $41,144, was completed in October 2025. According to a press release, installation of Meiko decontamination washer and related equipment has significantly enhanced the department’s ability to meet both community needs and the BC Structure Firefighter Minimum Training Standards by ensuring personal protective equipment such as self-contained breathing apparatus, helmets, air cylinders and facepieces are properly decontaminated after each use, reducing the risk of long-term health issues caused by exposure to carcinogens and other hazards. This project has also enhanced the resilience of Parksville Fire Rescue operational readiness by significantly reducing the time and labour required to clean firefighter gear facilitating a quicker turnaround time. “By equipping Parksville firefighters with the knowledge and equipment to maintain clean gear, the department has taken a proactive step in protecting the long-term health of members,” said acting assistant chief Cam Cruickshank. “Knowing their gear is properly cleaned helps to alleviate stress and anxiety related to potential health risks, contributing to a healthier work environment in a high-risk profession.”
Five Ballenas Whalers senior varsity players were named to the B.C. Secondary Schools Football Island Division All-Star team. Offensive linemen Draeden Jones and Matt Crowie, receiver Riley Wilson, linebacker Bennet Switzer and defensive back Malcolm Williams were recognized for their performance during the regular season, assisting the Whalers to advance to the quarterfinals of the provincial playoffs. They will face the Argyle Secondary Pipers on Nov. 14. Switzer, who also plays running back, leads the Whalers defence with 50 tackles in the five games he played, with one interception and one touchdown. “It’s an honour to be placed in that skilled group,” said Switzer, who learned how to play football when he was in Prince George. “It’s cool to be recognized for work that I did in the regular season.” Williams, who is only in Grade 11, has also been a key defensively for the Whalers, having recorded seven tackles and three interceptions to his credit. “It was kind of unexpected,” said Williams. “It’s definitely nice though. It just shows that the hard work I’ve been doing is paying off.” The players named to the all-star team are selected by coaches of opposing teams in the Island Division. Head coach Dan Smith said they are proud to have five Whalers named as all-stars. He added that there are other players worthy of being included who just missed out. He told the other players that “they became all-stars because of the players around them give them opportunities to excel and to show their talents and their skills. That’s really what that’s about.” The Whalers also gave recognition to two of their junior players for helping the senior Whalers whenever they are short of players. Offensive and defensive linemen Bentley Dore-Radil and Douglas Pitt were honoured by the coaching staff as ‘Junior Ironman Call Up Players.’ Junior head coach Mike Seselja, who organizes the Nanoose Bay Halloween Walk involving the Whalers football team, congratulated players who took part in the annual fundraising event. The Whalers program will receive $17,036 and put more than $180 in cash donations, with $5,678 being donated to the the Nanoose Bay Elementary School and $500 to the District 69 Global Roams program. “We’ve been doing this for almost 14 years and it started off as a barbeque at someone else’s house,” Seselja said. “Three years later we did it at our house and then we decided to make it a fundraiser for a hockey team. We made $1,500 I think for the first time we did it. It was just by donation. That weekend has just ballooned into a big event.” The Halloween Walk attracts visitors from all over Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. The success of the annual event is contingent on the participation of players, the support of the Whalers parents, many volunteers, local businesses and also the community. “It’s a huge thing,” said Seselja. “The football program needs that money to carry on, to buy all the equipment, to pay the buses, and all the different things that you have.” Seselja pointed out two players for acting roles as pirates on the night of the Halloween walk. Brothers Oleksii and Yurii Katsevych were awarded the ‘Best Pirate Actors’ at the Halloween Walk. The Whalers are now preparing the for a AA quarter-final clash against the Pipers. The BCSSFA calls the match the featured game of the week that will be played in North Vancouver on Nov. 14. Williams wants to really avenge a earlier loss. “The last game, we were missing a lot of key important players,” said Williams. “This game, we should have them all back and healthy, just trying to dial in the game.” The Junior Whalers will take on the John Barsby Bulldogs in their AA quarter-final playoff match at Harewood East Artificial Turf on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 5:30 p.m.
A program to help youths in Nanaimo get their driver’s licences can rev up thanks to a $50,000 grant. Nanaimo Youth Services Association recently announced a $50,000 grant from RBC for its ‘L2N’ driving practice program. The program provides free one-on-one driving practice for youths who face barriers to getting their licence. L2N, delivered in partnership with Snuneymuxw First Nation, has already supported 165 people, with 116 earning a novice driver’s licence and 12 getting their learner’s licence. The program is proud of its 80-per cent pass rate which it says is well above the provincial average. “In a city like Nanaimo, a driver’s license is more than a piece of plastic, it’s a key to a future,” said Anthony Maki, director of the L2N program at NYSA, in a press release. Nicole Slater, RBC’s incoming regional vice-president for north Vancouver Island, said in the release staff at bank branches in Nanaimo see young people facing challenges every day. “The L2N program provides a direct, practical solution that helps youth build a better future for themselves right here in our community,” she said.
A man who locked himself in a Nanaimo house and potentially had a gun has been apprehended and taken to hospital. The incident took place at Bowstring Close, near Departure Bay Road, Saturday, Nov. 8 at approximately noon, according to reserve Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson, and it involved a person who was thought to be having a “mental health crisis.” The man was said to be acting “erractically” this morning. “Given that situation, the street was shut down,” said O’Brien. “Our emergency response team was called in, with hostage negotiator, and after a certain period of time, the individual was removed from the home, apprehended under the (B.C.) Mental Health Act, taken to hospital for psychiatric examination.” No shots were fired at police, according to O’Brien, but officers did utilize “less-than-lethal” ammunition, which did not significantly injure the man and the home has been secured. A search warrant is being prepared to allow RCMP officers to search the home for any firearms, the reserve constable said. It is not known whether the man was under the influence of illicit substances.
Guitar may not be everyone’s first thought when it comes to classical compositions, but when listening to the music of Ferdinando Carulli, guitar becomes a gateway to the late 18th century. The Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra is starting its 2025-26 season on Saturday, Nov. 15, featuring guest classical guitar soloist Alan Rinehart playing Carulli’s baroque Guitar Concerto in E Minor, Opus 140. “It’s not a big piece, in terms of sound, but it follows a very typical classical form,” Rinehart told the News Bulletin. “You think of Mozart or Haydn if they had written a guitar concerto, it would be similar sounding to that.” Rinehart began playing classical guitar 50 years ago, and since then co-founded the Vancouver Guitar Quartet, released 10 solo CDs, and taught in the music departments at Vancouver Community College and the University of British Columbia. The musician said when he picked up the guitar in the early 1970s he was drawn into rock and folk, but that didn’t last long. “When I heard a classical guitarist and heard recordings it really caught my interest and I was hooked,” he said. “It became a real, total vocation for me and I have been doing it ever since.” Rinehart said anyone who studies classical guitar will come across Carulli as a fundamental musician in the genre. “He wrote a tremendous amount of music for early playing, and he wrote a lot of music for solo guitar but he really shines when he writes chamber music. It’s a real little gem in three short movements, about 16 minutes long. It has some moments of real beauty and moments of real drama.” The end result is what Rinehart considers a ‘conversation’ between the guitarist and the orchestra throughout the piece. “The orchestra makes a statement, the guitar answers the statement … then there’s some combined playing.” Other music attendees can expect in the upcoming show includes Vivaldi’s Concerto Alla Rustica, Tomaso Albinoni’s Sinfonia a Cinq, Opus 2 and Dag Wirén’s Serenade for Strings. “It’s an appealing program, it’s not going to be too intellectual or too unpleasantly modern,” the guitarist said. Titled Sweet Strings, the show takes place on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2:30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, and Sunday, Nov. 16, at 2:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church in Ladysmith. Admission is $25 for adults, $5 for students and free for those under 13. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at www.nanaimochamberorchestra.com [http://www.nanaimochamberorchestra.com].
To the editor, As Remembrance Day draws near, our thoughts turn to the immense sacrifices of the men and women of our armed forces who bravely gave their lives for the freedoms we cherish today. Equally vital yet often overlooked are the merchant marines. These men and women, while operating under perilous conditions, were the lifeblood of the war effort, transporting troops and essential supplies such as weapons, food, fuel, clothing, etc. Their ships were frequently targeted by enemy forces leading to a high casualty rate. Thankfully, even today the brave merchant marines, in spite of being a highly hazardous industry, continue to ensure the global flow of goods. Just look what goes on in the Red Sea off of Yemen. Therefore, let us all collectively honour and remember all the brave men and women who served and still serve in our armed forces and our courageous merchant marines. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude and must keep their stories alive. Lest we forget. Patricia MacKay, Nanaimo — The views and opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of Black Press Media or the Nanaimo News Bulletin. Letters policy: Letters should be no longer than 250 words and will be edited. Preference is given to letters expressing an opinion on issues of local relevance or responding to items published in the News Bulletin. Include your address (it won’t be published) and a first name or two initials, and a surname. Unsigned letters will not be published. Mail: Letters, Nanaimo News Bulletin, 777 Poplar St., Nanaimo, B.C. V9S 2H7 E-mail: editor@nanaimobulletin.com
Over the past few years, there has been a definite increase in the number of restaurants serving ramen in Victoria, either as a menu item or as the feature dish. Of the latter, one of the newest is Kinton Ramen in the new Customs House building between Lulu Lemon and Starbucks. Kinton Ramen is a Canadian chain with 52 locations across the country. Victoria’s rendition offers a modern interior of open ceilings with exposed ductwork, polished concrete floors, dark colours enlivened with orange pine-topped tables and backless benches, and lustrous golden-tiled wall panels. A yellow neon sign at the back advertises “A Bowl of Happiness.” Ramen is a Japanese street food, but at Kinton it is served restaurant-style. Fast food without the counter and menu boards, but as one would expect of any successful fast-food chain, the table menu is well laid out. Columns offer pork, chicken, beef or vegetarian, while crossing rows offer different styles of preparation: original, shoyu, miso, spicy garlic and spicy jalapeño. One selects from the grid, then chooses between thin, thick or Shirataki noodles, the latter of which are gluten free because they are made from potatoes. Bowls are all of one size and priced at $16.99 or $17.99. But of course, if you’re hungry, you can make that a combo. The Meal for One ($25.99) offers any ramen bowl, a choice of pork or vegetable gyozas or Tokyo Fries (topped with bonito flakes and shredded nori) and a Coca-Cola product beverage. Meals for two ($44.99) and for four ($87.99) are also available. An unusual twist is the Beer/Sake combo ($23.99), which gives you any ramen bowl plus a 16-ounce glass of Sapporo Draft beer and a 5-ounce glass of “house” sake. I and my dining partner, Carla, opt to pass on the beverages and order a bowl and a gyoza each. Carla chooses the basic Original Pork bowl with thin noodles, so I go bold, opting for the Spicy Garlic Beef bowl with thick noodles, to which I added a seasoned egg. And, as she chose the pork Gyoza, I go with the veggie. Gyoza ($6.99) is a Japanese dumpling, similar in style to a Chinese pot-sticker. Kinton serves them four to a plate, topped with a sweet chili sauce. Though the pork gyozas are good, Carla and I both prefer the vegetarian version for its fresher flavours that I find work particularly well with her Original Pork Ramen. Her bowl features a smooth cream-based sauce with a seasoned egg included, sea salt, nori, bamboo shoots, scallions and wood ear mushrooms in addition to slivers of fatty side pork (the same cut as side bacon, but without cure or smoke). The overall impression is smooth umami, almost bland, which I find preferable to the raw searing heat that dominates my bowl. I can barely make out the flavours of the beef broth, horseradish, bamboo shoots, scallions and garlic. My seasoned egg is perfectly boiled to a medium yolk (bright yellow with a jammy texture), and the large, thin, two-bite slices of tender grainy beef brisket are delectable, but neither is enough to compensate for the brutal deployment of chili oil. I can tolerate a lot of heat, but no matter the intensity, spice should always work with the other flavours, adding another layer to a complex, harmonious whole. This heat does not do that. I haven’t tried every ramen house in the city, but the ones I have visited our proud to offer in-house-made noodles. At Kinton, my server wasn’t sure. My takeaway is that this is fast food that will fill a belly at a reasonable price, but it’s not the promised “bowl of happiness.” Kinton Ramen 813 Wharf Street 250 590 9699 kintonramen.com