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It is the start of a major summer event—more than 100,000 people are expected to view sand sculpture creations featured during the annual Parksville Beachfest, which starts today.

President of the Beach Festival Society Cheryl Dill says this year's theme should lead to some outstanding works of art.

Wonders of the World is the theme of this year's creations.

Sculptors spent yesterday beginning their masterpieces. 22 sculptures are expected. The gates open today at 2:00 o'clock.

2. The BC Maritime Employers Association says work has officially resumed at ports after a 13 day strike.

The news comes after about 7400 longshore workers and their employers at more than 30 ports along the BC coast reached a tentative deal yesterday.

The union has not commented on the agreement, but the employers association says workers returned to work late yesterday afternoon.

The four year pact is subject to ratification by both sides.

3. A student has every reason to smile after landing a $100,000 scholarship.

18 year old Paul Wu is a recent Schulich Leadership Scholarship recipient, one of 100 students to secure the honour across the country and among 1500 nominees. Wu is headed to Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, for the next four years to study computer sciences.

4. The weather is poised to be perfect for a movie under the stars.

Coastal community are hosting Sunset Cinema once more across the mid-island. Tonight, in Nanaimo's Maffeo Sutton Park, Minions, The Rise of Gru will be shown on a three-storey inflatable big screen. On Sunday, there will be a showing of the Super Mario Brothers movie in Parksville Community Park. Shows begin when it's dark enough with proceeds from the event going to the Children's Health Foundation of Vancouver Island.

5. The classification of aspartame—a sugar-substitute—as "possibly carcinogenic" by WHO is being reviewed in Canada.

The Canadian Cancer Society and Health Canada are reviewing the World Health Organization's classification of aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic" due to limited evidence linking it to liver cancer.

Despite the classification, aspartame is still considered safe to consume at the current recommended daily limit of 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

The organization representing employers at British Columbia's strikebound ports has suggested that binding arbitration could resolve the ongoing dispute. Over 7,000 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union have been on strike for six days.

2. The region has experienced warmer and drier conditions due to an abundance of high-pressure systems, resulting in a 16-day period without rain and a drought record of 52 consecutive days without measurable precipitation in Nanaimo.

Long-range forecasts predict that the above-normal conditions and below-average rainfall will persist for the foreseeable future.

A thin haze of smoke from wildfires in B.C.'s north temporarily affected air quality in Nanaimo, but the concentrations remained below advisory levels and are expected to clear before the weekend.

3. Stage four water restrictions, including bans on lawn watering and vehicle washing, are now in effect in many areas of the Regional District of Nanaimo due to increased drought levels.

The restrictions also include prohibitions on filling swimming pools, hot tubs, and garden pond water features.

Hand watering of gardens is still permitted under stage four water restrictions.

4. Eyewitness accounts of two local individuals are crucial in substantiating the charges against a suspect accused of deliberately setting fires in Nanaimo.

5. The Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival has launched a season of summer events.

The festival features inclusive dragon boat racing, with a fourth team now able to compete due to a slight shift in the course.

In addition to the races, the festival offers on-shore activities, food trucks, vendors, kids activities, and cultural entertainment from Nanaimo's own Crimson Coast Dance Society.

The Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation is the principal beneficiary of the Dragon Boat Festival with proceeds supporting breast cancer initiatives.