Van Island News

Mission

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  Fastest-informed: Make Vancouver Island the fastest-informed region in Canada.
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  Signal over noise: Cut through clutter and deliver what matters — quickly, clearly, and without paywalls.
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  Future-facing, community-grounded: Experiment with new tools while staying accountable to the Island.

How It's Built

I design, code, and operate the entire site end to end — built for speed, reliability, and clarity.

Stack, at a glance

• Next.js 15 (App Router) with React and TypeScript
• Contentlayer + MDX for a simple, fast publishing workflow
• Tailwind CSS 4 with typography for readable, responsive pages
• Vercel for hosting, image optimization, and edge features
• Upstash Redis for caching, deduplication, and rate limiting
• Maps via Mapbox/MapLibre with live GeoJSON overlays

Automation & reliability

• Autopublish pipeline: Detects events from BC Wildfire Service, Environment Canada, BC Hydro, BC Ferries, Open511, and 40+ newsroom feeds
• Intelligent scoring: Severity + Vancouver Island relevance decide draft vs. publish
• Guardrails: Two‑source rule for critical events, safety checks, and a human-in-the-loop
• Follow‑ups: Monitors published stories for 6 hours with 30‑minute checks
• Breaking banner: Edge‑powered banner for critical updates

Data & Integrations

• Wildfires: ArcGIS FeatureService from BC Wildfire Service with geographic filtering for Vancouver Island
• Weather alerts: Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Power outages: Enhanced BC Hydro data (crew status, ETAs, restoration, regions)
• Ferries: Capacity and disruption signals for key routes
• Roads: Open511 closures and advisories
• Newsroom feeds: 40+ trusted RSS sources with intelligent deduplication

Innovation, Not Hype

Van Island News experiments with new technologies — from real‑time data APIs to AI‑assisted development — to move faster and deliver more to readers. Automation is used carefully with guardrails. The tools help; the editorial judgment, product decisions, and execution are mine.

Why Independent?

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  Speed and focus: No bureaucracy — ship improvements and coverage in hours, not quarters.
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  Local first: Built for islanders, not an algorithm.
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  No paywalls: Access matters more than ad impressions.

How Stories Are Made (Transparency)

• Sources: Aggregated from trusted feeds, official releases, and primary data.
• Automation: Systems surface what's timely; I decide what's worth your attention.
• AI assist: Sometimes used to draft or summarize; always reviewed and edited for clarity and accuracy.
• Corrections: If we miss, we fix — quickly and clearly. See the full process on the Methodology page.

Read more on the Methodology page.

Personal Context

I'm Jeromy, born in 1991. I graduated from high school here in the Comox Valley in 2009 and have deep roots on the Island. I've lived here most of my life and care deeply about its communities — from ferries and forests to housing and local arts.

I love building small, sharp products that can punch above their weight. Van Island News is exactly that — a lean, focused newsroom that delivers outsized value to islanders.

When I'm not shipping features or monitoring breaking news, you'll probably find me painting or grilling over charcoal.

Support & Contact

Have a tip, a correction, or an idea? Email me: news@vanislandnews.ca

If you find Van Island News valuable, share it with a neighbour.