Police target Nickelback fans in B.C., nab 18 alleged drunk drivers

Chad Kroeger of Nickelback performs alongside Ryan Peake as the band performs during the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

LAKE COWICHAN — Police on Vancouver Island say roadside checks set up for a Nickelback concert this month resulted in 142 breath demands and netted 18 alleged drunk drivers.

The BC Highway Patrol says 54 other types of violation tickets were handed out after the checks were conducted in Lake Cowichan, B.C., for the concert by the rock band on Aug. 9.

The alcohol screenings resulted in 13 drivers being issued immediate 90-day driving prohibitions, four receiving three-day prohibitions and one 24-hour ban.

The Nickelback concert at the Laketown Amphitheatre was billed by ticket retailers as the band’s first performance on Vancouver Island in 20 years.

BC Highway Patrol says it also made 220 roadside breath demands during the previous weekend around Lake Cowichan for the four-day Sunfest concert festival.

These resulted in 11 driving prohibitions and 172 other violation tickets.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2025.