Sober Nights in Nanaimo
As Nanaimo’s population marches past 90,000, and businesses note the growing influx of university students, the need for an accessible night-life for various demographics grows. While some venues are beginning to accommodate this need, there are still hurdles to overcome.
Start of the Season: Women’s Basketball
Even if you’re not a mega-fan, sports can still unite people. It’s fun to fall into the fabric of the culture, and uniting people is something I can get behind.
Backstage with Dark Matter Theatre Group
Dark Matter is a Nanaimo based group—and no, they’re not sponsored by Hoyne Brewing Company—that was originally formed by Brianna Wiens in 2015.
Vancouver Climate Strike and Me
From September 20–27, millions of people around the world participated in the Global Climate Strike.
In Defence of the Useless Degree
Anthropology, Archaeology, and History fueled my desire to learn. I saw them top a few “useless” lists in my time as a student. I still do. It is what you do with them, and your time at VIU, that makes their, and all the other degrees offered here, uses apparent.
Suicide at University and Why World Suicide Prevention Day Feels Hollow
World Suicide Prevention Day took place in September, and it made me realize that my university has done nothing to meaningfully and publicly address an incredibly tragic suicide that occurred on campus last autumn, one week prior to reading week in 2018.
To Park or Not to Park: That is (still) the Question
It is common knowledge amongst anyone who has spent more than a few hours with me that I do not drive. All of my five years commuting to and from the VIU campus have been facilitated by the public transit system. Yet, I often find myself stumbling into conversations about parking at VIU—a topic that … Continued
A VIU Ghost Story
For years, rumours about the ghost, or ghosts, of Malaspina Theatre have been passed down like a tattered copy of Hamlet; but for the most part, the presence of Neil Rutherford (and others) has been a well-kept department secret. Stories about ghost encounters tend to leave with students as they graduate, surprising new actors as … Continued
Our Candidates In Their Own Words Full Article
This article is the extended version from the Nav’s October print issue and is intended to educate voters on the candidates of the Nanaimo/Ladysmith riding. The questions try to encompass a personal and professional sense of the candidates. Editors Note: There are two candidates that don’t appear in the article due to a lack of … Continued
Far From Home
I took it upon myself to visit all the restaurants in Nanaimo that serve Japanese ramen. They stretch south to north, each with their own unique flair, restaurant atmosphere, and traditional Japanese qualities: Bistro Taiyo, Nana Sushi, Wa-Ku, Umai, and Nori. My Japanese friend from VIU, Hikarua Nakamura, came along when she was available and … Continued
RASTA Animal Sanctuary
Tucked away at the side of Chemainus Road lies a farm that would appear to be just like any other. Secluded by trees, you may be able to spot some of the animals out on the field as you drive by if you look hard (and quickly) enough. This is no ordinary farm, but the … Continued
Malecon Quinceanera
The chrome Indian head of a black ’49 Pontiac Chieftain Coupe, shimmers in the late afternoon sun. My Dad had one fifty years ago; it had leaky brakes and sometimes he had to angle it against the curb to stop it. It must have died long ago, but here, frozen in time, this one glides … Continued
When I Stopped Clapping
In a one-room schoolhouse a cast iron pot belly stove burned through great stacks of wood and sometimes mice whose necks had snapped in shiny steel traps. We all cheered and clapped when our hero dangled them by their tails and flung their tiny corpses into the fire. He was a lanky man … Continued
Bursting the Bubble: The Strength of Community in Nanaimo’s Music Scene
What’s it like to be a band in Nanaimo? If you ask the members of Sweetdreams and Lovely Grime, you can expect to hear a lot about community support, and a comradery with your fellow local artists that is unmatched anywhere else they’ve been. Add that to the growing number of venues in town and … Continued