Take Cover!
The Great BC ShakeOut returns to Nanaimo at 10:20 a.m. on Thursday, October 21, with the annual ShakeOut drill. This event is part of International ShakeOut Day (the third Thursday of October) dedicated to spreading earthquake and emergency awareness. The City of Nanaimo October 14 press release states: “[The Great BC ShakeOut is] more than … Continued
A Call for Greater Climate Action at VIU
VIU students, staff, and faculty, along with community members, are calling on the university to take more action against climate change. In an open letter addressed to VIU president and vice-chancellor Dr. Deborah Saucier, the signers asked the university to declare a climate emergency. This is something that the Nanaimo City Council, and other universities … Continued
The Hand They’re Dealt
Students have a lot on their plate this year: school, finances, COVID-19 restrictions, and as of September 13, vaccine cards. Proof of vaccination is required to access non-essential services such as restaurants, theatres, and fitness centers. Customers could use their paper vaccine cards (stamped after each dose) until September 26; now, they must show the … Continued
VIU Webinar to Address Housing Crisis
VIU’s October 14 Engaged Citizens Speaker Series will address a crucial topic: housing. Housing was already an issue before the pandemic, but with job losses and economic uncertainty due to COVID-19, it’s become a struggle for many Canadians. The Engaged Citizens Speaker for the webinar, Leilani Farha, believes access to safe and affordable housing is … Continued
Eyes Wide Open
The provincial government has taken another step to protect postsecondary students from illicit and potentially lethal drugs. The BC government announced that it was extending its Toxic Drugs Are Circulating campaign on Thursday, September 9. The campaign ran provincewide in August, but it will now specifically target students on university and college campuses across BC. … Continued
Counselling Through COVID
A new school year is stressful at the best of times. During a pandemic, it’s especially challenging. As classes resume at VIU for the 2021-22 academic year, both in-person and online, the focus is on mental health—especially for students. Prior to the pandemic, counselling was available in-person through Student Affairs and the former faculty of … Continued
We’re Hiring!
Are you a VIU student who wants to be closely connected to your community? Maybe you’re wondering what more the university environment can offer you and what you can contribute to it. The Navigator Student Press is looking for journalists and creatives who want to inform themselves and their peers through storytelling. If you strive … Continued
British Columbia Looking to Electrify Industrial Vehicles
A Vancouver Island-based electric vehicle company has received nearly $300k in government funding through the CleanBC Advanced Research and Commercialization (ARC) program. Canadian Electric Vehicles (CanEV) is a Parksville-based company that specializes in designing and producing electric vehicles (EVs) and converting vehicles from combustion to electric systems. The company has converted a wide variety of … Continued
The Bee’s Knees
Thanks to the VIU Eco Club, those looking to help out their local pollinators can get some native wildflower seeds for free at the VIUSU Pub. “[We] wanted to give wildflower seeds out, but just didn’t know how to get them to people,” Haley Andersen, event coordinator for the Eco Club, said in an interview. … Continued
Updating Gendered Language in BC and Beyond
If you haven’t heard the news, everybody’s favourite plastic potato is getting a rebrand. Hasbro’s Mr. Potato Head products will be sold as just Potato Head in the near future. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head as characters will still be available for purchase, just sold under the brand Potato Head. This news came as part … Continued
Seeing Light at the End of the Tunnel
Exactly one year ago, on March 15, 2020, VIU’s University Relations team sent every VIU student an email with a subject line reading, “COVID-19 UPDATE: VIU transitioning to alternate course delivery and assessment.” VIU, along with other post-secondary institutions around the province, had finally decided that, for the safety of students, staff, and faculty, all … Continued
Perseverance on Mars
Perseverance, NASA’s fifth Mars rover, successfully landed on the Red Planet on February 18, 2021. The newest Mars rover is a product of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. The mission’s primary goal is to investigate astrobiology by searching for signs of ancient microbial life in Martian rock and soil. Perseverance is the first Mars rover equipped … Continued
Nanaimo Parks, Recreation and Culture Spring Programs
Registrations for the City of Nanaimo’s Parks, Recreation and Culture spring programs will open Wednesday, March 3. If you find yourself feeling a little cooped up after a winter amid a pandemic, Nanaimo’s spring programs are a good solution. “If anything, this pandemic has shown us how important being active is for both physical and … Continued
Lights, Camera, Action:
Emerging filmmakers and storytellers will soon be able to dust off their cameras and start working on their creative endeavours again as the provincial government announces the Reel Focus BC program. Through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, the Province will be launching its first development program with $200k targeted to up-and-coming and/or … Continued