Navigator Newspaper Society Nominations and AGM
The Navigator Newspaper Society Board of Directors Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place over Google Meet on November 30, 2021, at 5 pm PST. Nominations are now open for the annual election. To nominate, visit this Google Form and submit before nominations close on November 22. Successful nominees will work together with a small … Continued
People, Place, Potential
VIU has developed a new strategic plan. People, Place, Potential will be implemented between 2021 and 2026 to guide the University’s activities. The University made the announcement on Wednesday, November 3, 2021. In a press release, VIU President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Deborah Saucier stated, “The Strategic Plan will help us chart the course to become … Continued
Off to the Polls:
The polls are open again! For VIU Students’ Union (VIUSU) elections, that is. From Tuesday, October 19, to Thursday, October 21, students can choose who they want to represent them at VIUSU. The voting will take place electronically via a unique link emailed to every VIU student. Votes can be cast at all hours until … Continued
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