It’s Raining, It’s Pouring, and It’s Okay to be Sad
The weather can bring you down. I dealt with many blistering cold days in my home province of Alberta—days with the kind of wind that numbs your skin instantly and freezes your eyebrow hairs into two icy little worms. The thought of moving to beautiful Vancouver Island for university was highly appealing to me. Specifically, … Continued
Thrifting for Thrift Stores
Thrifting is an economical, eco friendly, and increasingly trendy (not to mention fun) shopping experience. However, when my friends ask if I would like to go thrift shopping in Nanaimo, we often end up at Value Village. There is nothing wrong with Value Village—it has a large store format and plenty of options to shop … 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
Best of the City: Axe and Grind
With the passing of the fall semester classes and exams, students at VIU are bound to have a little bit of pent-up aggression. There’s no better way to let that out than a bit of friendly competition with your friends.
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 Baby Was Born Premature: A Book Review
Our Baby Was Born Premature (the Same Way He Was Conceived) by Paul Alexander is a charming and honest debut novel that showcases the true triumphs and chaos of first-time parenthood. Cleverly constructed in what the back of the book refers to as “super-tweets,” the novel is Alexander’s personal collection of brief paragraphs, starting with … Continued
14 Vancouver Island summer activities
Now that the school year is coming to a close, you may be looking for things to do in Nanaimo and beyond—especially if this is your first summer on Vancouver Island. Here’s a list of activities to keep you occupied on your days off. Kayaking You can kayak almost anywhere there’s a source of water … Continued
On the regional MMA scene in Vancouver Island
On the regional MMA scene of Vancouver Island, Rob Biernacki is a highly regarded and sought after Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) instructor. He has been training for years and earned his black belt through former mixed martial artist Charles McCarthy. Biernacki’s life experiences have shaped him into a very cerebral, methodical competitor, and person. He has … Continued
Oh, the places you could go
Despite what most Canadian maps seem to suggest, Vancouver Island contains more than just Victoria and Nanaimo. The following off-the-beaten-path towns and parks are only a car drive (and sometimes a ferry ride) away from our Nanaimo campus. From skiing, surfing, hiking, and storm watching, to enjoying good food in scenic small towns, the Island … Continued
Old growth trees: A life lesson
Above: There is unrest in the forest. There is trouble in the trees. 📷 Natalie Gates By contributor Dallas Bezaire On this beautiful rock we call Vancouver Island, we have some of the most spectacular and rare ecosystems in the world. I am not talking about VIU’s plethora of bunnies, or the amazing aquatic ecosystems that teem … Continued
A guide to Hiking BC safely
By contributor Kelly Whiteside Vancouver Island saw a spike in activity on its hiking trails this past summer, as did most of BC, and, probably, the rest of the world, and it appears that the winter weather hasn’t deterred as many people as it used to. Thanks to photo-sharing websites such as Facebook, Instagram, and … Continued
Everyday Earth: Piece by piece
Above: Photo via Suzanne Leithead on Panoramio By contributor Chantelle Spicer Over the long weekend I got to relish in one of my favourite things: being faced with pure, wild nature, this time in the form of a wind-whipped ocean. It made me smile, it made me cry a little bit (from both the wind and … Continued
A Wee-Tipple, and then another
As I sit down to write this, a haze remains on my brain that has been there since this morning—this being the result of an evening of sample upon sample at the Crimson Coast Dance Society’s 13th annual Wee-Tipple Party. For those of you unsure of what that means, it’s Nanaimo’s premiere whisky festival. The … Continued
Handcrafted Valentine’s treats on Vancouver Island
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and the stores are positively blushing red and pink—maybe even purple. Forget run-of-the-mill name brand chocolates or sweets—this isn’t Halloween. Your sweetheart deserves the highest quality, locally-made, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Below are a few options, all handcrafted on the Island. A Wee Cupcakery Around the corner on Fitzwilliam St., … Continued