Save Cable Bay Trail
Sign the Petition
Action as an Antidote
VIU Eco Club
More Than Food
The VIU Farmers Market and the WEST Program
Global Storytelling
Sonnet L'Abbé and Craig Taylor Speak for the Colloquium Series
The latest entry in the Arts and Humanities Colloquium Series took place on Friday, February 11.Creative Writing and Journalism professors Craig Taylor and Dr. Sonnet L'Abbé presented on “Listening to The World / Storying A Place” in Malaspina Theatre.It was the second of three events in VIU’s Spring 2022 Colloquium Series, and took place during Global Citizens Week. The series encourages discussion on topics and ideas within the Art and Humanities faculty and their communities.Taylor, who has written plays, non-fiction novels, and stories for The New York Times and The ...
A Say on Services
VIUSU's Referendum and Elections
March is usually a busy month for VIU students is with assignments, exams, and final years getting ready to graduate.This year, there’s something else important for students to remember—the VIU Students’ Union (VIUSU) referendum and elections being held online March 1–3, 2022.While VIUSU elections are twice a year, the student referendum is something many current students will have never seen before. The referendum poses six questions, each corresponding to a proposal affecting students. All VIU students have a right to vote on the questions and in the election.The first two ...
The Role of the Preserved Poem
A.F. Moritz's Gustafson Poet Lecture
Acclaimed poet A.F. Moritz is the 2021–2022 Ralph Gustafson Distinguished Poet at VIU.Moritz has written over 20 books of poetry, most recently As Far As You Know (2020). He has won many awards including the Griffin Poetry Prize and the Guggenheim Fellowship, and was nominated three times for the Governor General’s Award. He is currently serving as the Poet Laureate for the City of Toronto (2019–2023).His Gustafson Lecture, “Poetry: Future Present of the Past,” will examine what writers choose to let live on the page.Moritz writes, “For all my love of writing, reading, books, ...
VIU’s Volunteer Tutor Program
Learning on Both Sides
I joined the VIU Volunteer Tutor Program last August because I was feeling a bit purposeless. I wanted to do something that helped people in a real and immediate way.After tutoring a bit in high school, I felt ready to do it again.The application process was easy. I reached out to the coordinator, Roberta Jenkins, via email, and we arranged a meeting. Then all I had to do was take a criminal record check, the $10 charge paid for by the program.I immediately felt very welcomed and appreciated.“I trust you,” Jenkins told me during our meeting. “Thank you,” I tried to say ...
Urban Issues Film Festival
Indigenous Voices
The Urban Issues Film Festival is coming back this Friday to VIU for the first time since 2019 as part of Global Citizens Week.“It’s great to be back,” Don Alexander, retired Geography professor and co-founder of the film festival, said. “We’ve been missing the festival.”Alexander said the event is “very student-driven.” The Master of Community Planning students do a lot of initial organization for the event, while the Geographic Students’ Union take over by volunteering the day of the film festival.“It’s a good way to show really important issues,” said Sarah Brosseau, ...
Connecting with the Local Art Scene
In a world of two-day Amazon shipping, it’s easy to become disconnected from one’s own community.There's a growing emphasis on supporting local businesses, and an achievable first step could be to take time to discover and support local artists. However, it can be a struggle to determine how to connect or reconnect with Vancouver Island’s art scene.Artzi Stuff is a good place to start. Located in downtown Nanaimo on Church Street, Artzi Stuff offers arts and crafts ranging from pottery, scarves, glasswork, metalwork, and jewelry; all made by local artists.Owner Tanya ...
A Deep Cut into Hairstyling at VIU
VIU is like a contained, thriving community. You can get your car fixed on campus, dine-in with a gourmet meal at The Discovery Room, or even get your hair cut.There are over 20 trade and technical field programs at VIU, and yet they can still be overlooked by the wider student population.Ocea Corfield calls this a “hidden underground, off-the-radar piece of VIU.” As a hairstyling student, she happens to be part of it. Corfield is completing the Hairstylist Level 2 (Apprenticeship) Program and going for her Interprovincial Red Seal Certification.Corfield was about 13 when she ...
What is Love?
More Than Romance
Valentine's Day is rapidly approaching. Chocolates and flowers are flying off the shelves like hot cakes, and stores are lined in red, pink, and white.Couples everywhere are planning romantic dates, buying cute gifts, and walking around with cartoon hearts in their eyes.While that’s all well and good, Valentine’s Day can feel like a celebration limited to people in romantic relationships. If you’re not in one, it’s like you’ve lost out on a holiday because you couldn’t find love in time. The typical view is that you’re either in a relationship and happy, or you’re single and ...
SoundWave
Music Never Gets Old
Music is a powerful thing—it brings people together, motivates us to keep going, and allows us to truly be ourselves. Music isn’t confined to a single genre, or length, and it most certainly doesn’t have an age limit. SoundWave, a choir like no other, proves that.Holly Wright was born with a burning desire to play guitar. By the time she was three years old, she knew that strumming on the guitar was what she wanted to do. She worked for years to convince her family to get her one and, when she turned seven, her parents finally gave in.Her love of music has only continued to ...
The Benefits of Spending Time Outside
and Where to Explore
A Rich and Majestic Land
Sheila Watt-Cloutier Speaks on Climate Change and the Arctic
VIU’s Engaged Citizens Speaker series returns on February 8, 2022, with an important human rights issue—climate change.Sheila Watt-Cloutier Siila's presentation Re-imagining a New Way Forward with Intention examines climate change and meaningful action from an Inuit perspective, drawing upon her own activism and experiences.Born and raised traditionally in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik (northern Quebec), Watt-Cloutier attended school in Nova Scotia and Manitoba. She served as the Canadian President of Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) from 1995-2002 and its International Chair from ...
New Year, and You’re Still You
As January nears its end, I can’t help but reflect on the month and how well I have followed my New Year's resolutions.My resolutions for 2022 were pretty typical for me. I wanted to go to the gym five times a week, eat super healthy, journal more, hike once a week, identify plants, knit a scarf, read at least two books a month, and wake up at 6am everyday. Now that I am typing them all out, I can see these resolutions have unreasonably high expectations.But this is how I have set myself up—with a slew of crazy goals requiring a complete lifestyle change. I cannot attain ...
Figuratively Speaking
View Gallery's Newest Moving Exhibit
The View Gallery has a new exhibition with a special message.Now through February 12, Figuratively Speaking: A Journey Through Movement is open to the public on the Vancouver Island University campus.The collection is the final project for Visual Arts student Pam Vickars’ curatorial course. Although it ended in December, she chose to have the exhibition in January in order to be uplifting.Vickars said, “Even when we get sometimes stuck in things that are difficult to deal with in our lives, we’re always moving.”Vickars chose four artists to feature in the collection: ...
ICCS
Housing Nanaimo's Homeless
Corrie Corfield, Island Crisis Care Society's Assistant Executive Director, chats with The Navigator about Nanaimo's homeless population, programs that are offered through the ICCS and other organization that are housing the homeless, and what you can do to help those who are sleeping rough.
A Beginner’s Blueberry Muffins
Over the winter break, a thought came to me out of the blue(berry):I want blueberry muffins.I would describe myself as a lifelong fan of blueberry muffins, but I hadn’t had one in what seemed like a couple of years. My brain decided this was an important issue that needed to be remedied.I went over a mental map of where I could find a blueberry muffin, prematurely mourning the extortion sure to accompany Starbucks’ offering. Then another idea occurred to me.Why don’t I make blueberry muffins?I am not much of a cook. The most complex dish I can offer is buttered toast, ...
Identifying Plants on Vancouver Island:
Your New 2022 Hobby?
My New Year's resolution, like many people’s, was to start going to the gym more come January. With the restrictions keeping gyms closed for the first few weeks of January, however, I decided to come up with another resolution—plant identification. Last year for Christmas I was given a book about plants in Canada and how to identify them called Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada by Andrew MacKinnon.For most of 2021, this book gathered dust on my shelf.This year, I was given another book on plants, this time specifically on identifying those found on the B.C. coast ...
2021 in (Book) Review
My Reward for Reading Widely
I read 45 books (and five plays) in 2021.I’ve always been a big reader, but last year was the first time I set out to make a comprehensive list of all the books I read. I was surprised by how many I got through!I read across a variety of genres last year, stepping outside my comfort zone and being well-rewarded for it. Here are five of my favourite reads from last year.1 and 2) We Hunt the Flame / We Free the Stars by Hafsah FaizelThis two-book series reminded me why I love reading. I have not obsessively enjoyed a fictional story to this extent in what feels like ...
Opinion: Sorry, Space Cowboy
Cowboy Bebop Remake is Netflix's Latest Blunder
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Cowboy Bebop (1998) and Cowboy Bebop (2021). Netflix remakes are usually a bad idea. It’s definitely not a good sign when the creators cancel the series after just the first season.I’m talking about Cowboy Bebop (2021), a remake of the 1998 Space Western anime.Both the original and the adaptation follow a group of bounty hunters on interplanetary adventures, each character with a unique personality and ghosts from their past. The anime features compelling stories, impressive animation, and a fantastic soundtrack.It ...
VIU Graduate Programs Expo
The Next Step
Don’t know what to do after you graduate? Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Graduate Programs Expo can help.VIU has a variety of postgraduate options, from master’s degrees to certificates and advanced diplomas, in programs such as Business, Education, and Fisheries and Aquaculture. However, navigating this world can be daunting.The Expo will answer questions students have about grad school, connect them to support services, and feature alumni who will share their experiences.The drop-in event is being hosted on Wednesday, January 19th, through the online event platform ...
Redesigning the Rhythm of VIU’s Music Department
On the night of December 1, 2021, eight students stood onstage in Malaspina Theatre before a backdrop of blue, purple, and pink lights. The Jazz Choir performed songs ranging from an angelically sung solo rendition of “Autumn in New York,” to an upbeat group performance of “I Got Rhythm.”It was the second night of the VIU Music Department’s three-night Term-End Concert series, with the Jazz Choir, VIU Singers, and Big Band performing. The night before, several jazz combos had showcased their skill, and the final night featured jazz group The Skye Douglas Project, with the proceeds ...
RISEBRIDGE
Warming the Heart of the Community
This winter has been one of the coldest on record for the Nanaimo area. Most fortunate people have a warm place to escape the frigid winter wind, but for many others, this isn’t the case.Multiple advocacy and community-led groups have stepped up to help those in need of extra support. One organisation in particular, RISEBRIDGE, or The Rise Bridge Project, has seen a greater need for warming centres for people who have nowhere else to go.RISEBRIDGE is a female-led, nonprofit organisation devoted to taking action towards equity and allyship for the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities in ...
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