I press the checkout button and a familiar giddiness rushes over me. My laptop pings—it’s an email telling me my purchase has been confirmed and will be shipped shortly. The countdown begins.Among the many aspects of life that the COVID-19 pandemic will change forever, the way we spend our money seems to be one of them; how we spend it, where we spend it, and who we support. One thing has become clear: the pandemic has fueled a significant shift in the way we shop, and these newfound habits are here to stay. Even before the pandemic, department stores were in a rapid decline. ...
On resilience: “How a person responds in the face of adversity is based on numerous factors, such as your support system (family and close friends), self-confidence, ability to communicate [feelings], and more.”
—Crohn’s and Colitis FoundationJon Bethell and I are sitting across from each other outside a coffee shop in downtown Nanaimo. I sip my coffee, he sips his, and we reminisce about our years growing up together. “Sports were my life,” he says. I remind him of how his family would be in the stands at each home game, his dad wearing an outrageously colorful hat and holding up ...
Les Malbon, professor of kinesiology at VIU, is excited to see the program he’s taught for over 40 years continue to grow.VIU’s Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education became Bachelor of Kinesiology in September 2020—a move that better reflects the program’s content and student interests, Malbon said in a VIU press release.Malbon will be retiring in about a year, and when that day comes, VIU will remember him as a pillar in the school’s sport and psychical education field. Malbon has had a hand in the progression of the program, helping develop both the physical education minor in ...
The holidays are all about lending a helping hand to those who need it. VIU's Culinary Arts Program is doing just that this season.The program is donating extra food to the Nanaimo Salvation Army New Hope Centre on Nicol Street, roughly the equivalent of 200 meals a week, VIU said in a press release.COVID-19 has forced VIU into a hybrid-learning delivery for the 2020 fall term and at least the 2021 spring term, meaning food that the Culinary Arts Program would normally sell at the cafeteria can't be. However, students still make food for The Discovery Room, VIU’s fine-dining ...
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world into isolation, everyone had to find new ways to stay connected with the people they care about. For thousands of people around the world, a new way to connect and bond came in the way of making a "TikTok musical" about a rat named Remy. Now, the musical is soon to be a reality.Back in August 2020, TikTok user Em Jaccs (@e_jaccs) uploaded a video to her TikTok account titled “Ode to Remy.” It was a love ballad about Remy, the fictional rat protagonist from Disney Pixar’s 2007 animated film Ratatouille. Her catchy love balled that goes ...
Nanaimo folk musician Spencer Hiemstra released his debut solo album Wildlife on December 11. He describes his album as singer-songwriter style folk music, but with the addition of fuller sounds like horns and keyboard.“Growing up I found that I resonated a lot with music that I found local, and I think that’s something that influenced my music,” he said.His album is perfect to listen to on a rainy west-coast day relaxing at home, or when driving across the Island in the summer months. Wildlife consists of eight songs that are relatable for anyone going through a change in their ...
A VIU press release announced that the Nanaimo campus and the Cowichan Trades Centre will be seeing new upgrades for greater accessibility. The Rick Hansen Foundation recently granted the VIU Foundation $240,000 for improving VIU’s 12 least accessible buildings.VIU's Universal Access Committee Chair Dr. Linda Derksen explains that the money comes from the BC Accessibility Grants Program through the Ministry of Social Development and Property Reduction.Handrails on ramps, high-contrast signs pointing to accessible routes, hearing equipment at service desks, change tables in ...
The first COVID-19 immunizations in BC have been administered in what the province is calling the most comprehensive vaccine program in the province's history.Nisha Yunus, a residential care aide of 41 years in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, was one of the first people in BC to receive the vaccine, while Linda Latour, a health-care assistant, was the first person in the Fraser Health region to be vaccinated.Yunus and Latour work in environments where they support and provide personal care to seniors. The BC government said that this vaccine will ensure the safety of them ...
Aries (March 21 to April 19)The stars see that you are determined to finish all of your final projects before their due dates. Congratulations on that, but be patient with your Aquarian friends that are probably procrastinating. Take this time to become their number one best friend by bringing them late-night Slurpees and mid-day cold brews. Just remember to not laugh out too loud when you see them struggling to get all of their overdue essays done in two days.Taurus (April 20 to May 20)“Good morning star-shine! The Earth says hello!” – Johnny Depp, Charlie and the Chocolate ...
While we're all still spending lots of time at home and surely have moved on from making homemade bread, creating your own Christmas ornaments is a time consuming DIY project that will give you that same sense of accomplishment, not to mention it's affordable and eco-friendly. Christmas decorations can get pricey and it's easy to accumulate seasonal items just to pack them away again in January. Making your own is a fun way to have something fresh every year that you don't have to shove in a box when the month is up—and you can admire your own handiwork! First, head out to the ...
The roses were decaying, petal by petal. Green leaves overtaken by patches and mottling spasms of brown and grey. The edges and undersides crinkling as though previously burned. They lay crumpled in the trash can, stems twisted and crinkled in all the wrong ways, blossoms and blooms frozen in time except for the march of destruction that would gradually devour them until they were no more.Nestled in the depths of a half-open drawer right next to the trash were nearly a dozen pill bottles. Some of them were new, but a few of them had expired more than several years ago. The labels ...
VIU’s Sociology Department is asking all mothers whose caregiving efforts have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to participate in a questionnaire. The department has formed a research team comprised of both students and professors to study the effects the pandemic has had on mothers.The research team wants to learn about maternal challenges and successes while balancing work, teaching children in a homeschooling environment, and supporting friends, family, and neighbours.The results of the study will be presented in academic publications to help raise awareness of the ...
Sports are off the table in BC, indefinitely.The province has put a hold on all adult (19+) indoor and outdoor team sports due to climbing COVID-19 cases, Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Wednesday, December 2. All other indoor group physical activity has also been suspended.The decision came in step with VIU’s extension of its suspension of athletic activities. The Mariners originally announced a two-week pause on November 17, but said it would evaluate if the suspension needed to continue after November 30.There is no set date to resume activities, meaning VIU ...
As 2020 draws to a close and the pandemic rages on, many are looking forward to their favourite snow sports as a means of escape from the shadow this year has cast on us. One by one, as ski resorts around the province open up, it’s clear this winter season is going to look a lot different.Vancouver Island’s beloved Mount Washington Alpine Resort had its opening day on Friday, December 4, and despite new COVID-19 regulations, had a successful day with two lifts open—the Whiskey Jack and Hawk chairs—as well as the Teaching Carpet.As the ski resort has said, although some things ...
Sheila Malcolmson has been announced as BC’s new minister of mental health and addictions following the newly reformed BC NDP party that was sworn in last week.Malcolmson tweeted out saying she is honoured to be given this opportunity and has been hearing a lot from people in Nanaimo about mental health and addiction.“Honoured to be appointed Minister of Mental Health and Addictions by Premier [John Horgan]. Nanaimo was hit early and hard by the overdose crisis; I’ve been learning from advocates and people with lived experience here. People are hurting,” Malcolmson said. “As ...
“Jagmeet, you just killed her right in front of me!” US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez screamed after witnessing Canadian NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh kill a fellow game opponent during a round of Among Us.The two elected representatives met for the first time after Singh invited Ocasio-Cortez to join him in a live stream playing the popular online multiplayer video game Among Us. Singh wanted to use the live stream to reach out to young people to speak on minimum wage and student debt.Between committing grisly murders and finishing tasks as their video game characters, the ...
It was a greyhound back of the bus love story.
His name was DeVon. Tall, lithe, black as night.
He was a sad boy, starry-eyed but not sorry.
He said come on, balled and cried with de-light.
We rode through Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas.
Held hands, whispered stories, kissed and…
chewed new manna (bread), a hot wet mess
clawed red, bled grey, lisped then…
said goodbye. He stood still, she moved on
to Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle
we didn’t cry, he’d stay out of jail, she’d fawn
over new black boys, who’d make her teeth rattle.
Love stories, roaring twenties, reminisced in ...
Andrea Čanković has had a wild year.In February 2020 she guided the VIU Mariners women’s volleyball team to provincial gold as co-captain, marking the third straight Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) title for her and the club.A month later, under the looming threat of cancellation due to COVID-19, Čanković and her teammates celebrated an achievement that cemented them forever amongst the greatest in Mariners history—winning their third straight title, and fourth in five years, at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championship.Čanković graduated ...
VIU is participating in the 16 Days of Activism Campaign that aims to eliminate gender-based violence.The United Nations (UN) campaign to end violence against women begins on November 25 each year (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) and runs until December 10 (Human Rights Day). The campaign indicates that violence against women is the most pervasive breach of human rights worldwide.The UN says violence against women—especially domestic violence—has increased since the start of the pandemic. It is crucial to bring attention to this global issue ...
It’s almost the holidays and COVID-19 season drags on. There won’t be any traveling to visit relatives or sitting down over a ham to debate your extended family over something trivial. Time off with nothing to do is a recipe for boredom.How to remedy the yawning and dead-eyed stares that are sure to come? One word: Podcasts.If you’ve ever listened to a good podcast before, you know that just one series can be a wealth of entertainment. You have the potential of dozens of hours of enjoyment at the tap of a finger.Podcasts, like music, are great because they’re versatile. ...
In this "new normal," it's difficult to imagine a time when a desolate VIU Nanaimo campus was anything but standard. Conversely, a November reading break at VIU is still a fairly new concept.For those unaware, on November 5, 2018, Spencer Stone Shutes tragically passed away after falling from the fifth floor of VIU’s Nanaimo campus library. To honour the memory of Spencer and his family, The Nav would like to continue the conversation on mental health.To me, he was just another person who passed by the table I was cramming at on the top floor of the library before my afternoon ...
Do you think all outdoor cats should be spayed or neutered? Or that cats should be banned from entering someone else's property?The City of Nanaimo is asking residents to provide feedback on a new Animal Responsibility Bylaw so their opinions are heard.The bylaw was developed from recommendations following an Animal Control Service Review that was conducted at the beginning of the year. The findings recommended an amendment to the already existing animal control bylaws. The new bylaw should focus on “the importance of responsible pet ownership,” the City said in a press ...
BC Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson is stepping down after a two-year run as the leader of the official opposition.In a Facebook post published by Wilkinson on November 21, he said he will be stepping down from his role. He congratulated BC NDP leader John Horgan for winning the recent BC election, and said he and his colleagues will serve to hold the government accountable “as the essential function of the Opposition is to pursue and ensure good governance on behalf of all the people of British Columbia.”“It is now time for me to leave the role of Opposition Leader, as the voters ...
All VIU students, alumni, faculty, and staff have until Saturday at noon to vote for who they would like to sit on The Navigator’s Board of Directors this year.The Navigator—The Nav for short—was founded in 1969 and ran as a print newspaper until 2017, when its in-print format transitioned into a full colour 40-page magazine. And in 1992, it became an incorporated society under the Society Act of BC.Up until this year, The Nav had primarily been an in-print publication, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has evolved to an entirely digital platform, with a brand new ...
