Men’s Mental Health and Music
Alick Mac’s Show Boys’ Club
Rapper Alick Mac spotlights men’s mental health with hard-hitting rap lyrics in Boys’ Club show at the 2025 Nanaimo Fringe Festival.
Rooted in the History of BC
The Landscape of Logging, Today
We live in a special place on this planet, surrounded by rainforest. BC is one of a kind, and we take it for granted. Logging in BC and on Vancouver Island is engrained in our history. Many islanders try to protect our irreplaceable forests while creating more jobs to substitute for the loss of loggers’ livelihoods and transform this multibillion-dollar industry, but are they having much success? And what about the other side of the story? Read on to find out more about BC forestry.
Blood Feathers
A poem that asks whose grief birds carry.
Ask the Arbutus
A poem that begs nature for an answer to modern human woes and existential dread.
August in Nanaimo: Hub City’s 4th Annual Soap Box Derby
Liam Prendergast captures the Hub City’s fourth Annual Soap Box Derby in his first exciting video as The Nav’s Sports Videographer. Homemade, creatively designed, gravity-powered carts raced downhill on August 16, 2025, near Bowen Park on Wall Street in Nanaimo, bringing the community together for a fun-filled fundraising event. Beyond the fun and speed, all proceeds from the event go to the Nanaimo Child Development Centre, supporting local kids and families.
Sheltering the Unhoused
Non-Profits Work to Relieve Homelessness in Nanaimo
In British Columbia, comfortable living has become luxury. As housing becomes more expensive and the wages are not growing at a fast enough to catch up with inflation, let’s talk about the housing affordability crisis and the homeless population of Nanaimo.
Reach Out
Suicide Awareness
There is never a wrong time to reach out for help. Vancouver Island Crisis Society and VIU counsellors share their perceptions on suicide.
Banking for Books
How Students Deal with Tuition and Island Costs
With the costs of Vancouver Island, how can anyone afford post-secondary? Read more about two University students’ financial experiences and some expert saving tips.
Orange Shirt Day
The History of Killing the Indian in the Child
A call to action to understand what Orange Shirt Day means and how VIU students can honour the past and make steps to reconcile the future. Also known as Truth and Reconciliation Day, Orange Shirt Day is a day for all Canadians to acknowledge, commemorate, and honour the survivors and families of residential schools. We invite our generation to continue these practices. What does that look like and what can you do?
Blue Light Blues
A poem that seeks solace from behind a screen.
VIU Students and Faculty React to RateMyProfessors.com
We all know RateMyProfessors.com exists. At the start of a new semester, students frequent the professor reviewing site more than ever. Associate Media Editor Elke Sorensen spoke with three VIU students: Cynthia deConinckSmith, Meetika Kher, and Liv Loewen to discuss why RateMyProfessors.com is a helpful tool in determining what to expect from instructors in her new Nav Podcast, Elke’s on the Island. Plus, Elke managed to wrangle two VIU professors brave enough to confess they’ve visited their own respective pages: Amelia Horsburgh of the English department and Susan Juby of Creative ...
Inside Nanaimo Fringe Fest
Nav Videographer Daxton Comba goes behind the scenes on Nanaimo’s 2025 Fringe Festival for its fifteenth anniversary. Shining a light on this backstage effort, Daxton talks with Fringe Fest’s Artistic Producer Yvette Dudley-Neuman about the challenges of organization, Fringe Fest’s Technical Director Brandon Caul on the significance of the festival to members of the community, and learns about chances for opportunity and preparing a stage show from actor Kaz Crawford.
The Likeability of “As You Like It”
Amanda Cutting’s Take on the Shakespeare Classic
The Island Summer Theatre Festival’s "As You Like It" takes you back in time, but not as far back as you might think. Amidst technical difficulties and confusing additions to the script, a brilliant cast pulls together an entertaining performance that united communities looking for a unique summer experience.
How Strong Nations Tells a Story
Topher Beaton’s Inside Look on Local Books
Over the last 15 years, Strong Nations has supported literacy communities of Vancouver Island by publishing authentically diverse stories of Indigenous voices. As the Manager of Publishing, Topher Beaton provides exclusive insight on their recent and upcoming endeavours of this local business that doubles as publishing house and online bookstore.
VIU’s New President and Vice Chancellor
Dr. Dennis Johnson discusses plans for VIU and excitement for the upcoming semester
VIU has been facing a financial crisis for the past six years and needs to get back on track. Newly appointed VIU President and Vice Chancellor Dr. Dennis Johnson is part of the solution. With his experience, education, and drive, Dr. Johnson may be the missing piece VIU needs.
Discovering the Moon with Holly Cole
Internationally renowned jazz singer Holly Cole recalls her discovery of jazz and harnessing the spirit of spontaneity in her thirteenth album, Dark Moon.
An Old Church Lady Named Pam
A single interaction becomes a possible lifeline in this flash fiction piece.
AI Poster Generates Controversy for VIU Theatre Department
Who doesn’t like hearing both sides to every contentious issue? This time around we sit down and talk to two contrasting perspectives about the ethics of using generative AI, artistic opportunities on campus, and another successful production for the VIU Theatre department.
Burned
In this sizzling short story, a father-daughter duo engage in verbal conflict and find the literal result of "fighting fire with fire" (something gets burned).
Susan Juby and Her Journey to Professorship
Susan Juby is a well-known Creative Writing professor at VIU, but few know the story of how she became one. Picking up near the end of her memoir, Nice Recovery, Juby recounts her path from UofT student to VIU professor.
VIU | Where Do We Go from Here?
What students can expect amidst financial (mis)management, program axing, and service cuts.
Rumours surrounding VIU’s financial turmoil run rampant. VIUSU, students, faculty, and staff are asking for answers surrounding their educational institution. VIU comes forward to answer our long-awaited questions and set the record straight.
Behind the Scenes with the Nanaimo Clippers
Follow Nav Reporter, Grace Penner, and Sports Videographer, Kieran Armstrong, for a behind the scenes of the Junior A Hockey Team, Nanaimo Clippers. In their last video together, Grace and Kieran interview multiple members of the Clippers team and discuss Penner's own role within the organization. Come along to see how the Clippers dominate the Cowichan Capitals in a 4-2 win.
End of Summer Song
A poem describing the sense of urgency on missing out on the chance to play during a sunny summer day.
The Death of Duolingo and His Iconic Rebirth
The Marketing Masterminds Behind the Murder
Owls, Cybertrucks, and popstars. What do these things have in common? Duolingo’s marketing team does it again, this time bigger than before. They killed off their own mascot. The saga continues…
No results found.