On Wednesday, February 21, a free author reading of Breaking Boundaries: LGBTQ2 Writers on Coming Out and Into Canada will run from 6:30-8:00 pm in the Royal Arbutus Room on the VIU Nanaimo campus.
Breaking Boundaries, released in November, is an anthology of literature and art by LGBTQ2 Canadians.
Lori Shwydky, editor and publisher of Rebel Mountain Press, said her experiences travelling with her wife and associate editor Cheryl Ann Kelly inspired the anthology.
“As lesbians travelling the world, my wife and I learned first-hand that there are many places in the world that are ...
This academic year, and in many more years to come, the Students’ Union hopes to see many VIU students find their passion, voice, and community through the student movement. It is a voice that resonates from the past and speaks loudly of a better future for all of BC. You can get involved by volunteering at upcoming events, voting for or running in Students’ Union elections. Being a student, you are already a part of something bigger both spatially and temporally, but by participating in student governance, individuals are offered an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how ...
Charlie knew it was his when he saw it. He looked straight past the patches of black paint. All the time his fingertips had spent surfing the endless waves of Craigslist ads and postings in used car Facebook groups had finally yielded the car he yearned for.
Kurt nudged his shoulder. His best friend, more mechanically inclined than Charlie, had come along to ensure it wasn’t a total beater.
“Try not to show your excitement,” he said. “We want to work ’em.”
The Pontiac Sunfire’s current owner was Philip Baker; who was selling it as a mechanic’s special. Only one question stood ...
Identity is a prominent theme in modern art and scholarship. Who are we as individuals in this globalized, rapidly changing world? For Dr. Sonnet L’Abbé of the VIU Creative Writing Department, contemplating her black identity and settler privilege whilst grappling with the sonnets of William Shakespeare opened up insights into her cultural inheritances. These included the stories nations tell of how one culture “takes the place” of another. Defying the marginalized role that stories of English literature might ascribe to her, L’Abbé decided to explore her own desires to occupy a central ...
I hear you are afraid,
I believe you.
See you.
You are important.
Your voice
it does not waiver
requesting accountability.
Resilient. Strong. Warm.
I hold a candle
that shines for you
and a prayer
that you never give up.
Department head,
I hear you—
that you were
Afraid.
Your battle cry,
sweet music
crystal clear
ringing with truth.
I stand beside you
Janis Ledwell-Hunt.
In solidarity,
we are the feminists
VIU has been waiting for.
I look up and flinch.
The tract man has been by, again. He’s left four tracts, stuck to the inner glass of the bus station by a cross of double-sided tape. One of the titles reads “Going Down?” The other student at the stop has been sitting in silence, watching me. He has read my expression correctly: a wince of dismay.
He asks if I believe in God. An interesting question.
There are some questions I can answer with perfect ease. “Are you Canadian?” is one. I have no hesitation to label myself Canadian, to hold my Canadian passport prominently in the airport, and to mention my ...
Changes are coming to your Facebook news feed.
On Thursday, January 11, Facebook announced it will begin to prioritize content from friends and family over content from publishers and brands. This means, in theory, you’ll see more selfies of Aunt Brenda and fewer ads trying to sell you your last search on Amazon.
Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Facebook, said in the announcement that while social media “can be good for our well-being” when used to connect with friends and family, “passively reading articles or watching videos” can be detrimental.
The changes to ...
Last spring, I watched two great horned owls raise their fluffy young at a nest site in Nanaimo. It was my first of many mesmerizing experiences with owls in the wild. Ever since, I’ve become obsessed with photographing them. Fifteen species have been recorded in British Columbia; in the last nine months, I’ve managed to photograph seven.
All photos by Spenser Smith. View more of his birding photography at Birds and Bark.
The following is a delicious way to trick all your friends and family into eating tofu. Seriously, though—these spring rolls are the best thing ever.
Ingredients
Note: This isn’t a recipe that requires exact measurements.
Approx. one handful of vermicelli noodles* or 2 handfuls of lettuce
1 regular-sized block of firm tofu
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
2-3 tbsp peanut sauce* or similar, plus more for dipping
2/3 of a large cucumber
1-2 medium to large carrots
1 avocado
Approx. 16 circular rice papers*
*Can be found in the international section of most grocery ...
Ivan Coyote wishes to sit in a room with you and have a conversation about gender, the roles we play, Canada, and where an LGBTQ+ individual fits in. Coyote wants to share their own struggles, and how they hope they can help you with yours.
As you read Coyote’s 11th book, Tomboy Survival Guide, you’ll hear Coyote’s trademark narrative voice throughout. Humor breaks tension, excitement builds within tales of childhood adventure, and emotion is on every page.
For an individual who identifies outside the gender binary, the term “tomboy” was an easy label to take in Coyote’s younger ...
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 also put himself in a good position with the new dedicated facility replacing the teams prior residence at Nanaimo Athletic Club, and a successful and experienced team. I grabbed a few minutes to talk about how he got his start in ...
One New Year’s Day in high school, frustrated with my inability to keep any resolutions, I set myself the task of not chewing gum. It was supposed to be easy—I never chewed gum, never craved gum, and didn’t even really like the stuff. Finally, I had a resolution I could keep.
Mid-October, my teacher handed me a gumball and I popped it in my mouth without thinking. “There goes your New Year's resolution,” my friend said, and I blinked at her, shocked. How could I have messed up the easiest goal I’d ever set for myself? It shouldn’t have been possible.
And yet that is what I do, over ...
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
The Crown Season 2, Netflix
Fans of the show are treated to the much anticipated backstory of Prince Philip, played parallel to the journey of Prince Charles as he attends the school his father once did. We see firsthand the damage of Philip trying to ‘make a man’ out of his young son and glean some understanding into the dark and chaotic character of the Queen’s husband.
The season also offers a closer look at Princess Margaret and her marriage to unconventional, and not-so-secretly polyamorous bisexual photographer Anthony Armstrong Jones. Though ...
I want to recover from depression someday. If you have depression, you probably do as well. Depression sucks. So does a lot of advice on how to handle it. Well-meaning friends and family who’ve never experienced depression and its painful, boring drudgery offer up gems such as think positive thoughts or buck up, lots of people have it worse than you.
When all joy you feel is weak and fleeting, when you can only sleep for three hours or thirteen hours and nothing in between, when you want to burst into tears for no reason, and you feel like you don’t mean anything to anyone—words like ...
Brett Christensen is good.
Anyone who has seen the 6’’4’ forward from Langley, BC, play knows that. But I’m not talking about his basketball talent so much as everything else that comes with it. Ask him about the expectations that surrounded his arrival at VIU, or his transition to high school on and off the court, and the freshman doesn’t seem fazed.
“Adjusting has been pretty seamless. I’m fine. You make friends, especially with the basketball team. You have fourteen friends and brothers to hang out with. Plus the coaches always keep tabs to ensure we are taken care of.”
What ...
I shivered in the December air. “Mad World” played in the background, and I watched from afar as curious bypassers slowly circled the formation of masked individuals. The group, consisting of a dozen people, stand shoulder to shoulder in a square. Some hold laptops, while the others hold signs that read “WATCH TO SEE WHY WE’RE HERE,” and “TRUTH.” A man stopped and stood near me, leaning in to ask, “is this about Donald Trump and fake news?” A closer look at the laptops would indicate no, not at all.
Anonymous for the Voiceless is an animal rights organization that holds demonstrations ...
It’s been the punchline of late-night comics for over a year now, but fake news is not a joke. The implications of spreading a false story are quite serious. Not only can fake news stories mislead readers, they can impact communities.
In Issue Four of the Navigator, we published an article, “Who and What Is Buried Next Door to VIU.” After the publication of this article, Navigator readers, former team members, and VIU Chair of First Nations studies, Laurier Meijeer Drees, all contacted us with concerns about the information printed. Drees wrote, “the history of the Nanaimo Indian ...
If you’re taking a course at VIU’s Cowichan campus and looking for something to do after class, or otherwise eager for some adventure, here is a list of just a few of the many hikes and trails available in the Cowichan Valley.
Chemainus Lake
Location: Chemainus. This trail is located on River Road (on the opposite side of the highway as the town of Chemainus.) It’s about a one minute drive from the highway, near the very visible gravel parking lot.
This lovely 2.5 k loop around Chemainus Lake is complete with some pretty decently sized trees (no Avatar Grove, but nothing to ...
Though the weather may not feel like it, spring is just around the corner. Soccer season officially ended in dramatic fashion, and we are reaching the final stretch for our remaining Mariners teams.
Here’s everything you need to know in prep for the spring sports season.
Men’s Basketball
The Men’s team opened 2018 with impressive home court victories against the rival Langara Falcons. On January 5, the Mariners’ 32 point second quarter proved too much for the Falcons to overcome, and they were defeated by a score of 91-83. The following day, the Mariners bested the Falcons by a ...
On Sunday, January 21st, Mamahood: Bursting into Light, a one-woman show written and performed by playwright Nicolle Nattrass, will run at 4:00 pm in Building 310 on the VIU Nanaimo campus. All proceeds raised from the show will go toward supporting the Nanaimo Women’s Resource Society. Tickets are available for $25 online, and limited supplies of tickets may be available at the door.
Nattrass was inspired to write Mamahood after her own experience of becoming a mother. “There’s a real need for men and women to articulate the stories of birth,” Nattrass said. “I was teaching a course ...
The Nanaimo Women’s Centre is hosting a Nia Jam and fundraiser on Saturday, December 16th at the Wellington Hall on 3922 Corunna Avenue in Nanaimo.
Nia jam is a type of dance that incorporates moves from martial arts and mixes them with modern dance moves. Nia is an acronym for non-impact aerobics, and it can be practiced by people of all ages, body types, skill levels, and by people with disabilities as well. The Nia Jam night will be hosted by two Nia instructors, Anne Marie Lisch and Tristin Campbell. The Nia Jam night is by donation to help raise money for the Nanaimo Women’s ...
Katrin Roth, former Vancouver Island University Director of Human Rights, has filed two human rights complaints with the BC Human Rights Tribunal against the university. One complaint alleges that the university did not take appropriate action to protect women on campus from sexual harassment. The other complaint alleges that Roth was fired for investigating the harassment.
Roth said that the university did not protect female students and staff when a student forced his paraphilic infantilism on them. Paraphilic infantilism is a sexual fetish that involves adults roleplaying as ...
Over the past four years, Zoe Grace has made an impact on VIU’s Women’s Soccer team. The senior from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is a very strong defensive player and loves working with her teammates to achieve success.
The Physical Education major took time to reflect on the Mariners season, give advice for aspiring athletes, and share her pre-game ritual which includes busting out impressive air saxophone solos.
How, and when, did you get started playing soccer?
My mom signed me up in a small neighbourhood kids league in Saskatoon when I was four, and I’ve been playing ever ...
It has undoubtedly been a great fall sports season for VIU. The CCAA gold in men’s soccer was the highlight event of the semester, however, a number of other Mariner teams were in action as well. The women’s soccer team finished their season as PacWest bronze medalists after a 1-0 victory over the Langara Falcons. Additionally, VIU’s golf team showed tremendous grit throughout the season. A particularly impressive contribution came from 18-year-old rookie Wyatt Brook who finished 5th in the National rankings.
With that in mind, let's take a look back at the season and the ...
