Above: I would do anything for loaf.
By contributor Melissa Partee
It’s getting colder outside, and the time for comfort food has arrived. This quick and tasty meatloaf is exactly what you’re looking for. You can use whatever meat you’d like, or even try it out with a vegetarian meat substitute. Whatever you choose, you’ll be sure to enjoy this; especially if you pair it up with some mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and your choice of tasty libation.
You’ll need:
1 package of ground meat (500g-750g)
1 box Stove Top stuf ng
1 egg
1 1/2 tbsp BBQ sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire ...
Above: Lynda Faulks (center front) with workshop group in front of the Memorial University of Newfoundland mural. Photo via Memorial University.
By News Editor Aislinn Cottell
The VIU Sustainability Advisory Committee (SAC) has endorsed a project this spring which seeks to express the concept of sustainability through collaborative art. The workshop-style event will result in a piece formed from 24 separate clay tiles, each created by a different individual, which will then be fused to form a full mural that will be installed on campus.
Participation in the project is free, and ...
Above: Photo by japanesetimes.com
By contributor Clayton Bambrough
I am a huge Godzilla fan. I’ve seen all of the Japanese films, as well as the two American remakes, so when I heard Toho was producing a new movie for the first time in 12 years, and it was getting a theatrical release in North America this October, I was more than a little excited.
The 2014 Godzilla production by Legendary was the second attempt at creating a western version of the monster, and was successful. I was mostly satisfied with it, but it still didn’t feel like a real Godzilla movie. Only ...
By Production Manager Catherine Charlebois
Halloween is here and the Nanaimo Museum is getting in the spirit with its October tours and exhibits.
Coming back for its fourth year are the Lantern Tours, which explore Downtown Nanaimo’s darker side. The tour, which runs every Friday from October 14 to the 28, takes museum goers on a walk through old Nanaimo’s cobbled streets, with stops at Downtown’s most notorious sites.
Back by popular demand, the tour stops by the old provincial jail, the courthouse and the Bastion, and tells stories of grisly events in Nanaimo’s ...
By contributor Shanon Fenske
When speaking of his upcoming book, Victoria’s Most Haunted, author Ian Gibbs says his intention isn’t to prove whether or not ghosts are real—he knows they are.
“I want to tell the story,” Gibbs says. “I don’t need proof.”
Gibbs was born in the United Kingdom. He was adopted, and came to Canada with his family when he was four years old. He has lived in several Canadian features, and has lived in Victoria for the past 16 years.
“When I was a kid,” Gibbs says, “I would often experience strange things.” His mother would tell him that he was ...
By columnist Diana Pearson
October 23-29 is Asexual Awareness Week! This annual campaign seeks to educate about asexual, aromantic, demisexual, and grey-asexual experiences and to create materials that are accessible to our community and our allies around the world.
In my first issue of “Dirtyin’ The Nav”, I asked the question: “Can it get any better than a sweaty romp in the sack?” While some might say no, for others, the answer is an emphatic yes, yes it can. For still others, this scenario is downright unappealing. In class last week, a peer asked which is better, bungee ...
Above: Katie Howald, Vanessa Kay, and Alina Colina crossing river rocks. Photo by Zach Altos.
By Sports and Lifestyle Editor Cole Schisler
The Englishman River Falls Provincial Park, located just outside of Parksville, is a must-see destination for all Islanders.
The park boasts two stunning waterfalls that run the length of a canyon, bordered by a dense old-growth forest. It gives the feeling of being lost in scenic rainforest filled with firs, hemlock, maple, and arbutus, the forest floor dotted with ferns and fallen logs.
When the river runs low, you can hop across rocks ...
By Associate Editor Natalie Gates
Do you believe in ghosts? Spirits of the dead who appear to the living.
I have never really considered myself a believer because I haven’t had any especially compelling “sightings” myself. But I also don’t consider myself a non-believer; I welcome the possibility of something existing bigger than our mundane human lives.
Fear has a hand in it. Sometimes I double-check behind the shower curtain or feel the tiniest bit of unease when I look in the mirror of a dark room. I believe karma has an influence and I will never speak ill of a ghost when ...
By News Editor Aislinn Cottell
WHAT
The annual Kris Kringle Craft Market will be returning next month for a four-day “Christmas extravaganza” from November 17 – 20.
WHERE
Beban Park Social Centre, Nanaimo.
Event tickets are $10/day or $15 for a four-day pass.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
The Market hosts over 150 artisans selling a wide variety of items from jewellery and pottery to wooden toys and unique artisan food. There will also be activities including face painting, carriage rides, pictures with Santa, and cookie decorating, plus the opportunity to enter in hourly ...
By contributor Claire Jones
On Saturday October 12, VIU had the honour of hosting a climate change symposium, organized by the VIU group Awareness of Climate Change through Education and Research (ACER), to educate students, staff, and members of the public about the science of climate change and the actions and policies that can help us avoid more extreme climate change. The symposium, called “Climate Change: Policy for a Sustainable Future”, was a clear success, bringing together scientists, business people, activists, elementary school teachers, professors, and VIU students to ...
Above: Omtown Yoga studio. Photo by Cole Schisler.
By Sports and Lifestyle Editor Cole Schisler
Located downtown at 43 Commercial St., OmTown Yoga offers classes in a variety of yoga styles every day of the week.
“Every week instructors have a set schedule,” said Katherine Boere, manager of OmTown. “Our weekly schedule is usually pretty consistent; it doesn’t change that much month-to-month. Every month we have special events and workshops where we bring in instructors from town or other places on Vancouver Island, and occasionally other places in Canada.”
OmTown has an ...
Above: Peter Hudson performing stand up. Photo via Peter Hudson's Facebook page
By Sports and Lifestyle Editor Cole Schisler
Peter Hudson has been a comedian for five years. He has toured across Western Canada with the likes of Jake the Snake Roberts, Jon Lovitz, Everlast, Platinum Blonde, Bif Naked, and Super Troopers. Now Hudson is focused on bringing world-class comedy to Nanaimo.
“It’s been growing,” Hudson says. “We’ve always had a steady scene, a few of us would do shows here and there. I’d do a show every three months, but then I was like, ‘you know what? Nanaimo is in ...
By Sports and Lifestyle Editor Cole Schisler
From October 20 to December 15, Millers Pub will be hosting karaoke nights every Thursday from 9 pm to midnight.
Every week, three winners will be chosen by fan decision to advance to the semi-finals on December 8. From there, 10 finalists will compete for singing supremacy and a chance to receive over $500 in cash and prizes. While there is a competitive element, it is secondary to the main point of the karaoke nights, which is to have fun.
“Anyone who wants to have fun, anyone who thinks that they’re a star should come to karaoke,” ...
By contributor Chantelle Spicer
I recently designated some time to read a novel before the pressures of midterms, research, and paper writing took all of the joy out of reading. I wanted it to be something I had not read before and it needed to be worth it. So as not to disappoint myself, I chose one of my favourite authors, Gregory Maguire. He had already won my heart with the Wicked series, which is a reimagining of Oz from the point of view of the Wicked Witch , alongside a personal essay on the roots of evil in humanity. He has since stretched his imagination into many famous ...
By Managing Editor Molly Barrieau
Before we can begin toting Santa hats and playing Mariah Carey on repeat, we need to discuss a strange occurrence that has been gathering steam in my overactive pumpkin spiced brain this month. Halloween is upon us, and has all of us craving something spooky as the weather changes. Leaves fall, the Netflix logo shines from our screens, and under the horror category is a long list of possible titles.
But then you notice it, almost 70 percent of all titles begin with “The”: The Omen, The Cabin in the Woods, The Shining, The Thing, The Birds, The Fly ...
Above: Protestors outside of TD Canada Trust in Victoria on September 23. Photo via Colton Hash.
By contributor James Churnsa-Jones
The long and hard struggle between the people of Standing Rock and the multi-billion dollar fossil fuel industry continues in North Dakota. By now you should have already seen the pictures and videos of Native American protestors on horseback, or heard about the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), also known as the Brakken Pipeline.
Kelcy Warren, the CEO of Energy Transfer Partners plans to continue with construction of the US $3.8 billion oil pipeline ...
By Arts Editor Brendan Barlow
Every October, for the last three years, I take on a rather large project. Each day I sit down and watch one horror film that I have not seen before. While I try to watch movies from before the current year, it’s inevitable that some do sneak in. I decided, this year, to share the films I watch with you, dear readers. This is the first part of that little experiment, with the first 15 films that I have seen this month so far. I will follow up in the next issue with the remaining films, but you can also follow along, and read the full reviews over at my ...
By contributor Bryce Gardiner
Nanaimo will be hosting the first annual Vancouver Island Photography Exhibition on October 21 from 6–9 pm and October 22 from 9 am–5 pm.
The exhibition will host numerous contributing artists from across Vancouver Island and provide opportunities to meet with other photographers, artists, and members of the public.
Event host and coordinator Shaun Stewart noted, “there are so many talented photographers here on Vancouver Island,” and that “this is a great opportunity to meet and connect with local artists and support the work that we do.”
The ...
Above: “Food was not fit for my dog,” says Wonderfilled. But what about a pirate?
What prompts people to take the time to write online restaurant reviews? I explored TripAdvisor reviews of Nanaimo restaurants, and by my investigation, it’s either a superb dining experience, or an awful one. Yes, there are people who report on mediocre calamari in so-so restaurants, but the majority of the detailed, lengthy reviews tend to fall on either end of the spectrum.
The “terrible” one-star reviews are my favourite; the authors often employ their finest attempt at dramatic writing, and the ...
By Managing Editor Molly Barrieau
As you know, VIU sits on central Vancouver Island facing the Georgia Basin, the common point of which all of our watersheds—streams, creeks and rivers—run. The Island is fortunate to have an abundance of fresh and salt water to sustain our lives. However, understanding where and how our water changes by reacting to forestry and climate change is crucial to our future.
Studying such changes with a user-friendly online application could provide municipalities with the information to better decide future upgrades to our cities in ...
Above: Photo via latimes.com
By Arts Editor Brendan Barlow
October is upon us, and for some that means nothing, but for those of us who love this season, it means swimming gleefully through an infinite sea of horror movies, books, podcasts, and video games, seeking out scares between now and Halloween. Here are some suggestions to help you navigate that endless sea and find some new ways to scare yourself this month.
Movies
Halloween III: The Season of the Witch (1982)
Surely many of us, even those who dislike horror, are familiar with the Halloween franchise, or at ...
By contributor Sarah Packwood
Award-winning Canadian comedian, Debra DiGiovanni, will be performing at The Port Theatre on Tuesday, October 18 at 8 pm. The event will run for about two hours and fellow Canadian comedian, Kyle Bottom, will be opening the show.
DiGiovanni’s routine is set to include anecdotes and observations of her daily life from over the past few years. Since moving from Toronto to Los Angeles in 2013, DiGiovanni has found herself in a place of starting over, all while experiencing major culture shock—and she has a lot to say about ...
By Managing Editor Molly Barrieau
Somehow it took me five years to figure it out. I began to notice once I started working at The Navigator, and I really should just accept it: I don’t like writing.
So what? I have earned this space to share my opinion with you, dear readers, and I feel it is time for me to accept my fate. Sure, I write, and yes, I can enjoy the process. However, I’ve allowed myself to calm down, stop worrying and admit that my words may never hold the same power as those of my fearless staff.
And I mean fearless. It is incredibly rewarding to meet such ...
Above: Mariners line up for the national anthem: Victor Blasco, Shun Takano, Mateo Kostering, Miguel Banting, Ben Robson, Aly Adeeb, Bill Bagiopoulos, Colin Knight, Stephen Ewashko, David Turkstra, and Jeff Travis. Photo by Brody Jones.
By Lifestyle and Sports Editor Cole Schisler
The Mariners kicked off their game against PACWEST rivals, the Douglas Royals, at Merle Logan on a drizzly Saturday afternoon.
Despite a number of opportunities created by the Mariners, they were unable to capitalize, falling behind Douglas at the 22-minute-mark when they scored the opening goal off a ...
