Jay Zemanek has been skateboarding since he was eight years old.
Back in 1986 in Red Deer, Alberta, there was no such thing as a skate park. For Zemanek and his friends, skateboarding meant getting creative on bumpy driveways and rocky sidewalks.
Unless you had the means to travel to Free Wheelin’ Skateboards in Calgary, skateboards were purchased at stores like Zellers and K-Mart, and they were terrible.
Fast forward to today on Vancouver Island, where Zemanek has lived for 14 years. Specialty skate shops are commonplace. Expensive skate parks are being built in small ...
By contributor James Mackinnon. Read more the Museum News series.
In the most recent issue of The Navigator (Vol. 46 No. 13, March 25 – April 7), this column featured Vancouver Island Amphibians. Unfortunately, a certain number of errors regarding the native Western Toad and the introduced American Bullfrog made it through the editing process and into print. On the surface, such an obvious and ironic mix-up seems a little comical, but closer consideration reveals the potential, and very detrimental, repercussions that this flub could have on the struggling Western Toad.
Over the ...
This is the final part of a contributor series by Stephanie Brown. You can read the first part here.
You may hear, “The marking system is harder in other countries,” before you go to your new school. You may hear it a lot before you even decide to commit to studying abroad, which can deter some people from taking advantage of the amazing opportunity.
Personally, I didn’t find the standards harder—just different. Even at this late date, the whole system over here remains a bit of a mystery.
Though highest level, first-class work can be achieved with a grade of 72 percent on a ...
The VIU Jazz Ensemble rehearses for the Spring Showcase Concerts coming up April 7, 8, and 9. Student musicians (l-r) Trevor Fisher (saxophone), Chris Welch (alto saxophone), Robyn Fortunal (alto saxophone) and Josh Pare (tenor saxophone) practice an arrangement under the direction of Professor Greg Bush.
By contributor Shari Bishop Bowes
Jazz lovers are invited to enjoy three nights of great music at VIU’s Spring Showcase Concerts, coming to the Malaspina Theatre April 7, 8, and 9 at 7:30 pm. Concert admission is by donation.
“The Spring Showcase is an opportunity to hear ...
By contributor Shanon Fenske
Lobelia’s Lair in Nanaimo will once again sell egg-shaped stone crystals to anyone celebrating spring, fertility, and rebirth this Easter season.
Stone crystals in the shapes of eggs are sold year-round at Lobelia’s Lair in Nanaimo, says storeowner Liberty Harakas. They are especially popular during the spring, when people metaphorically—and literally—plant new seeds.
Fertility symbols such as the egg are recognized by many cultures around the world, especially during the weeks before and after spring equinox, Harakas says. Many different stones and ...
Op-Ed by contributor Sebastian Barkovic
So a Rabbi, a Priest, and an Imam claim religious persecution. No, wait, that’s Nanaimo-Alberni MP, James Lunney.
Lunney has been in the news lately, not for shaking hands or kissing babies, but for reasons related to his religion. As a student of politics, and a student of religion, this interests me quite a bit. What troubles me is that I don’t feel like Lunney shares the same academic convictions I do. His choices as of late regarding politics and religion just don’t add up.
Before we go any further, let me give you some background ...
By contributor Tomi Lawson
VIU received a donation of two cedar trees from Western Forest Products (WFP), and they will be used as part of a totem pole carving iniative.
The cedar trees were harvested in the Nuu-Chah-Nulth First Nations territory.
Sherry McCarthy, VIU Students’ Union Chairperson and totem pole project manager, says, “The project was created as an opportunity to further make VIU a welcoming institution for Aboriginal learners.”
On March 16, the cedar trees were blessed during a traditional First Nations ceremony by members of the ...
A student health clinic will soon be opening on VIU’s Nanaimo campus. Dr. Carrie Chassels, Executive Director of Student Affairs, said the VIU Health and Wellness Clinic is expected to begin providing services the week of May 5, with a grand opening planned for a later date.
The clinic will be open exclusively for all VIU students, regardless of their healthcare insurance. Primary care will be available for all students without any appointment fees. This will include international students, as well as those from out of province.
“We are building a team and currently have a new ...
The VIU Political Society had its first Student Political Conference on March 24, giving students the opportunity to voice their opinions about various issues and mingle with politicians.
Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay, Nanaimo councilors Wendy Pratt and Leanne Salter, NDP representative Sheila Malcolmson, Liberal representative Tim Tessier, and Green representative Paul Manly were in attendance.
Question and answer periods allowed students to bring up relevant issues such as the lack of full-time jobs, voter apathy among youth, Bill C-51, and Canada’s role as an actor on the world ...
I used to have this rectangular, six-inch long pencil eraser with the words, “To Err Is Human,” printed on the top. It was a birthday present when I was a young girl. Since then, in my career as a writer, it would have come in handy more than a few times.
Writers write. When we write non-fiction in newspapers and magazines, we write what we know to be true, usually backed up by research and interviews. Writing is one thing. Publication is another thing entirely. Work that is published in print, online, via TV, or radio broadcast, will be consumed by the public. They will take in your ...
Over my university career and two years working at The Navigator, I’ve had the pleasure to study, collaborate, and work not only with the diverse community in the Creative Writing department (poets, fictionists, playwrights, journalists), but I’ve also had the chance to work with people in different departments, including Graphic Design and Media Studies.
Working alongside others with such a range of creative talent is fun, and it’s fascinating comparing the similarities and differences in our creative processes. One thing that rings true for anyone in the arts is that we have an ...
For the first time since 2008 the Nanaimo Clippers will compete for the Fred Page Cup and the right to be called BCHL champions. The only thing standing in the Clippers’ way are the regular season’s champions, the Penticton Vees.
The Clippers advanced to the finals with a 2-0 victory in Nanaimo on Thursday, April 2 over Penticton. The Clippers opened the scoring at 14:26 of the first period on a goal by Sheldon Rhemple. Then, with the score still 1-0 and the Clippers on a powerplay midway through the third, Yanni Kaldis found the back of the net to give the Clippers some breathing ...
Badminton might not be one of the most popular spectator sports in North America; to most it’s considered more of a recreational game—something played in the summer at family barbeques. But to VIU’s Graydon Robb, badminton is more than just a casual game. Robb just finished an extremely successful season as a member of the VIU Mariners’ badminton team.
Although badminton isn’t a popular spectator sport in Canada, it is taken very seriously in other parts of the world. In fact, badminton has the second-largest worldwide participation of any sport in the world aside from soccer. But ...
The calendar has turned to April. Classes are slowly coming to an end, and exams are just around the corner. But the beginning of school’s final month also marks the end to another year of varsity athletics for the VIU Mariners. It was another successful year for the Mariners, as every Mariner team picked up a medal at the provincial level. A few teams even managed to pick up medals on the national stage. With the school year coming to a close, it’s time to recap the seasons of the VIU Mariners teams.
Men’s soccer
The men’s soccer team got off to a hot start to the PacWest regular ...
Sports are extremely hard to predict. At the start of every season, no matter what the sport, experts all attempt to predict what will happen in the upcoming season, and almost always they are ridiculously wrong. So with that in mind, here are five things that I predict will unfold over the next few months.
1
The Canucks will win a playoff series
At the start of the NHL season, the Vancouver Canucks were one of the most interesting teams in the league. No one had a good idea of how the Canucks would do this season, after they seemingly self-destructed the season before. But thanks ...
By Contributor: Jennifer Cox
Exciting news again for the Creative Writing department at VIU, as their all-colour annual literary magazine has launched.
Acclaimed Canadian writer Gary Geddes, and author of the recent Drink the Bitter Root, is the keynote speaker at the launch of Portal magazine’s 2015 issue on Thursday April 9, 2015.
“The ability to host a bigger magazine launch like this is a victory,” says Managing Editor Jessica Key. “It lets us, and our 30+ contributors, advertisers and supporters, celebrate the exceptional talent in this issue with greater fanfare.
VIU’s ...
Hibernation season is over—it’s time to awaken your taste buds with these fun treats just in time for a student’s favourite long weekend (aka the homework hustle): Easter. These Pinterest-worthy nests are made with super simple ingredients, with just the right amount of crunch. You can grab everything you need from Bulk Barn or Wal-Mart. Yields: as much as you want.
What you’ll need:
Melt-able Chocolate (dark, milk or white)
Stick Pretzels, broken
Your choice of egg-shaped treats
I used a small bowl full of pretzels, with ...
The Navigator asked students: compared to the United States, how important are athletics in your university experience?
"I think they’re very important. VIU being in the conference that it is, the athletic side is positive for the not only the school but the surrounding areas. A lot of smaller communities feed players into the system, a lot of the kids from small towns. Division down from the big name schools, get to play at a higher level, brings out good talent in younger kids." - Zach Andres
"I’ve noticed this a lot, have you ever like ...
Photos by William Smith and Denisa Kraus
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By contributor Jennifer Garceau. Read the Nav's interview with Duncan Symonds.
A full disclaimer is in order here: when I first checked this album out and saw that one of the songs was titled after one of my favourite shows growing up, “Under the Umbrella Tree,” I was pretty determined to love this offering of Americana-all-grown-up. Incidentally, even if this song was named something else I would still be sitting at my computer telling you about this wonderful, ambrosial collection of instrumental songs.
There is a subdued confidence that is immediately apparent on the first ...
One day, he watched a band play in his backyard as a kid. Another time, he secretly played around with his younger brother guitar. In fact, he borrowed it so often that he had to get his own. Then, finally, playing guitar started to consume so much of his time that he just knew.
Since then, Symonds has been in numerous bands, playing rock and blues in the beginning, exploring jazz and funk during his VIU years, and then gravitating toward fingerstyle guitar and folk and Americana roots. He currently plays bluegrass with The Hub City Ramblers, and gets the crowds dancing with the ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRR10BKpmo4
Stooped over, tending the tomatillo plants in my garden on a hot August day last summer, I was confronted by a sharp sound. “Buzz!” It wasn’t the general buzz of just any bee; this was a message. Evidently, I was disturbing its work. I was in the way. Luscious flowers of bright yellow and brown were wide open, eagerly soliciting visits from bees and any other pollinators that might be around. My movements, tying back and propping up the bulging plant, were thwarting its “come hither” seduction. And that bee wanted to get busy.
Pulling back to make way for the action, I saw that many ...
By contributor James Mackinnon. Read more the Museum News series.
By now you’ve probably heard the nightly chorus, one of the surest signs that springtime is near. A choir so loud that it often hampers sleep, the song of the Pacific Tree Frog is a beautiful reminder of the rich amphibian diversity supported by our wetlands and streams, and what these animals are up to as they emerge from their wintertime of hibernation. The word amphibian is Latin for “both kinds of life,” meaning that generally all amphibians have certain adaptations, living and breathing both in and out of water ...
