Denisa Kraus
The Navigator
Interview with the hosts of The Huge Explosion, the weekly eclectic music parade on CHLY
Navigator: Why The Huge Explosion?
Dave Read: My reasons for doing the show are the enjoyable gentlemen’s hang out sessions with my friends. We listen to some nice tunes, have good conversations, promote events, and get some opinions on (more…)
Molly Barrieau
Contributor
The Navigator
Looking for a movie to watch this Halloween? Evil Dead may be known for its 2013 remake given the same title, but what many don’t know is that the original movies from the 80s and 90s are the true gems in this franchise. Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness follow Ashley (more…)
Denisa Kraus
The Navaigator
What comes to mind when we imagine Nanaimo’s arts scene? Skillful murals of Vancouver Island’s wildlife and marine world? Driftwood sculpture and nature-inspired artisanal fare? The underground arts of Nanaimo has yet another reason to celebrate its slow but steady growth, as Electric Umbrella, the tattoo studio and a gallery for local underground art, (more…)
Drew McLachlan
The Navigator
The Shapers have landed; the war has begun. The Resistance aims to protect humanity from these unknown alien invaders, while the Enlightened, believing the Shapers to be benign, work to foster an alliance with them and uplift our species. Armed only with smart phones, the rival factions duke it out on the streets of our city by claiming portals of power.
Landmarks like the Frank Ney statue, the steampunk orca, and the Nanaimo Museum must all be scanned so they can be brought under the influence of the appropriate team. An Intel video can be viewed online, ...
Jeremy Hanaford
The Cascade
Abbotsford (CUP) — The thrill of pinball is the lack of routine. The ball is always wild, and you can never be certain what will happen. That’s why I love pinball, and also why I suck at it. But as I sat in a small garage listening to the sounds and watching the lights constantly blaring out from the various machines, I couldn’t (more…)
Faye Alexander
Capilano Courier
North Vancouver (CUP) — A shout of “pillow fight!” might conjure up images of frilly, panty-clad females, with hair done up in pigtails, but the girls of the East Van Pillow Fight Club (EVPFC) strip the cute factor for all-out ass-kickery. With an arsenal of feather pillows and dubious alter-egos, the EVPFC will have you associating all-girl pillow fights with knock outs and glory.
“[The EVPFC is] an all-girl troupe beating the crap out of each other for your enjoyment,” explains founder Melanie Watts. Unlike mud wrestling or the WWE’s female ...
Whitney Sharp
The Other Press
New Westminster (CUP) — When you Google or YouTube “How to pierce your ____,” the search results are disturbing and alarming. Evidently, there’s no shortage of teenagers and young adults who are willing to detail their experiences poking safety pins through their own flesh. Some even go so far as to say, “make sure to wash your hands and use clean towels,” or “run the pin through a lighter to sanitize it.” Um, thanks for the advice?
This notion of self-inflicted body modification doesn’t end with piercings. Tattoos done with sewing needles and Bic pens ...
Robert Murray
The Argosy
Sackville (CUP) — Competing on the ice, field, or hardcourt is supposed to serve as a medium in which humans can be careless, free, and at peace. For some gay athletes, it can feel more like a prison.
Nothing is more important in competition than getting the win and basking in glory. But for decades, gay athletes have been held back by what You Can Play (YCP) co-founder Brian Kitts calls “casual homophobia.” YCP is a project with the goal to rid sports of homophobia. (more…)
Drew McLachlan
The Navigator
Megan Morgan is a coordinator for VIU’s Campus Food Movement, a campus club that aims to not only bring local and organic food to students, but to educate them on sustainable agriculture. Founded in 2011, the group has already made headway with its workshops, (more…)
Stephanie Brown
Contributor
The Navigator
“I’m just thrilled,” said Jody Critchlow, the winner of the Live Free For a Year contest sponsored by Woodgrove Centre.
The contest took place over the course of a month, between September 12 and October 14. Three finalists were drawn each week, and out of those 12, a grand prize winner walked away on October 19 with $40k (more…)
Stephanie Brown
Contributor
The Navigator
Vancouver Island University hosted Michael Crummey as the guest Gustafson speaker on October 23 from 2-4pm.
Many writers, teachers, students, and Nanaimo residents showed up for the preliminary reading of the poet and author. Crummey was scheduled to give a lecture the following evening about declining interest in poetry in today’s literary world. (more…)
Natalie Gates
Contributor
The Navigator
The British Columbia Nurses’ Union (BCNU) is bargaining with the government to “keep the promise” for safe staffing.
The union is looking to eliminate over-capacity care, as some patients are being cared for in the hallways, and to ensure the government keeps its promise of hiring more nurses. The promise is in the collective agreement (more…)
Stephanie Brown
Contributor
The Navigator
The temporary road closure in Nanaimo at Pine St. and Fifth St. remains in effect as of October 17 with an unannounced date of when the road will be accessible again.
The closure is due to a void underneath the road caused by a failing shallow coal mine. Geotechnical assessment of the area has yet to decide the (more…)
Molly Barrieau
Contributor
The Navigator
The No Means No campaign continues this year on campuses throughout B.C. Since the beginning in 1992, the campaign has worked with students to raise awareness against rape, sexual assault, and dating violence, as gender-based violence is one of the most persistent and widespread human rights violations in the world according to the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS). (more…)
Drew McLachlan
Associate Editor
The Navigator
Over the past few days I’ve seen a lot of coverage on Mayor Naheed Nenshi’s re-election in Calgary. Over the summer, I saw a lot of coverage on Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s crack scandal. Before Ford, it was Montreal Mayor Michael Applebaum’s resignation over corruption charges. Following this, I remember a few proud Vancouverites making noise about their mayor, Gregor Robertson, riding his bicycle to work, which I guess is important to a few proud Vancouverites.
(more…)
Leah Myers
Editor-In-Chief
The Navigator
I’ve always had a particular scene in mind when I envision my future maternity leave (and when I say always, I mean in the last year or so—it’s only recently that I’ve been able to even think of such topics without hightailing into panic mode). Let me paint the picture: something along the lines of dubious pre-baby research books, decaf coffee outings with my mom, and finally getting around to making all those delicious recipes I posted to my food board on Pinterest.
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Clayton Bambrough
Contributor
Have you ever seen a preview that blew away all your senses, then months later you went and saw that movie when it came out and it was just so disappointing, but you still recalled how awesome that first trailer was? I’m counting down my top five movies that I wish had been as awesome as those first teasers I saw at the cinema.
The Criteria: the movie must have either had a good trailer and been anywhere from disappointing to really bad, or had an amazing trailer and just not quite lived up to how amazing the trailer was. (more…)
Denisa Kraus
The Navigator
Interview with the host of Shh, Rez Pirate Radio, a radio show focused on First Nations and indigenous news, culture, and music from B.C., Canada, and around the world.
Navigator: WHY Shh, Rez Pirate Radio?
Cj Rice: I started interviewing on the radio during a conference in 2010 for the National Campus and Radio Association on Gabriola Island. From there I was given the chance to use a pirate radio station for the summer, and so I did. From the experience of that summer, I brought my show online in podcast form, continued for a couple of years, and ...
Ben Chessor
The Navigator
During the first month of the British Columbia Hockey League season, the Nanaimo Clippers haven’t had many problems in the effort category. However, the team has struggled recently to get the results they have been looking for, as they have found themselves on the losing end of some hard fought games in the last couple of weeks.
On Friday, September 27, the Clippers put together their best game of the season. Nanaimo defeated the visiting Salmon Arm Silverbacks 4-1 in front of 1041 fans at the Frank Crane arena. The Clippers came out hard for the drop ...
Blake Deal
The Navigator
Nanaimo’s Haven Society is celebrating their 35th anniversary on October 18 at the Port Theatre.
The Haven Society is a non-profit organization providing transition housing and programs for women and children that are victims of abuse.
The society started in 1978 after Malaspina students wrote a paper on the lack of services for victims of abuse in Nanaimo. The society now serves the island from Ladysmith to Bowser and is setting up a new transition house in Parksville.
Executive Director Anne Spilker said there has been no statistical change in the ...
Blake Deal
The Navigator
Vancouver Island University released their Economic Impact Analysis and Community Engagement Report on October 9.
According to the report conducted by Roslyn Kunin & Associates, VIU contributes over $406 million to the economy of Vancouver Island each year. The report shows VIU’s social, cultural, and environmental impact on the region, as well as international student impacts on the community.
(more…)
Drew McLachlan
Associate Editor
The Navigator
Over the past six months I’ve noticed a trend in the media. Magazines, national papers, and online blogs have all worked together to warn readers of a new threat to society: millennials. Also known as Generation Y, millennials have been defined as any person born between 1980 and 2000. Personally, I prefer Joel Stein of Time magazine’s aptly eloquent description of “lazy, entitled, selfish, and shallow.” While there has been no lack of responses denigrating the anti-gen-Y stance many writers have taken, I stand firmly in support of these ...
