In the Community

VIU business students prepare for international competition

February 18, 2010

The training and hours of practice are rigorous. The international competition will be tough. But with their sights on professional careers, Vancouver Island University Faculty of Management students are ready to take on a week-long series of tough business challenges at Concordia University starting Feb. 21. The John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition at the Montreal campus has attracted 20... Read more


Canadian luge competitor to share Olympic spirit at VIU

February 18, 2010

Olympian Meaghan Simister is coming to Vancouver Island University Wednesday, March 17, to present awards to competitors on campus who were inspired by the Calgary luger as they took part in their own race. The 24-year-old niece of VIU Criminiology chair Joanne Simister sent a motivational message to members of eight teams in the Campus Recreation “Biggest Luger” competition. The six-week... Read more


VIU Arts and Humanities series probes nature of communities

February 16, 2010

There is a scene in the Oscar-nominated film Up in the Air where two corporate high-flyers compare the merits of various airline and hotel loyalty plans before romance and inevitable complications ensue. The plans, with their easy to use membership cards, are one example of the evolving types of communities that are being examined by faculty of Vancouver Island University’s Media Studies... Read more


VIU Music and Theatre students prepare to launch HMS Pinafore

February 16, 2010

Gilbert and Sullivan’s opera HMS Pinafore comes to Malaspina Theatre at Vancouver Island University March 4. It's a great collaboration between the music and theatre departments at VIU, said director Ross Desprez. Greg Bush, musical director and orchestra conductor for the opera, expects the production to provide valuable experience to the performers.  “It gives music students an opportunity to... Read more


Fraud prevention workshop at VIU Mar. 4

February 16, 2010

A quick-thinking Safeway clerk recognized the red flags of fraud and saved a Vancouver Island grandmother from a $4,600 scam. “Unfortunately, not everyone understands the signs of fraud, and that’s why news about scams that succeed are all too common,” said Vanessa Oltmann of Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) Faculty of Management. In an effort to increase public awareness, VIU’s new Fraud... Read more


TD Bank Financial Group donates $50,000 toward Vancouver Island University’s Aboriginal centre

February 15, 2010

A traditional First Nations feast at Vancouver Island University (VIU) honoured TD Bank Financial Group for its contribution of $50,000 toward The Gathering Place, a new Aboriginal centre on the Nanaimo campus. VIU President and Vice-Chancellor Ralph Nilson praised TD Bank Financial Group and other community partners for playing a key role in the creation of Shq’apthut – The Gathering Place.... Read more


Donations soar for earthquake victims – free public lecture Feb. 17

February 15, 2010

Dr. Steven Earle, professor in the Earth Science Department at Vancouver Island University, will discuss the devastating earthquake in Haiti during a free public lecture Wednesday, Feb. 17. Although not huge in magnitude, the Jan. 12 Haiti earthquake is evolving into one of the worst natural disasters of historical times. Earle will provide an overview of the geology and plate tectonics of the... Read more


Olympic Games debate at VIU Feb. 16

February 11, 2010

The Olympics Games are worth it, true or false? Four faculty members in Vancouver Island University’s Recreation and Tourism department will engage in a lively and entertaining public debate on that topic Tuesday, Feb. 16. “The Olympic Games are the largest multi-sport event on the planet and it’s important for the public to better understand both the pros and cons of hosting the Olympics,”... Read more


Family legacy creates scholarship for VIU music students

February 11, 2010

The Pulleyblank family has found a unique way to honour their parents, Bob and Dorothy, who played an active role in Nanaimo’s arts and cultural scene.   Their four children, Bill, Douglas and Andrew Pulleyblank and Robyn McKay have created the Bob & Dorothy Pulleyblank Memorial Scholarship to be awarded to a third-year student in Vancouver Island University’s music program. The family’s $... Read more


Hair loss for Haiti

February 10, 2010

Vancouver Island University English Language Centre instructors Maurice Gallant and Kathleen Matheson have their heads shaved by hairdressing students Lisa Milne, left, and Larissa Finch at a fundraiser for Haiti earthquake victims. The faculty members agreed to the extreme haircuts after a raffle and pizza sale at the Richard W. Johnston Centre for International Education raised about $2,600. A... Read more