In the Community

Local philanthropist donates $350,000 to VIU’S new nursing simulation lab

September 21, 2012

Thanks to the generous support of local philanthropist Sidney Sharman, VIU nursing students will now be able to get critical hands-on experience in a state-of-the-art nursing simulation lab to be built on the Nanaimo campus. Sharman’s donation of $350,000 combined with initial funding from Windsor Plywood ensures the funds are now secure to complete this critical project. “I think there’s no... Read more


Former whale-watching guide turns attention to much smaller species

September 21, 2012

Tegan Padgett was working as a whale-watching guide in Puerto Vallarta when she decided it was time to learn more about the natural world. “I knew I’d like to work in the field of biology so I decided I’d go back to school,” said Padgett, who was born in Vancouver and grew up in Powell River. “I like the combination of field work combined with lab work,” said Padgett, now in her fourth year at... Read more


Alternative film series fills cultural gap

September 21, 2012

Movie buffs looking for something different than mainstream films are invited to sign up for the Alternative Film Series Friday evenings at Vancouver Island University Oct. 5 to Dec. 7. “We’ll show thought-provoking international and independent feature films every Friday night for 10 weeks,” said Ron Bonham, a retired Vancouver Island University English professor who runs the Alternative Film... Read more


VIU hosts public forum on BC bioenergy production Sept. 27

September 19, 2012

A panel of four experts will discuss the challenges and potential for bioenergy production in BC at a free public forum hosted by Vancouver Island University Thursday, Sept. 27. “The world needs energy sources, but there are always tradeoffs,” said Greg Crawford, VIU’s Dean of Science and Technology. “Bioenergy is one area of energy we, as a society, need to think about. This forum will be a... Read more


VIU in the News: Mariner leads province after recovery from crash

September 19, 2012

By Ben Ingram Nanaimo Daily News Kalli Gordon has not let an injury that kept her off the golf course for eight months get in the way of having a solid season with the Vancouver Island Mariners. The 21-year-old was named Pacific Western Athletic Association player of the week for golf on Tuesday, following a tournament win at Hazelmere Golf Club in Surrey on the weekend that placed her atop... Read more


Poets on Campus launches eighth season at VIU Oct. 1

September 17, 2012

Talented poets and writers with deep roots on Vancouver Island will share their inspiring stories during the eighth annual Poets on Campus series at Vancouver Island University. Author Maleea Acker opens the Fall 2012-Spring 2013 series Oct. 1 with readings from her first non-fiction book, Gardens Aflame: Garry Oak Meadows of BC’s South Coast, and a manuscript of poems, The Almonds in the Earth... Read more


VIU students share lessons from co-operative education experiences

September 17, 2012

Diane Awad spent the summer working toward her Hospitality Management degree at Vancouver Island University by keeping things magical for visitors to Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café at Walt Disney World in Florida. Tourism Management student Alyssa Deggan took to the waters of the Salish Sea where she used her newly acquired skills to guide paddlers for Pender Island Kayak Adventures. Awad and... Read more


Hockey historian reflects on the memories and meanings of the 1972 Canada-Soviet Union Summit Series

September 13, 2012

“Cournoyer has it on that wing. Here’s a shot! Henderson makes a wild stab for it and falls. Here’s another shot. Right in front. They score! Henderson has scored for Canada!” – Hockey broadcast legend Foster Hewitt, describing Paul Henderson’s historic goal against the Soviet Union in Moscow, Sept. 28, 1972 Forty years after Paul Henderson scored for Team Canada, his winning goal represents the... Read more


VIU in the News: National chief stresses need for aboriginal learning

September 11, 2012

By Ben Ingram Nanaimo Daily News Assembly of First Nations national chief Shawn Atleo says that while educational institutions in Canada may have wronged indigenous peoples in the past, those wounds can be healed through learning. The twice-elected AFN chief, who was installed as chancellor of Vancouver Island University in 2008, stressed the importance of supporting First Nations education... Read more


Island-raised author to read at VIU and talk about success in Britain

September 10, 2012

Celebrated British literary sensation Craig Taylor returns to familiar territory on Sept. 14 when he gives a reading at Vancouver Island University’s Nanaimo campus where he studied in the theatre program. Taylor grew up in Lantzville and on Protection Island, but now lives in London where he has authored three books, the best-selling Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now - as Told by... Read more