The World-Record Holder Among Us
November 11, 2021
By Aly Winks Vancouver Island University is home to a world-record holder. This is not one of the records that only people who love the Guinness Book of World Records cares about. It’s not for the longest moustache or the most Simpsons tattoos. Margot Croft holds the world record for her age and weight class for the deadlift. What does this mean? That she can deadlift more weight than any other... Read more
Bumpy starts and a busy “comeback” semester
November 10, 2021
By Aly Winks, Editor, VIU Voices It is Fall semester Reading week, which means mid-terms are basically complete and students are readying themselves for the last push of assignments before studying for final exams and working on final projects. It has certainly been a semester like none other. With the return to campus in September, emotions and anxieties were running high – it’s fair to say it... Read more
Winds of Change Art Exhibit Brings Hundreds to Malaspina Theatre
November 9, 2021
Indigenous artist Daniel R. Elliott wants to take people on a healing journey. But first, he’s asking people to confront the history and impact of residential schools head on, and not look away. His paintings in the Winds of Change exhibit series were on display in the Malaspina Theatre lobby at VIU’s Nanaimo campus from October 1 to 13, 2021. More than 600 people, including several school groups... Read more
WorldVIU Days Returns with Official Unveiling of Campus Community Mural
October 25, 2021
More than 300 people participated in creating the mural. A campus community mural project first envisioned in 2019 will officially be unveiled at Vancouver Island University (VIU) as part of the kickoff to this year’s annual, multi-day event known as WorldVIU Days. Taking place from from November 1 to 5, WorldVIU Days explores how culture influences the way people make sense of the world. It is... Read more
Colloquium Series Shines Light on the Importance of Arts and Humanities in Today’s World
September 21, 2021
Lectures return to the stage at VIU’s Malaspina Theatre this fall. Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) Arts and Humanities Colloquium Series returns this fall with an engaging lineup that explores women’s contributions within the avant-garde movement, gender roles and expectations of strong female characters and how the T. Eaton Company’s marketing strategies commodified youth culture. The... Read more
New Stewardship Group Creating Formal Space for Organizations to Collaborate
August 5, 2021
The Mid-Island Stewardship Caucus, which includes a VIU research institute, will enhance opportunities to connect and share resources. A newly formed stewardship group is allowing environmental organizations in the mid-Island region to connect, collaborate, and share resources and expertise. The group – the Mid-Island Stewardship Caucus (MISC) – was initiated by the Nanaimo & Area Land Trust... Read more
Dr. Deb Saucier: Reflections on a Pandemic
April 30, 2021
If you had told me last April, as I sat in the room above the garage, that I would now be referring to it as ‘my office’ this April—I wouldn’t have believed you. Last April, I thought pivot was a move in basketball, this year—well, you know, you have the t-shirt. I have had to make decisions for VIU that I had not contemplated making, decisions that had to be made in the moment with imperfect... Read more
Navigating the Pandemic with Resiliency, Resources, Flexibility and a Sense of Purpose
April 29, 2021
By Dan VanderSluis, Associate Vice-President, Human Resources I recently gave a presentation to an external audience of managers, leaders and HR and Health and Safety professionals on the topic of resiliency in the face of adversity. When I reflect on the last 13 months at VIU I consider the stories and experiences that we could gather as a testament to the resiliency of all of you across the... Read more
Hiccups and Hope: Returning to Campus After Months Away
April 29, 2021
By Alyson Winks, Internal Communications Advisor The Tuesday morning after September 2020 long weekend was a busy one. For the first time in six months, three of the four members of my family were scheduled to be somewhere by a certain time. Lunches required packing, breakfasts had to be eaten, electric bike batteries fully charged. The old familiar scene had me feeling edgy and not at all... Read more
BioBlitz Event Provides a Snapshot of Plant and Animal Biodiversity
April 7, 2021
Participants will use the iNaturalist app for this year’s modified Biosphere-wide Blitz, which collects data that is used to inform policies on the management of sensitive ecosystems and habitat. The Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region (MABR) is hosting its first Biosphere-wide Blitz and is asking people to become citizen scientists for the day to identify flora and fauna by using the iNaturalist... Read more