Brotherhood, no rules
“Brotherhood, no rules” is an excerpt from an upcoming memoir about the author’s journey of gender awakening. By Lys Morton Illustration: Teigan Mudle Humans are inherently social creatures, seeking out groups that will cause our mirror neurons to light up like a prairie lightning storm. We strive to see ourselves in others, and to understand […]
Pandemiversity
by Erinn Sturgeon There is no downplaying the major effect that the Coronavirus pandemic is having on people around the globe, university students included. For those of us who thought we’d be in a classroom knocking off a final exam right about now, the complications have been innumerable: Courses cancelled or transferred online, roommates who […]
Top 10 weird and/or wonderful V.I. Airbnbs
By Sean Enns Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last decade, you’ll have heard of Airbnb. For that matter, even if you have been living under a rock, you were probably charging people $200/night to share the experience. A pioneer in the sharing economy alongside Uber and Etsy, Airbnb was initially conceived […]
Thankful for wasps
By Margot Fedoruk Kat Shantikat of Gabriola Island lives with her black cat in a quaint house tucked along a network of forest trails. She enjoys daily hikes through the second-growth forest. On one of her walks, she found her first wasp nest. “I notice stuff and pick it up,” she says. Shantikat once saw another artist use wasp nest paper and it never left her. She […]
V.I. Eyes
By Heather Froese I’ve always been inspired by photography. My earliest inspiration came from my older sister, Elizabeth, who was always taking sneaky candid photos of me before I could see the camera and pull my silliest face to annoy her. But I wasn’t her only subject. Growing up on Vancouver Island also provided her […]
When Trees Tell Stories
By Sheena Robinson Photo top: seawolfadventures.ca Walking through the forests of Vancouver Island, it’s easy to become entranced by the density and beauty of the tall trees towering above you. Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, and Western Red Cedar are the most common coniferous giants here. They are a big part of what makes […]
Taking Their Chances
By Shauna Andrews Vancouver Island is a small nook in the world made up primarily of oceanside communities with a distinctly relaxed vibe. Perhaps that’s why more and more people are choosing it as ground-zero to take on the risks of an entrepreneurial adventure. The island’s casual, small-town comforts open the doors to new […]
Urban Refugees
By Laurie Jones Top photo: Richard James Milne With the continuing trend of rapidly rising home prices in Canada’s major centres, particularly Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto, many hard-pressed urbanites are looking to smaller towns for affordable properties. To their delight, Vancouver Island has turned out to be a prime place to buy. “Vancouver Island will […]
Hikes to Lose Yourself On
By Anika Michaux Do you know that feeling of getting lost in nature? Losing yourself among the pine trees that coat British Columbia? I was born in Nanaimo, and grew up with mountains and forests only a short distance away. This temperate rainforest will always be a place I call home, not only because of […]
Treasures Above the Tide Line
By Rose Willow The spectacular beaches in the Parksville, BC area entice strollers and beachcombers with an array of driftwood, rocks, shells, sand, and seaweed. You’re not supposed to remove any of these items, so that others may enjoy the natural environment of the beaches, undisturbed, as well. However, if you find a small glass […]