Weekly and Monthly Events
The Na’tsa’ maht Shqwaluwun: One Heart, One Mind learning series
The Na’tsa’ maht Shqwaluwun: One Heart, One Mind learning series includes a range of half-day, full-day and multiple-day education sessions taking place throughout the school year that are free and open to all interested faculty, staff, students and community members. Such learning series offers a variety of ways to learn more about Indigenous Perspectives and engage with others.
Learn more about Na'tsa' maht Sshqwaluwun
There are four events in the series, including:
Smudging with Auntie Stella
Smudging is traditionally a ceremony for purifying or cleansing the soul of negative thoughts of a person or place.
Date and time: Mondays, 9 - 10:30 am
Location: Shq'apthut - Gathering Place, Building 170
Learn more about Smudging with Auntie Stella
Soup & Bannock
This speaker’s series is held by Office of Aboriginal Education & Engagement at Vancouver Island University and sponsored by various VIU departments. These talks are Tuesday over the lunch hour once a month in Shq’apthut – A Gathering Place and provide the opportunity for students, staff, faculty and community to expand their experience and awareness in current Indigenous topics and various aspects of Aboriginal Ways of being and Knowing.
Date and time: Tuesday, monthly, 11:30 am - 1 pm
Location: Shq'apthut - Gathering Place, Building 170
Learn more about ongoing Aboriginal Events
Indigenous Book Circles
The Indigenous Book Circles offer an opportunity to those interested in discussing the prominent and contemporary themes present in Indigenous literature of all genres. The Office of Aboriginal Education and Engagement at Vancouver Island University has generously offered to purchase books for up to 20 participants for each circle.
Date: February 3, 2020
Location: Nanaimo Aboriginal center
Register for the Indigenous Book Circles
Kairos Blanket Exercise sessions
The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is a facilitated two-hour interactive exercise. The exercise is facilitated by a Narrator who walks the participants through the history of treaty-making, colonization and resistance that resulted in the nation we today call Canada.
Date and time: March 13, 2020, 9 - 11 am
Location: Building 305, Room 507
Learn more about the KAIROS Blanket Exercise
Accessibility Services
The Accessibility Services Office provides information, support services and reasonable accommodation in all programs to students with documented permanent and temporary disabilities ranging from mental health, ADHD, learning disabilities, chronic health issues, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities and temporary impairments due to accident, illness or injury.
Date and time: Thursdays, 1 - 2 pm
Location: Shq’apthut – A Gathering Place, Building 170
Learn more about Accessibility Services
Culture Couch
The Culture Couch Series is a place to engage in cross-cultural understanding. Each session is uniquely crafted by student volunteers who take on the role of hosts and share aspects of their culture with their peers. The evening often consists of sampling traditional foods, sharing music, and engaging in conversation.
Date and time: Every Tuesday, 5 - 6 pm
Location: First floor, Building 255
Learn more about Culture Couch
Local Hike
Every Friday, the Cultural Connections Team will lead a hike around Nanaimo. This is the great occasion for you to explore some of the most scenic trails and make friends.
Date and time: Fridays, 1:30 - 4 pm
Location: meeting at Building 255
Upcoming hikes: TBD
Learn More about Cultural Connections Team hikes
Cultural Connections Road Trip
Every semester, the Cultural Connections Road Trips team prepare a schedule of seasonal weekly Road Trips activities available to all registered VIU students.
Date: Saturdays
Location: meeting at Building 255
Learn more about Cultural Connections Road Trips
No Worries Wednesday
No Worries Wednesday is a series where blog contributors speak to a topic which they were worried about before they participated in an education abroad experience.
Learn more about No Worries Wednesday
Men’s Group
This is a male community with 8 weeks of group meetings, during in the fall and spring semesters.
- Build skills
- Receive empathy
- Be heard and understood
- Experience a safe place to talk
- Talk about what your needs are as a male
Date and time: Fridays, 10:30 am - 12 pm
For more information, please call 250.740.6416, or email Albert.Seinen@viu.ca or drop in at the Health and Wellness Centre (Building 200, Room 308) to arrange a meeting or visit VIU Counselling Men's Group.
Community Peace Garden
The Community Peace Garden hosts a weekly work party at the Peace Garden Educational Ecosystem on VIU campus, every Saturday from 1-3 pm. This is the great occasion for you to learn about pollinators, permaculture, urban farming, biodiversity, sustainable gardening practices, and engage with others.
Date and time: Saturdays, 1 - 3 pm
Learn more on the Community Peace Garden Facebook Group
VIU Residence / The ResLife
The VIU Residence Team will host exciting events either weekly or monthly, for example: Good Food Box cooking night on the second Wednesday of each month. Check the VIU Residence Facebook page for upcoming events.
The Indigenous Perspectives Learning Circle Group
The group made up of 10 Indigenous, five international, and five non-Indigenous students meet monthly over the school year to discuss how to better incorporate Indigenous perspectives into their work, studies and personal lives.
Learn more about Reconciliation Road
Positive Space Alliance
Positive Space promotes the creation of a space defined by equality, free from discrimination and hate. It is a public proclamation of support and affirmation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning (2SLGBTQ+) members of our community, making the campus a more welcoming place for all. Positive Space often host some events or training sessions to promote inclusion at VIU. Checking for upcoming events through the Facebook page.
Learn more about the Positive Space Alliance
Queer and Allies Meeting - Let's Have a Kiki
Positive Space Alliance is hosting a meeting every Wednesday at the VIU Residence.
Date and time: Wednesdays, 5 - 6 pm
Location: VIU Residences, Building 4 - Cedar Centre
Global Groove
Global Groove is a free monthly concert series produced just for VIU students! Each month features a different musical genre from around the world. Concerts are the first Thursday of every month, September-April.
Date and time: First Thursday of every month, 9 pm - 12 am.
Location: Campus pub
Learn more about VIU International's Global Groove concert series
Past Events
Harambee 2020
Join the VIU World Univerisity Service of Canada (WUSC) Local Committee for a night of Mediterranean dinner, silent auction, and live music to support VIU's Student Refugee Program.
Date and Time: Wednesday, March 18, 6 - 9 pm
Location: VIU Student Union Pub
For tickets, please contact VIU- WUSC at wusc.viu@gmail.com.
2020 Anti- Racism Arts Festival
The fifth annual Anti- Racism Arts Festival will take place in Nanaimo in March 2020. This free festival inspires, teaches and features local artists to use creativity as a catalyst for change. There will be a series of events including 48- hour film challenge, Food and Learns Workshop, Spoken Word Open Mic Night, Blanket Exercise, and Red Carpet Film Screening.
Learn more about the 2020 Anti- Racism Arts Festival and join the movement!
Shine
Shine is a celebration of the diversity, creativity, and talent within Nanaimo’s aspiring independent and extraordinary artists who unite to make a difference while celebrating multiculturism, inclusion, and acceptance.
In the spirit of the "Life in the Day of" Shine Nanaimo will take their guests on a theatrical extravaganza of music, dance, and fashion, to raise funds and awareness in support of the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.
Date and time: April 11, 2020 6:30 pm - April 12, 1 am
Location: Conference Center- 101 Gordon Street
2SLGBTQ+ Diversity and Inclusion Workshop
Brought to you by Cowichan Valley Youth Service
Date and time: January 30, 2 - 4:30 pm
Location: Building 305, Room 507
Global Citizens Week
Vancouver Island University marks Global Citizens Week each year with campus events, visiting speakers, and classroom dialogues that explore issues of global development at home and abroad. This year VIU is exploring the theme of Innovation in Action with various topics such as global health, climate change, human rights, political engagement, migration, science and technology, social justice, media.
Date: February 3 - 7, 2020
Learn more about Global Citizens Week
Global Engagement International Work Opportunity Grant: "Stories From the Field"
Panel featuring Robin Davies, Jennifer Mitchell, Dean Cadieux and Michael Govoroy. Hosted by Darrell Harvey from the International Education Dept.
Date and time: Tuesday, February 4, 12 - 1 pm
Location: Building 305, Room 440
Education for Sustainable Development and Indigenous Education: An International Research Network
Presentation by Dr. Rachel Moll from the Education Dept.
Date and time: Tuesday, February 18, 12 - 1 pm
Location: Building 305, Room 440