ABBOTSFORD - For the third year in a row the VIU Mariners women's volleyball team are provincial champions. They took out top seeded Capilano University in a five-set match on Saturday, Feb. 28. Coach Shane Hyde said the group was fully confident despite not being the favourite going into the tournament. "I think ...

NANAIMO - After being hired in 2021 to lead the Regional District of Nanaimo, chief administrative officer said it felt like the right time to move onto the next phase of his life. That time, however, isn't projected until early next year, allowing the RDN ample time to coordinate a smooth transition. "Offering as...

NANAIMO - The VIU Mariners volleyball teams are hoping to hit their peak at PACWEST provincials and earn their way to the CCAA nationals. It's a been a consistent year for the women and year of strong growth for the men's side with both squads finishing second in the regular season. The women finished 16-4 and drew Cam...

PARKSVILLE - Shovels are in the ground on new dressing room facilities for the VIJHL's Oceanside Generals. Supported financially in part by the Regional District of Nanaimo, the project at Oceanside Place is part of the requirements teams must undertake as part of the VIJHL's move from Junior B to Junior A status in Ju...

NANAIMO - The best accomplishments in local sports were recognized at the 21st annual Nanaimo Sport Achievement Awards.The ceremony was at the Coastal Bastion Hotel on Friday, Feb. 20 and also included three inductions into the Nanaimo Sports Hall of Fame.Seventeen annual awards were given out along with two special aw...

NANAIMO - Six local high schools are competing in four divisions at the Vancouver Island high school basketball championships.The games will run from Thursday, Feb. 19 to Saturday, Feb. 21 at schools in Victoria, Shawnigan Lake and Duncan.Dover Bay and Nanaimo District Secondary are both in the 4A bracket, with Dover a...

NANAIMO - Three new members have been added to the Nanaimo Sports Hall of Fame. Founder of the VI Raiders Hadi Abassi, Olympian Yvonne Visser and long time member of the national media Larry Brown have been selected and will also be honoured at a ceremony on Friday, Feb. 20. Sophia Maher with the Nanaimo Museum said th...

NANAIMO - The first competition of 2026 for the Nanaimo Rowing Club was held indoors. Sixteen athletes participated in the Kraken Indoor Rowing Championships at Brentwood School in Mill Bay. Nanaimo club athletes earned seven gold medals, two silvers and one bronze, the most the NRC has ever won at the event. "The...

NANAIMO - The Nanaimo Timbermen dominated the 2026 WLA draft with six of the first seven selections in the first round. They also added two Nanaimo Junior A stars in Andrew Bowman and Jordan Vincent as territorial picks Bowman was the BCJALL league MVP in 2025 and is extremely happy to be staying home in Nanaimo. "...

NANAIMO - The second semester is now underway for the court sports teams at Vancouver Island University. Both the men's and women's basketball teams are in first place in the PACWEST standings, the women's volleyball squad is in second spot and the men's volleyball team is in fourth place. VIU will host the CCAA men's ...

PORT ALBERNI - The Dover Bay Dolphins senior girls team won the TOTEM basketball tournament on Jan. 10 with an 88-73 win over Victoria's Pacific Christian Pacers. Dolphins head coach Shayne Pfeiffer said the experience was special in many different ways."It's an honour just to be invited to the TOTEM tournament, s...

NANAIMO - Island Top Team athletes have recently returned from the IBJJF NoGi World Championship in Las Vegas. Coach Rob Biernacki said the team had a one-hundred percent podium rate at the Dec. 11-14 event, and as a coach, he had a unique hand in one particular final. "Sarah Kolybaba took silver in her lightweigh...

NANAIMO - The nomination period is now open for the Nanaimo Sport Achievement Awards. Organizers are seeking submissions to spotlight the many successes on the local sports scene in 2025. The nominations are open to any athlete, team, coach, official or sport administrator from Ladysmith to Nanoose Bay. An online form ...

NANAIMO - The high school boys basketball season has wrapped up until after Christmas. Several local teams are highly ranked with the last round of provincial rankings for 2025 now out. At the head of the list is Dover Bay, sitting as the number two-ranked team in the province and number one on Vancouver Island in 4A. ...

NANAIMO - Many mid island athletes and teams had major successes in 2025. Ethan Katzberg once again made headlines with a Canadian track and field championships win in the hammer throw in August. The Nanaimo product, who lives and trains in the Kamloops area, threw 81.33 metres. In mid September, Katzberg won his secon...

NANAIMO - The NightOwls have their 2026 schedule out and have announced their first group of confirmed returning players. They'll begin play with an exhibition game against the VIU Mariners on May 27 with their first WCL regular season games on the road in Ridgefield May 29-31. The first home series for the NightOwls i...

NANAIMO - The future of rowing and paddling in the Harbour City seems very bright.While Nanaimo city council has approved a gathering space, boat storage room, and public washroom facility at Loudon Park, rowing athletes are continuing to train even in the winter months.The competition season extended into late October...

NANAIMO - The two mid-island teams in the VIJHL are leading the pack in the North Division as the season enters the second half.The first-place Oceanside Generals have a 16-9-1 record while the second-place Nanaimo Buccaneers are 15-9-1.General's coach Garret Dunlop said he saw a group of players willing to buy into a ...

NANAIMO - The journey started in September and wrapped with a provincial title over the weekend for the John Barsby junior varsity football team. In the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 29 at Langley's McLeod Athletic Park the Bulldogs played Argyle out of North Vancouver and recorded a decisive 34-3 victory. Steven...

NANAIMO - The end of November also means the conclusion of the high school volleyball season.Four senior teams from the central island made provincial tournaments highlighted by two teams from Dover Bay Secondary and squads from Nanaimo Christian School and Parksville's Ballenas Secondary.Dover Bay's girls team compete...

NANAIMO - The always-strong John Barsby high school football program is in line for another provincial title. The junior varsity squad is coming off a 32-0 win in the B.C. quarter finals against Parksville's Ballenas Secondary, and will next host Mount Douglas in the semi finals on Wednesday, Nov. 19. JV head coach Rob...

NANAIMO - Patty Tougas wanted to find a way for her pickleball community to help people in need. The idea spawned the first annual Pickle for Hunger pickleball tournament in support of the Nanaimo Loaves and Fishes Food Bank. "It was in my mind because I had been doing other types of charity work," Tougas sai...

NANAIMO - Fans of the Toronto Blue Jays are still processing a dramatic playoff run that came up short in Game 7 of the World series. Locally Nanaimo NightOwls co-owner Jim Swanson believes the Blue Jays has had an impact both culturally and for the baseball community. "I have never seen Canada outside of maybe ou...

NANAIMO - The Vancouver Island University ultimate team returned from a national tournament in Ontario with a silver medal. The Canadian University Ultimate Championships were held Oct. 17-19 in Brampton, On., and the result was a huge boost to a very new group of players. Co-captain Oliver Rhodes said the team hasn't ...

NANAIMO - Island Top Team took home five gold medals at the ADCC Canadian Open grappling event in Richmond.The Saturday, Oct. 25 event saw the Nanaimo based Brazilian jiu-jitsu contingent win a total of nine medals in the adult division and two in the kids category.Head instructor Rob Biernacki competed down an age cat...

NANAIMO - The VIU Mariners women's soccer team has won back to back provincial championships.VIU beat Douglas College 2-0 in the PACWEST title game in Squamish on Sunday, Oct. 26.Mariners coach Bobbi Taylor was thrilled with the win but is also setting her sights on the CCAA national tournament."I feel splendid bu...

NANAIMO - A dominant season on the pitch has yielded a sweep of annual honours for VIU Mariners players and staff. The women's soccer team went 10-1-1 through the PACWEST regular season, comfortably securing top spot in B.C. and placing fourth in the national CCAA (Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association) rankings. Re...

NANAIMO - The VIU Mariners basketball teams have begun a journey they hope will lead to the 2026 national championship. Last season both teams finished first in the PACWEST regular season with the women winning the provincial championship and making at appearance at nationals and the men ending up with a provincial sil...