The Toronto Blue Jays journey to Game 7 of the World Series inspired Canadian baseball fans and featured an alumni of WCL baseball on Vancouver Island in Nathan Lukes. (Dreamstime)

By Dan Marshall

Lasting Impact

NightOwls Swanson believes Blue Jays run will boost baseball in Nanaimo

Nov 8, 2025 | 5:33 AM

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 outside of 2010 Olympic hockey and maybe some World Juniors be so intent on one sporting event or one series going on,” Swanson said. “It was unbelievable baseball. I think it’s the best World Series in history and that’s a hard thing to see because there’s been so many good ones over time. Nobody gets to hang their head about what happened in that series.”

Swanson also believes the World Series will act as a strong precursor for the 2026 World Cup which will be held partly in Canada.

He also remembers the 1992 and 1993 World Series which caused a bump in baseball interest, something which may happen again in the coming months.

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“The best part is for Canadian baseball and Baseball Canada all across the country. Last time it led to a really strong uptake in grassroots baseball and registrations in youth baseball. You’ll see the merchandise flying off the shelf, you’ll have the Blue Jays brand everywhere for the next little while. Baseball numbers should be up with Nanaimo Minor Baseball, the Pirates, the VIU Mariners and I just think it’s really spurred some people on to want to keep baseball going and to do even more with what I think is the greatest game on earth.”

As an owner with the West Coast League in Nanaimo and Victoria Swanson had a personal connection to Blue Jays slugger Nathan Lukes.

In 2014 Lukes came to the Victoria Harbourcats and elevated his game to get on track for a pro career.

This playoff was spectacularly special for us, we felt like proud parents. Nathan Lukes has a tremendous story. He spent more than eight years in the minors. He was drafted by Cleveland in the seventh round. He came to the Harbourcats as an unheralded and not thought of much for pro baseball kind of guy. He had a huge year in the West Coast League, put up strong numbers, was the Harbourcats player of the year and it led to a pro career. He’s going to make some money now with a contract coming up.”

Swanson remembers Lukes as an intense player who hit hard and had an attitude of hating to lose.

“Nathan worked as hard as anyone away from the cameras and away from the spotlight. Nobody knew how hard he worked except for his teammates and coaches because they saw the work on the periphery. They saw how much he gained confidence and gained in skill and rose his game to that new level playing for us. We’re proud to say without the Victoria Harbourcats we don’t think he’d be a professional baseball player and I think Nathan would say the same thing. We could’nt be happier for his family with his wife and his two kids.”

In 2026 the NightOwls will be entering their fifth year in the West Coast League.

Nanaimo has had an MLB draft pick in each of the last three seasons with Elijah Ickes, Connor Caskenette and most recently Hayden Cuthbertson.

Swanson thinks the NightOwls will soon have a large core of alumni in the majors, just like Victoria does.

“The Harbourcats have been around for 12 seasons. Victoria had 34 players in professional baseball including eight in the big leagues last year. That’s a pretty significant number of players reaching the highest level of baseball and it’s the kind of thing we will see with future NightOwls.”

Preparations for the 2026 season are well underway for Swanson and the NightOwls.

The team has already announced that 2025 all-stars Talan Zenk and Jacob Hayes are returning and work is ongoing to upgrade the Serauxmen Stadium bullpens and pave the parking lot.

With the 2026 WCL all-star game coming to Victoria there will be a NightOwls presence in that event as well, including pitching coach Gorm Heimueller being one of the all-star coaches in what will be his 50th year working in baseball.

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