NANAIMO - The Snuneymuxw Islanders U13 girls' basketball team are back-to-back champions at the Junior All Native Tournament (JANT). Snuneymuxw went 5-0 in the 2026 tournament in Langley, including a 69-22 victory over the Mini Mystics in the final game on March 20. Coach Daphne Robinson said the players are very dedic...

NANAIMO - The Nanaimo Buccaneers have advanced to the VIJHL finals for the first time in franchise history but, regardless of results, will wrap their season away from their home arena.The Buccaneers took out Campbell River in four games and defeated Comox Valley in a six-game series, with five of the games being won b...

NANAIMO - VIU's outgoing women's basketball coach admitted Sunday's travel day back home from Montreal was a rough ride, but the reason was well worth any discomfort.Celebrations continued long into the night for the team after they won the CCAA women's basketball national championship on Saturday, March 21, the second...

NANAIMO - A major economic boost is being felt locally, thanks to the Harbour City playing host to a major sporting event last fall. The 55+ BC Games took place in Nanaimo in September, where over 2,700 athletes competed in 21 sports over four days, using 20 different venues across the region. Organizers recently annou...

NANAIMO - The Vancouver Island University Mariners women's basketball team are national champions once more.Playing at the CCAA National Championships hosted by Dawson College in Montreal, QC, the Mariners used a dominant second quarter against Ontario's Fanshawe College to tee up another gold medal, via a 72-58 win on...

NANAIMO - The VIU Mariners are hosting the CCAA men's basketball nationals. On the court, the home team won the PACWEST provincial tournament and are looking to earn a gold medal in their home gym, beginning Wednesday, March 18. Off the court, athletic director Danielle Hyde is trying to put on a memorable event for al...

NANAIMO - It's year five for the Nanaimo Ball Hockey League and the second year of putting on a kids division. The 2026 season will be extra special because Nanaimo will also host the B and D level men's provincials the first weekend of July. Goaltender and league co-organizer Troy Gladesdahl said it was a long process...

NANAIMO - The NightOwls will have some Major League Baseball bloodlines on their roster this season.Alan Choo, the son of former MLB outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, will suit up for the West Coast League team in 2026.The 21-year-old plays for Orange Coast College in California and is tied for third in home runs in the CCCAA ...

QUALICUM BEACH - A group of athletes are proving age is only a number when it comes to playing the sport you love. The Qualicum & District Curling Club on Memorial Ave. are hosting the 2026 BC 80+ Curling Championship on Wednesday, March 18 and Thursday, March 19. Put on by the Pacific Coast Masters Curling Associa...

NANAIMO - For the second time in three years, the VIU Mariners are on top of the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League.After dominating the regular season with a 17-2-0-1 record, finishing eight points clear of second place, the team cruised to the title with an 8-1 win over the University of Victoria Vikes on Sunday, March...

NANAIMO - Another two banners are going to the rafters of the Vancouver Island University gymnasium.Both the men's and women's basketball teams claimed provincial titles on Saturday, March 7, winning their respective gold medal games at Camosun College in Victoria.The women made it back-to-back PACWEST titles with a cl...

NANAIMO - The Nanaimo Gymnastics school sent five athletes to the BC Winter Games in Trail and Rossland. Sophie Fayerman and Annika Dunderdale competed in Level 7 and Hazel Techen and Gianna Phillips were in Level 8. Norah Box earned a wild card entry into the event which was held from Feb. 25 to March 1. Techen had an...

NANAIMO - The VIU Mariners basketball teams have different pathways to get their respective national tournaments.The men's team will appear at nationals as the host team from March 18-21 in Nanaimo, meanwhile, the top ranked women's squad is guaranteed a spot in the national tournament in Montreal if they win a provinc...

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...