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...

NANAIMO - Coming off yet another strong season of volleyball at Vancouver Island University, the Mariners are poised to once again be at the top of their conference.The women were an impressive 19-1 last season, won the PACWEST title for the 20th time in school history and earned a bronze medal at CCAA nationals.Coach ...

NANAIMO - 15-year-old Brooklyn Chase is a champion discus thrower, hockey player and lacrosse player who also plays golf for fun.The NDSS student said hockey is her first love but she recently won a gold medal in discus at the Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships in August.Chase threw 35.63 metres to win...

NANAIMO - After a four year absence the VI Raiders will return to the BCFC playoffs.The Raiders have a 4-4-1 record heading into their final regular season game and they know they will finish the season as the fourth seed.Head coach Shawn Arabsky is pleased for the group and particularly his veterans who had to endure ...

NANAIMO - Rugby season has begun for the Nanaimo Hornets at levels.The women's team is practicing for their season opener in early October and the men have already played twice.Hornets club president Brad Marshall said the men's side has seen mixed results."Two weeks ago we played against UVIC for the men's team a...

NANAIMO - Kicking off the BCHL's regular season is morphing into a community-wide event in Nanaimo, as the Clippers' season opener in Nanaimo coincides with the first day of the Vancouver Island Exhibition (VIEx). Both take place on Friday, Sept. 19, with the Clippers taking on the Alberni Valley Bulldogs at Frank Cran...

PARKSVILLE - Following the successful hosting of events for the 55+ BC Games, the Parksville Curling Club is now inviting the community to give curling a try. Parksville Curling Club's Launch Week goes from Sept. 15-20, with plenty of chances for newcomers to test their skills on the ice at the club's Community Park fa...

TOKYO, JAPAN - Nanaimo's Ethan Katzberg is going to need a bigger trophy cabinet.The reigning Olympic and World Champion in the men's hammer throw event added another accolade to his glittering career on Tuesday, Sept. 16, winning his second consecutive World Athletics Championship title.Katzberg, 23, threw a distance ...

NANAIMO - Fall basketball programming is now underway for competitive and recreational athletes at Island Swish.Kids from kindergarten to high school age are being offered sessions of skill development with a game component as well.At the younger ages the emphasis is on learning and fun and the recreational sessions fo...

NANAIMO - Six players from the Nanaimo Timbermen Senior and Junior lacrosse programs were drafted into the National Lacrosse League this past weekend. Two players from the Senior Tmen were picked in the top 13 on Saturday, Sept. 6, with Noah Manning going to the Calgary Roughnecks ninth overall and Levi Verch being sel...

NANAIMO - The ninth annual Grip Strength Kettlebell Open brought out some younger athletes for the first time.Co-organizer Solomon Macys says youth starting at age 11 will continue to be part of the event going forward."We had a new youth contingent this year," Macys said. "It was a product of the youth ...

NANAIMO - The Mariners soccer teams have the same objectives for the new PACWEST soccer season - advance to the CCAA national tournament.For the women it's about getting back to the nationals after a fourth place showing in 2024 and for the men the goal is to finish top of the table after recording a three win season a...

PARKSVILLE - A pop-up bonspiel this weekend for local curlers will serve a dual purpose: letting eager stone sliders get onto the ice, and allowing BC Games athletes to get ready for competition.The Parksville Curling Club is hosting a 'Get Your Feet Wet' bonspiel beginning Friday, Sept. 5 and running through Sunday, S...

NANAIMO - After five seasons, 74 career games and 252 career points, Junior A Timbermen captain Andrew Bowman finished his career with a Most Valuable Player award. Bowman led the team to a third place finish with an 11-6 record.He had 60 points which was the sixth most in the BCJALL and his 34 assists were fourth over...

NANAIMO - The Clippers are entering a new season with a new addition to their coaching staff.Henry Acres is Nanaimo's new full time assistant after the departure of Gaelan Patterson to the Vancouver Giants of the WHL.Acres most recently was the head coach of the Kerry Park Islanders of the VIJHL but spent most of his c...

NANAIMO - A well-known golfer with a winning pedigree lived up to her reputation at the Canadian Women's Senior Championship staged this week at Nanaimo Golf Club.Shelly Stouffer, 55, won the tournament by three strokes on the afternoon of Thursday, Aug. 28, marking the third time she has won the tournament for females...

NANAIMO - A local, player-run basketball team has shown a host of Florida-based peers how Canadians hoop.Nine players from BBL Elite, a youth basketball team with players from Nanaimo, Parksville and Qualicum Beach, finished as runners-up at a tournament in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday, Aug. 24, with their only l...

NANAIMO - Around 140 of the best senior women's golfers from across Canada and overseas are preparing to tee off in the Harbour City. The Nanaimo Golf Club is hosting the 2025 Canadian Women's Senior Championships beginning Tuesday, Aug. 26 and running through Thursday, Aug. 28, with golfers from multiple provinces and...

NANAIMO - Two players from the Mid Island Pirates baseball team came home with gold medals from the Canada Games in Newfoundland this past week.Nanaimo-born Tyler McWhinnie and Madden Peters of Lantzville were part of Team BC, which captured the gold medal after defeating Team Quebec on Saturday, Aug. 16.Pirates head c...