NANAIMO - The John Barsby Bulldogs are playing in a BC high school football quarterfinal game in Abbotsford.The AA varsity team will be an underdog against the number three team in the province when they take the field on Friday, Nov. 15 at 3 p.m.Barsby coach Rob Stevenson said it's been a fall of growth for his 5-3 te...

NANAIMO - Clippers alumni Matt Irwin has announced his retirement from the NHL after a career spanning 13 years and 461 games. Irwin played junior hockey in Nanaimo from 2004-2008, appearing in 163 games and earning 92 points. The product of Brentwood Bay was named the BCHL's top Coastal Conference defenceman in both 2...

SQUAMISH - After a narrow defeat in their first game at the CCAA women's soccer nationals the VIU Mariners kept in medal contention with a massive win. The Mariners scored four goals in the opening 22 minutes of their bronze medal quarterfinal en route to an 8-0 win over the Brandon University Bobcats on Thursday, Nov....

NANAIMO - Senior hockey has made a return to the Harbour City.The Nanaimo Steelmen are in their second season playing AA men's hockey with home games in both Nanaimo and Port Alberni.Goaltender and team spokesman Riley Medves said they've had great support so far with at least six home games this season scheduled in Na...

NANAIMO - A first-of-its-kind all-female field lacrosse tournament is taking over a south Nanaimo sports field this weekend. The 2024 Van Island Girls Cup Tournament starts at Harewood Centennial Park on Friday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at Sherry Field with a blessing from local Snuneymuxw First Nation elder Lolly Good, follow...

VANCOUVER - Nanaimo based Island Top Team had a massive medal haul, winning the ADCC Canada Open grappling event.The Canada Open was held at the Richmond Oval with over 80 teams from around North America.For the second time in a row ITT took the team title with four gold medals and five silvers.Coach Rob Biernacki said...

LANGLEY - For the second time in three years the VIU Mariners are PACWEST women's soccer champions.The Mariners won a tight 1-0 contest in the final on Sunday, Oct. 27 against Capilano. Jade Dillabough's goal in the 35th minute was the only tally in the gold medal match.VIU coach Bobbie Taylor was elated with the win.&...

NANAIMO - The VIU Mariners volleyball season is underway with road matches the first two weekends of the year.The men lost both of their opening matches to College of the Rockies while the women earned two wins.Before VIU has their home opening weekend against Capilano on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 they wrap up October with mat...

NANAIMO - The VIU Mariners begin their basketball season at home on Oct. 18.Both the women and men play Okanagan to begin their journey through the PACWEST and they hope it all culminates with a CCAA national championship.Both squads finished 20-4 in the 2023-24 regular season with the women finishing third at provinci...

NANAIMO - A fresh voice will lead the West Coast League's Nanaimo NightOwls next season. On Tuesday, Oct. 15 the team announced head coach Greg Frady elected to step down from the role he held for all three seasons the NightOwls have been in existence. In a statement, the 61-year-old Frady said it was an honour helping...

NANAIMO - The VI Raiders were a much improved football team in 2024.After an 0-10 campaign a year ago the Raiders ended their most recent campaign at 4-6 while putting together a three game winning streak heading into the offseason.Head Coach Shawn Arabsky said there's a lot more work ahead but the club is trending in ...

NANAIMO - For years they were the clear runaway laughing stock of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League.Playing against the Nanaimo Buccaneers used to be two free points and pad-your-stats night for opponents. Despite an 8-3 home ice loss to the Lake Cowichan Kraken Thursday night, the Buccaneers organization is he...

NANAIMO - The 8th annual Grip Strength Invitational kettlebell event brought out competitors of all types.There were just under 20 competitors who took to the platforms at Cross Fit Nanaimo on the second weekend of September.Organizer Solomon Macys said there are many different goals for the lifters."Every year is...

NANAIMO - Local powerlifter Tyler Ollech is rapidly rising up the ranks in the sport.In early September he finished in second place in his weight class at the Canadian Powerlifting Union National Championships in PEI.Ollech has only been a competitive lifter for the past two years."I've been lifting since I was 11...

NANAIMO - Three players from the 2024 Nanaimo Timbermen have been drafted into the National Lacrosse League. Jacob Power, Colby Bowman and Caleb Creasor all heard their name called on Sunday, Sept. 15 in Toronto. Team president Chris Bowman said the organization is proud to see more and more of its players get the chan...

NANAIMO - The VIU Mariners new PACWEST soccer season is underway.VIU's men's and women's teams started with a pair of home games last weekend against Langara, with the women earning 2-0 and 5-1 victories.Meanwhile, the men split their games with a 2-1 triumph to start the opening weekend and a 5-0 loss in their Sunday,...

NANAIMO - The Oceanside Generals and Nanaimo Buccaneers are set to begin their 2024-25 Junior hockey campaigns. The Buccaneers have made significant roster changes and former BCHL coach Bill Bestwick is now guiding the team. Bestwick said he and the players are looking forward to the challenge, starting with Nanaimo's ...

PARIS - Canadian swimmer Nicholas Bennett is a double gold medallist at the Paralympic Games.The 20-year-old from Parksville, B.C., won the men's 200-metre individual medley in Paralympic record time two days after taking the 100-metre breaststroke in Paris.Bennett is the first Canadian man to win multiple gold medals ...

NANAIMO - It's not only time for back to school, but kids fall recreational basketball programs with Island Swish.Organizer and coach Matt Kuzminski said they're looking to get as many young players involved in the sport as they can in the kindergarten to Grade 9 age groups."We have rec leagues and those are actio...

PARIS - Canadian swimmer Nicholas Bennett has won a silver medal at the Paralympic Games in Paris. The 21-year-old from Parksville, B.C., was second in men's 200-metre freestyle to claim the first Paralympic medal of his career. Britain's William Ellard set a world record of one minute 51.30 seconds to take gold at La ...

GEORGETOWN, ON - Nanoose Bay's Shelly Stouffer is one of 123 competitors teeing off at the Canadian Women's Senior Championship this week.The event runs from Wednesday, Aug. 27 to Friday, Aug. 29 in Georgetown, Ontario.Stouffer is in good form heading in after winning the Canadian Women's Mid-Amateur Championship at Cr...

NANAIMO - The preseason is underway for the atom, pee wee, bantam and midget teams with Football Nanaimo.Club president Wanda Currie said there aren't many spaces left on any of their teams."We're full for our midget team and our bantam team still has a few spots left. Our junior bantam team is full. We have two p...

NANAIMO - The NightOwls will enter season four of their foray into West Coast League baseball looking for their first playoff appearance.The team went 26-28 in 2024, finishing just outside the playoffs in fifth place in the North Division.Co-owner Jim Swanson said the club was in a lot of tight ball games that didn't f...

NANAIMO - The Harbour City's biggest annual ball hockey tournament wrapped at the Harewood Covered Box.The Roadrunners Summer Classic had 20 teams spread across four different divisions, held Saturday, Aug. 10 and Sunday, Aug. 11.Co-organizer Megan Lum was very happy with the turnout."This year has been the bigges...

PARKSVILLE - Two athletes from the Oceanside region will represent the country at the highest level. Swimmer Nicholas Bennett and wheelchair rugby player Trevor Hirschfield were named to Team Canada for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, beginning Aug. 28. Nicholas Bennett Paris will mark the second Paralympics for Benne...

NANAIMO - Arguably one of the most decorated athletes to ever come out of the Harbour City will lead his country into the Olympic Games' closing ceremony. Ethan Katzberg, along with swimmer Summer McIntosh, were chosen Sunday, Aug. 11 as flag bearers after major medal performances including Katzberg becoming the first ...

PARIS, FRANCE - A local athlete has wrapped her first Olympic experience.Lantzville's Olivia Lundman and her Richmond-based race partner and coach Evan Dunfee placed 20th in the marathon race walk relay at the Paris Olympics overnight on Wednesday, Aug. 6 with a time of 3:04:57.Dunfee opened the race for Canada, along ...

NANAIMO - Results were tough to come by for the senior and junior lacrosse teams in the Harbour City this summer.The Senior B and Junior A Timbermen both suffered playoff sweeps while the WLA T-men didn't make the postseason for the first time since 2017.It was a bizarre season for Nanaimo's highest-level senior team w...