Author

Mick Sweetman

Mick's Latest Articles

Photo of a man wearing a New York Yankees ball cap aiming down the barrel of a .50-calibre machine-gun.
HMCS Nanaimo bids final farewell to namesake city

HMCS Nanaimo to be transferred to the Atlantic later this year after years of service patrolling the west coast.

Photo of a woman and a boy outdoors in a forest with the boy giving a peace sign
Meet one of the U.S. health-care workers moving to Nanaimo

Why a nurse from California, and other U.S. health-care workers, will be calling Nanaimo home this year.

Nanaimo Pride in photos

“Louder and prouder” Pride parade and festival takes over downtown Nanaimo

VIU board of governors meet on the fifth floor of the library on VIU's Nanaimo campus on June 3, 2025.
VIU ‘turning a corner’ as board approves $500K deficit budget, chair says

VIU to refocus on undergraduate education as it cancels graduate programs.

Long Lake with rowing team paddling.
Long Lake boathouse upgrade needed for safety and accessibility, paddlers say

Parents of young athletes tell city council about ‘life threatening’ accidents and accessibility barriers at Long Lake.

Dozens of VIU faculty and staff watch a contentious senate meeting about proposed program cancelations and suspensions on screens in an overflow room on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Photo by Mick Sweetman / The Discourse
VIU won’t hit deficit target, acting president says

Tense senate meeting approves program cancellations but delays suspensions

Photo of Nanaimo Art Gallery curator Jesse Birch holding up two chocolate bars that are part of the After Wrappers exhibit.
After Wrappers exhibit showcases kids’ creative flavours

“The kids owned that flavour, it’s not a flavour for adults, it’s for kids.”

VIU to cut ‘vital’ dental assistant program

Dental organizations say cancelling the dental assistant program would hurt quality of care on Vancouver Island.

A man wearing a shirt reading Backyard Fest and a woman stand in front of a colourful graffiti mural.
Backyard Fest to take over Victoria Crescent

Backyard Fest, Nanaimo’s underground music and arts festival, is back bigger than ever

An NDP event on Vancouver Island with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Nanaimo-Ladsymith candidate Lisa Marie Barron.
How the NDP lost Vancouver Island

Former Vancouver Island NDP MPs and activists on why they lost and how they want to rebuild the party.