Vancouver Island Reviews and Information

In continuation with our "52 VI Restaurants in 365 Days" project, I need to mention this small but important sushi place in central Nanaimo. Tomo Sushi To Go is a must visit if you enjoy fresh delicious sushi at a cheap price. I've been frequenting this place for the past two years now and I am not kidding when I say I have never been disappointed! Tomo Sushi is located at 1808 Bowen Road, near Tim Horton's on Bowen. It's small inside with only a few seats at the sushi bar and a couple tiny round tables. People do come and eat inside but generally it is a take-out sushi place. You have the option of purchasing assorted pre-made sushi rolls (california, dynamite, smoked salmon, yam, etc). If you're looking for more of a combo or take-out platter there is also a large assortment of both. I am partial to the Spicy Roll combo A perfect combination of scallop, salmon and tuna rolls slathered in spicy japanese mayo. 18 pieces for 13.99 is an awesome deal and it

Knead Therapy provides registered massage therapy, physiotherapy & acupuncture in beautiful downtown Nanaimo. As a huge advocate for health, especially when it comes to prevention, I booked a 90 minute minute therapeutic massage. I had some slight shoulder pain (guess that comes with 16 years of being a fastball pitcher) but nothing too significant. The great thing about knead is you can easily book an appointment on-line! It's super convenient and their website is easy to navigate. I arrived 15 minutes early to fill out some paperwork which included my health background, what I expected from my visit to knead and some personal information. The whole process took 5 minutes and before I knew it I was in my birthday suit in a dimmed room listening to some relaxing tunes. Owner Beverly Spidle asked me a few questions about where I would like to focus on in regards to the massage and got right to business. Bev treated my lower back, where I have had some problems over the years.

Kevin Keckstadt ( @YourSuccessPDQ ), founder of Your Success PDQ , designs/develops and facilitates public speaking and other communication based workshops on Vancouver Island . Kevin so kindly agreed to do an e-mail interview for your reading pleasure. Enjoy. 1: Hi Kevin, where do you live on Vancouver Island and what is your favourite thing about your city? A: Hi Shalyn, I live in Chemainus. Things I love about Chemainus is that it's off the beaten path. There are no major thoroughfares going through the town and that makes for a very peaceful setting. I also appreciate that it doesn't matter where you live here, every place is a short walk to the ocean. Small community, people are friendly and always willing to help where they can. 2: Tell us what your business is all about and where you are located (i.e how long you've been in business, target market, what you sell etc). A: My business mainly focuses on youth 17 - 30, giving them life skills important in day to

Annual Stock the Lockers Fundraiser Helps Vulnerable Students 2012 Campaign Aims to Raise $50,000 Urgently Needed School Supplies Nanaimo, BC – August 16, 2012 – The Nanaimo-Ladysmith Schools Foundation (NLSF) kicked off its biggest annual fundraising campaign, Stock the Lockers , today with an event at Staples North Nanaimo location. The campaign, now in its third year, aims to raise $50,000 to purchase school supplies and to help provide necessities for needy students throughout the year through the Foundation’s Student Support Fund. Coming to school prepared with a backpack, binders and pencils empowers vulnerable students who may not any supplies at the start of the year. Child poverty continues to remain a major issue in our community with the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district repeatedly ranking among the highest in British Columbia in terms of poverty-stricken students. Food bank usage is consistently high and many families are struggling to make ends meet. The

This video was taken by tofinofishing.com - according to the description in the video this was taken via an iPhone and it is a humpback calf. I couldn't imagine being this close to a whale jumping out of the water!

Nanaimo, B.C – August 14, 2012 - Nanaimo Travelers Lodge (NTL) – a nonprofit, charitable organization and the only dedicated dementia care facility in the Mid Island recently received a donation of $1400 from the Investors Group Nanaimo office. The donation is part of Volunteer Support Program from Investors Group (IG), which was created to provide financial assistance to non-profit groups and organization in which IG employees or family members are active volunteers. NTL board member and IG employee Robert Grose applied for the grant to donate towards NTL. The funds will go towards Nanaimo Travellers Lodge special programs, which promote the Eden Philosophy of Care with their 90 residents and 160 people in the community who use the three NTL adult day care programs. Eden Care gives the residents of NTL the opportunity to participate in activities on a regular basis that create spontaneity and bring variety into their lives. The Lodge welcomes donations from the

The West Coast Men's Support Society offers a safe supportive place for men to gather and grow. They offer men the tools & strategies by which to live their lives with integrity, trust, responsibility and accountability. The WCMSS inspires men to live their richest, most meaningful and healthy lives with their families and community! Vision Statement: "The vision of the West Coast Men’s Support Society (WCMSS)is to support a community where men and women of all ages live with equality, equity and peaceful co-existence." What they do: Offer counselling, support, and referrals to men in the emotional, psychological, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions of their lives Offer tools strategies for the fostering of strong and healthy relationships with partners, families, and community -- where all feel affirmed, validated, respected, and cherished Support men in learning to communicate and enrich existing relationships Help men with family court/divo

THE FILBERG FESTIVAL … YOU SHOULD GO! By Valerie van der Gracht (twitter @Valvdg ) Just got back from the 30th annual Filberg Festival in Comox. If you haven’t been yet be sure to stop by sometime this weekend. The Filberg Festival is open today, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at 10 am. The location is sublime. A beautiful park in its own right the Filberg turns into a shoppers paradise. This year event management duo Susan Lewis and Wendy Sears of Lewis & Sears have organized the crafts and vendors by category making it so easy to browse. You will find unique and unusual items throughout the grounds of the park. I have friends who go only for the entertainment which is excellent again this year. Spirit of the West are opening up the Festival and on Monday, the final day, 2012 JUNO Award winner Phil Dwyer will perform along with the ever popular Michael Kaeshammer. For the full list of performers http://filbergfestival.com/entertainment/entertainers/ S