Cultural Connections - Events & Activities

Join Cultural Connections' Road Trips activities and discover Vancouver Island's vibrant communities, local cultural events and attractions. 

Being connected, active, and engaged in the local environment is healthy. It can help with the cultural adjustment process for students who are new to Canada or new to the community.

Every semester, we prepare a schedule of seasonal weekly Road Trips available to all registered VIU students.

Regular Road Trips Activities include: 

• Options to explore local attractions like as the Royal BC Museum, Butchart Gardens, Cathedral Grove, the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Visitor Centre, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Coombs Market, Horne Lake Caves and more.

• Seasonal trips to local cultural events, such as Salt Spring Island Fall Festival, Foggy Mountain Fall Fair, McNab's Corn Maze and Bonfire, Pumpkin Carving, Ladysmith Festival of Lights and the Cowichan Valley Maple Sugar Festival. 

Each semester we head outdoors and explore some of the most scenic and awe-inspiring local hiking trails Nanaimo and has to offer! The Local Hikes program is designed to encourage confidence and creativity in participants, while at the same time aiming to forge a connection with nature and a desire to protect it. John Muir was onto something when he said, "In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks". From boosting fitness, to improving mental wellbeing – and even helping us in our social lives, hiking offers all kinds of tangible benefits. Did we mention - it is only $2! 

Select Fridays from 1:30-4pm (unless otherwise posted)

The Culture Couch Series is a place to engage in cross-cultural understanding. The symbol of a couch reflects the casual and comfortable nature that we come together within this student-led weekly series. 

Tuesdays from 5-6pm (Fall & Spring Semesters)

Building 255 - 1st Floor Commons

The evening often consists of sampling traditional foods, sharing music, and engaging in conversation. By attending, we can gain more understanding about the world and about each other, directly from the lens of our diverse community of Vancouver Island University students. 

Global Groove is a free monthly concert series produced just for VIU students! Each month features a different musical genre from around the world.  Concerts are the first Thursday of every month, September to April. The series is a proud partnership between VIU Students' Union (VIUSU) and VIU Cultural Connections (International Education).