VIRL Creativity Commons

VIRL Creativity Commons Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from VIRL Creativity Commons, Library, 90 Commercial Street, Nanaimo, BC.

Welcome to the official page of the Creativity Commons at Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL)

Visit us at virl.bc.ca

👉virl.bc.ca/social-media-terms-of-use/

🎉 Today, VIRL turns 90! 🎉For 90 years, Vancouver Island Regional Library has connected people, ideas, and communities ac...
05/30/2026

🎉 Today, VIRL turns 90! 🎉

For 90 years, Vancouver Island Regional Library has connected people, ideas, and communities across Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii, Bella Coola, and the Central Coast.

What began in 1936 with six branches, 12,648 books, and a $500 grant has grown into one of British Columbia’s largest and most geographically diverse public library systems, serving urban centres, coastal villages, and some of Canada's most rural and remote communities.

This anniversary is more than a celebration of our history. It’s a celebration of the generations of people who have learned, discovered, connected, created, and found belonging through their libraries.

Today, communities across the VIRL system are celebrating this milestone with local events, guest books, activities, refreshments, and opportunities to share library memories. It's also the official launch of the VIRL 90th Anniversary Passport Program, inviting people of all ages to explore libraries across the region, collect stamps, and win prizes.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of VIRL’s story over the past nine decades. Here's to 90 years of stories, learning, connection, and community.

Learn more and join the celebration: virl.bc.ca/90th

Join us for the final TRC57 Speaker Series webinar before our summer break with Dr. Aaron Mills on May 20 from 12–1pm PT...
05/15/2026

Join us for the final TRC57 Speaker Series webinar before our summer break with Dr. Aaron Mills on May 20 from 12–1pm PT.

In this deeply reflective talk, Dr. Mills invites us to reconsider resurgence and reconciliation through the lens of rooted constitutionalism: an Indigenous understanding of political community grounded in land, relationship, and responsibility.

Drawing from Anishinaabe teachings, Indigenous law, and lived experience, this conversation challenges us to think differently about governance, belonging, and our shared relationship with the living earth.

This is a powerful opportunity to pause, reflect, and engage with ideas that continue to shape the path forward for reconciliation in Canada.

🎟️ Register now and join the conversation before we break for summer.
https://virl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JKmldLuwS0-j0EuGrUYgxQ #/registration

The TRC57 Speaker Series will return in the fall with two more inspiring speakers.
More info: https://trc57speakerseries.ca/speakers/dr-aaron-mills/

What does reconciliation look like when it’s understood not as a completed task, but as an ongoing practice...here on ea...
04/20/2026

What does reconciliation look like when it’s understood not as a completed task, but as an ongoing practice...here on earth, in our everyday lives?

The TRC57 Speaker Series continues with Dr. James Tully, who invites us to rethink reconciliation not as a finished goal, but as an ongoing way of living well together, on this land, and with one another. Drawing from his work Reconciliation Here on Earth, this conversation connects relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples with our shared responsibility to the living earth itself.

This isn’t abstract theory, it’s a grounded, thoughtful look at how reconciliation shows up in our everyday lives. The kind of conversation that challenges you, and stays with you.

📅 April 22 | 12 PM (PT)
💻 Free live Zoom event

Join a growing community leaning into these important conversations.

👉 Register now: https://virl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UAq2UcSEQeS_3CfZ7pFi4w #/registration

🔎 Explore the full Season 6 lineup: http://trc57speakerseries.ca

Come curious. Leave changed.

📣🗣️Today, March 31, we recognize National Indigenous Languages Day, a time to honour the rich diversity of Indigenous la...
03/31/2026

📣🗣️Today, March 31, we recognize National Indigenous Languages Day, a time to honour the rich diversity of Indigenous languages and the ongoing work of communities to revitalize and share them.

Explore Indigenous language resources through our Indigenous Languages webpage: https://virl.bc.ca/read-watch-listen/audience/indigenous/indigenous-languages/

You can also visit FirstVoices, an internationally recognized platform where Indigenous communities share and promote their languages, oral cultures, and linguistic histories, including resources from Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii, and the Central Coast: https://www.firstvoices.com/languages

🐰Hopping into the Easter weekend, please note all VIRL branches will be closed Friday, April 3 and Monday, April 6. Wish...
03/30/2026

🐰Hopping into the Easter weekend, please note all VIRL branches will be closed Friday, April 3 and Monday, April 6. Wishing you a restful weekend filled with egg-cellent reads!

Looking for something crafty this weekend? Check out these inspiring make-it-yourself, Spring-inspired crafts for you and the whole family at https://www.creativebug.com/lib/virl

Our online branch is also open 24/7...visit us at http://virl.bc.ca 🌻

What if reconciliation isn’t about the past—but about promises we’re still responsible for today?The TRC57 Speaker Serie...
03/19/2026

What if reconciliation isn’t about the past—but about promises we’re still responsible for today?

The TRC57 Speaker Series continues with Dr. Michael Asch, one of Canada’s leading thinkers on treaties and Indigenous–settler relationships. His work challenges a common assumption: that treaties are “done deals.” Instead, he asks us to see them for what they truly are—living agreements that still shape how we share this land.

This is the kind of conversation that shifts perspectives—and stays with you.

📅 March 25 | 12–1 PM (PT)
💻 Free live Zoom event

Over 200 people joined our first speaker. Don’t miss your chance to be part of what’s quickly becoming a powerful, community-wide dialogue.

👉 Register now: https://trc57speakerseries.ca/
🔎 Explore the full Season 6 lineup: https://trc57speakerseries.ca/season-6-speakers/

Come curious. Leave changed.

🍁The quest for Paralympic gold begins! 🥇🍁Gather round for an inspiring story of courage, perseverance, and big dreams as...
03/06/2026

🍁The quest for Paralympic gold begins! 🥇🍁

Gather round for an inspiring story of courage, perseverance, and big dreams as Paralympic gold medal snowboarder Tyler Turner visits Vancouver Island Regional Library’s Campbell River branch for a special interview with VIRL host Jason Kuffler — featuring great questions from students at Ocean Grove Elementary!

From skydiving adventures to the grit it takes to compete at the highest level of adaptive snowboarding, Tyler shares what it means to push limits, stay resilient, and chase greatness — just as the 2026 Paralympic Games in Milano-Cortina kick off! 🍁❄️🏂

🎥 Watch, get inspired, and cheer on Team Canada! 🍁🔥

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly6URxTl2QY

🌱 Ready to grow your garden (and your confidence)?Join us for Virtual Gardening Series – Propagation and learn the basic...
02/27/2026

🌱 Ready to grow your garden (and your confidence)?

Join us for Virtual Gardening Series – Propagation and learn the basics of turning one plant into many with certified Master Gardener Dorothee Kieser! 🌿✨

With 12 years as a Master Gardener and a background in biology, Dorothee blends science with hands-on experience from her own orchards, veggie beds, flower gardens, and rhododendrons. She’s also President of the Vancouver Island Chapter and a mentor helping grow the next generation of gardeners. 🌸🍎

🗓 Monday, March 2, 2026
⏰ 6:30–8:00 pm
📍 On Zoom

Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned grower, this session will give you practical skills you can use right away.

🌼 Save your spot: https://virl.bc.ca/event/virtual-gardening-series-propagation/

🌎 What if reconciliation with one another is impossible… without first reconciling ourselves to the earth?Join us Wednes...
02/24/2026

🌎 What if reconciliation with one another is impossible… without first reconciling ourselves to the earth?
Join us Wednesday, February 25 | 12–1 pm for the powerful Season 6 opening of the TRC #57 Speaker Series featuring leading Anishinabe legal scholar, member of the Chippewa of the Nawash First Nation, and the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Law at the University of Victoria, Dr. John Borrows.

Drawing from Resurgence and Reconciliation, Dr. Borrows invites us to rethink treaties, responsibility, and what it means to live within the earth’s limits — not as theory, but as daily practice.

This is where the year begins.
Slow down. Listen deeply. Reflect boldly.
✨ Register now and be part of the conversation.
https://virl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nMlTABXNQpuSG5oYOfrIDg

Learn more at https://trc57speakerseries.ca

Big cheers for our 2026 Board leadership! 🎉📚At our 90th AGM, Vancouver Island Regional Library acclaimed Jonathan Lerner...
02/24/2026

Big cheers for our 2026 Board leadership! 🎉📚

At our 90th AGM, Vancouver Island Regional Library acclaimed Jonathan Lerner as Board Chair, elected Cheryl Northcott as Vice Chair — and elected the 2026 Executive Committee. 👏

With Trustees from across the region, this team helps guide library service for nearly 500,000 people.

Meet your VIRL Board members and learn more:
👉 https://virl.bc.ca/library-elects-executive-committee/

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90 Commercial Street
Nanaimo, BC
V9T4H5

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