Nanaimo: A Slice of the West Coast

	Great National Land building Photo courtesy Downtown Nanaimo Partnership

There are very few cities whose names are synonymous with a dessert square, and perhaps none more famously than Nanaimo. Although it is the birthplace of the Nanaimo Bar, the city's name is believed to be derived from the name of the area's First Nations, the Snuneymuxw. Today, it is a popular retirement destination, as well as an artistic centre on the island. Located on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, Nanaimo is 153 km (96 mi) south of Campbell River, 48.3 km (30 mi) west of Vancouver and 111 km (70 mi) north of the provincial capital, Victoria. Other destinations near Nanaimo include Gabriola Island and Port Alberni.

HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY & ECONOMY

Nanaimo is known as the Harbour City, and with good reason: the city's large natural harbour, fortuitously located directly across the Georgia Strait from Vancouver, is Nanaimo's raison d'être. The Port of Nanaimo is the main connection between Vancouver Island and the mainland, with an average of nearly six million passengers and six million tonnes (six and a half million tons) of cargo passing through each year. Downtown Nanaimo, which is comprised of the Waterfront District, the Old City Quarter and the Arts District, is located on the harbourfront.

While the harbour has always been the city's locus, it was not always the most important player in the economy. The first inhabitants, the Snuneymuxw First Nation, were drawn to the area by the abundance of food, fresh water and winter shelter. The Snuneymuxw longhouses were the first structures built in Nanaimo, and they also created the city's first art display, which can still be seen at Petroglyph Provincial Park. The city has had its current name, which is an anglicized form of Snuneymuxw, since 1860. Like many other Coast Salish peoples, the Snuneymuxw were displaced from their traditional lands when Europeans discovered natural resources in the area and built settlements to extract them.

	The Bastion Photo courtesy Downtown Nanaimo Partnership

In the case of Nanaimo, coal seams were found around 1850 under what is now the downtown area. The Hudson's Bay Company brought in miners from Fort Rupert to extract the coal, creating the first European settlement in the harbour area, Colviletown.The rich coal deposits led to economic prosperity for the fledgling settlement. The Bastion was built to protect this settlement in 1852, and is still the main landmark in Nanaimo today. The Hudson's Bay Company sold the mine and townsite to a British conglomerate in 1862, and the new company designed the downtown's current fan-shaped arrangement of streets. The conglomerate then auctioned off city lots, and the City of Nanaimo was officially incorporated in 1874.

Nanaimo's economic golden age, from 1881 to 1925, was a direct result of the global dependency on coal as a fuel during that time. As coal was supplanted by oil as the fuel of choice, the young city's fortunes declined accordingly. The city's harbour and hub location are credited for saving it from the fate of many other mining towns, which were deserted when the industry collapsed.

In the 1950s, a pulp mill was constructed nearby, and forestry has been a major contributor to the local economy since then. However, it has never been as dominant an industry as mining originally was, and today Nanaimo's main industries include tourism, transportation and fisheries as well as forestry.

CLIMATE

Nanaimo's Pacific Northwest climate is one of the mildest in Canada. Winters in the Harbour City are typically cool and wet, with some snow during the months of December, January and February. The rainy season extends from October to March, with the wettest months being November and December. Visitors during this period will definitely want to bring rain gear. The summer months of July, August and September are the driest, with less average precipitation combined than any one of the rainy months. The average daily temperature is highest during these months, but highs are still usually only a few degrees above room temperature. Sunscreen is advisable during the summer months.

TRANSPORTATION

As a transportation hub for Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, Nanaimo is easy to get to and easy to get around. Vehicle ferry service is frequent and convenient, connecting the city to West Vancouver, Delta and Gabriola Island. The terminals for these ferries are located at Departure Bay, Duke Point and Nanaimo Harbour, respectively. There are also passenger ferries to downtown Vancouver, Newcastle Island and Protection Island. The nautically-inclined can find also find mooring in the Inner Harbour.

	Inner Harbour and Harbour Islands Photo courtesy Gary Ansell

For travellers who prefer to fly, the Nanaimo Airport, located 18 km (11.2 mi) south of downtown, is served by regional airlines, although seaplanes, which moor at the seaplane terminal, tend to be more popular as they offer downtown-to-downtown service between Nanaimo and Vancouver harbours. The nearest international airports are the Victoria International Airport and the Vancouver International Airport. Connecting flights to Nanaimo are available from both.

There are several land transportation options to get to Nanaimo from other points on Vancouver Island. Scheduled motorcoach services are available from Victoria, Campbell River and Port Hardy, and the Malahat passenger train, which runs from Victoria to Courtenay, stops in Nanaimo. The city is located on Highway 19, also known as the Island Highway, which runs from Victoria to Port Hardy. Between Nanaimo and Victoria, the Island Highway merges with the Trans Canada Highway.

Once in Nanaimo, visitors can get around town by taxi or public transit. Many attractions and accommodations are found within the downtown area, so it is possible to have an entirely pedestrian trip to Nanaimo from Vancouver. For those who prefer to drive, rental cars are available. Parking in the downtown area can be difficult, and visitors should not expect to find street parking during busy times, such as weekdays or during festivals. Fortunately, there are several lots and parkades. The main parkades are the 300-stall underground Harbourfront Parkade, located underneath Harbourfront Plaza, and the 292-stall covered Bastion Street Parkade. For those who don't mind walking a little farther, the Prideaux Parkade offers free parking, but it is located just past the Old City Quarter, eight blocks from the waterfront.

TOURS & ACTIVITIES

There are numerous things to do in and around Nanaimo, particularly for the outdoor enthusiast. One of the most popular activities in the area is scuba diving, due in large part to the number of dive sites nearby. In particular, the two artificial reefs created by the intentional sinking of the decommissioned Canadian Navy vessels HMCS Saskatchewan and HMCS Cape Breton are popular wreck/reef dives. There are several dive tour operators in town, as well as dive shops.

	Sailing off Nanaimo Photo courtesy Gary Ansell

Above the surface, Nanaimo's harbour is home to a fleet of recreational vessels, from sportfishing boats to large yachts. A number of tour operators are based in the harbour, offering boat tours, fishing charters and wildlife viewing excursions. Wildlife in the area is diverse and plentiful, with seals and orcas (killer whales) in the water, and eagles, cormorants and other seabirds in the sky. The favourite pastime of many locals, sea kayaking is a quiet, low-profile way to experience the natural beauty of the region. Sea kayak tours are offered by several operators, many of which require no previous experience. For those with more experience, rental boats, canoes and kayaks are also available.

On dry land, golfers will find several courses in the area, while younger visitors may prefer the local skateparks. The more adventurous visitor might scale the climbing wall, take a cave tour, or try bungee jumping.

Those who prefer the great indoors will find plenty of shopping in Nanaimo, from the boutiques and galleries of the Old City Quarter and the Arts District to the city's malls, including the largest mall on Vancouver Island, Woodgrove Centre.

FEATURED ATTRACTIONS

Harbour Islands
There are two main islands in Nanaimo's harbour, accessible by boat or ferry. Protection Island, the smaller of the two, is inhabited, while Newcastle Island is a provincial park.

Protection Island
Protection Island is a small residential neighbourhood with accommodations and a floating pub. The island is connected to downtown Nanaimo by ferry. Colourful place names, such as Pirates Lane, Gallows Point, Smugglers Park and Long John Silver Bay, abound on the island. Although Protection Island has power, water and sewage service, it does not have any banks or stores. The island has several beaches and at low tide, it is possible to walk across Billy Bones Bay to Newcastle Island from the north side of the island.

Newcastle Island
Newcastle Island Provincial Park is administered by the region's original inhabitants, the Snuneymuxw First Nations. Archaeological evidence of an historic Salish settlement can be seen on the island. Saysetsen Village, as it is known to the Snuneymuxw, was a small fishing community. The village was deserted sometime before the discovery of coal on the island in 1849. Today, the island has campsites, hiking trails and picnic sites, and park interpreters are on hand during the summer months to explain the island's history.

Festivals
Nanaimo is known as the harbour city, but it could equally be described as the city of festivals. The busy event calendar extends beyond the summer months, with a variety of festivals, fairs and exhibitions, concerts and performances throughout the year. The centrepiece of the calendar is the Nanaimo Marine Festival. The whole town gets into the spirit of this annual summer festival, which features live performances, children's events, a parade, and several spin-off events each year. The climax of the Marine Festival is the International World Championship Bathtub Race, known simply as the Great Bathtub Race, where hundreds of people race “tubs” along a 58 km (36 mi) course through Nanaimo Harbour and the Gulf Islands. The tubs are small motorized boats made from old-fashioned roll-edge bathtubs.

Several annual festivals commemorate Nanaimo's heritage. The city's origins as an outpost of the British Empire have been celebrated each May since the early 20th century with Empire Days. This festival is comprised of a week of entertainment and community events, culminating in a parade and a pyrotechnic display over Nanaimo Harbour. Nanaimo also has a strong francophone tradition, as many of the town's early settlers came from Quebec. This heritage is honoured with a Québécois tradition, the Festival du Sucre D'Érable, or Maple Sugar Festival. This annual winter festival features folk music, cultural presentations, ice carving and more maple sap than you can shake a stick at.

Other annual events in Nanaimo include the Cadillac Van Isle 360 Yacht Race, the Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival and the Vancouver Island Children's Festival.

The Arts

	Pedestrian mall in the Old City Quarter Photo courtesy Downtown Nanaimo Partnership

The Arts District is also home to the city's top galleries, including Gallery 223 and the downtown location of the Nanaimo Art Gallery. Gallery 223 is the largest in town, with a broad selection of original paintings, ceramics, glass, wood carvings and stone sculptures as well as studios, an art supply store and custom framing services housed in its large heritage building. The Nanaimo Art Gallery is a public gallery showcasing over 100 local artists. Most works are available for sale or rent, with 60% of the rental or sale price going directly to the artists.