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NANAIMO
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The
Nanaimo- Gabriola Island Nanaimo
is just 111 km or 69 miles ( 1 hour & 45 minutes) north of
Victoria BC. Travel through the beautiful Cowichan Valley to the
Port city of Nanaimo. You can get to Nanaimo by Bus (Coach) from Victoria and from the BC Ferry Terminals at Vancouver's Horseshoe Bay and Swartz Bay, just north of Sidney BC. Island
Coach Lines British
Columbia Ferries
Air Travel to Nanaimo Canadian
Regional / Pacific Coastal Central
Mountain Air / AirBC
VIA
Rail - 1-888-VIA-RAIL Nanaimo's name is derived from the Coast Salish word "Snuneymuxw", which means 'great and mighty people.' White settlers adapted the word to Nanaimo. The Hudson's Bay Company discovered coal deposits in the area in the mid 1800's. The Company needed workers to mine the rich deposits, and they placed notices in British newspapers in the spring of 1854. Twenty-four English and Scottish families responded and travelled to Nanaimo by steamship. To protect Nanaimo a Bastion Fort was constructed in Nanaimo's boat basin. "Bastion" served as a storage, defense arsenal and clerk's office for running the township, with cannons at the ready. The fort has since been renovated and transformed into a museum, and it gives great insight into the way of life a century ago. Asian residents were also a big part of the early history of Nanaimo. In 1911 the Japanese established a settlement on Newcastle Island that included a successful ship building factory, herring salteries and a cannery. The salted herring was packed in large pine boxes and shipped across the Pacific. A number of Chinese migrants created their own community in the heart of the city at the turn of the century. In 1960, the Chinese community was destroyed by a spectacular and controversial fire. By 1938 Nanaimo's mining industry was replaced by logging as the major industry in the region, and a pulp and paper mill was constructed near Duke Point. Nanaimo now has a diversified economy which includes fish farming and research facilities, leading-edge technology industries and Malaspina university-college. Nanaimo is one of the most beautiful harbourfront cities on the West Coast. Nanaimo is one of the transfer points as there is easy access to Nanaimo from Vancouver via BC Ferries. Nanaimo has an incredible volume of shopping opportunities. Scenic beauty can be found along the shoreline and inland surrounding the city. The city is full of parks and has one of the finest wave pools anywhere. Must sees are the native petroglyphs, Newcastle Island Provincial Park, the only floating pub in Canada - Dinghy Dock, the Museum and Bastion (fort) and the Malaspina Galleries on Gabriola Island. Nanaimo is a launch pad to the rest of beautiful Vancouver Island. Experience the variety of activities available in Nanaimo or the incredible outdoor opportunities. Don't bypass this city and all it has to offer. Activities and Attractions: Take the heritage walking tour that takes you to the buildings and places that have shaped the city of Nanaimo. Markers, plaques and wall mountings give detailed descriptions of the historic value of the stops along the way. Explore grant nineteenth century architecture, railroad and coal connections and more. The
Nanaimo District Museum has superb displays of First Nations artifacts
and crafts, tour through old-time Nanaimo and the short-lived
Chinatown and walk through a life-like replica of a coal mine.
Outside is an authentic miner's cottage and railway engine. Check
out the noon-hour cannon firings at the Bastion Fort, the red
pagoda memorial to Nanaimo's Chinese pioneers near Departure Bay
ferry terminal and the Vancouver Island Military Museum in Rutherford
Mall. For
more activities
go to
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