About Nanaimo

Island given top tourism marks:

For those of us who live here, it's not much of a secret, but now a major travel magazine is telling the world that Vancouver Island is a great place to visit.

Travel and Leisure magazine announced its sixth annual World's Best Awards last week, with the Island at the top of the rankings for Continental U.S. and Canada, and third best overall.

With a grand total of 76.4, Vancouver Island came in behind only Maui (78.2) and Kaui (77.1) in the overall rankings, and beat out Nantucket (70.4) and Outer Banks, North Carolina (68.5) for its first place award.

Prince Edward Island was fourth in the rankings with a total of 67.8.

The awards are featured in the August 2001 issue of the magazine, and were the result of votes cast by the magazine's readers. The criteria for the Island award included natural attractions, activities/sites, restaurants/food, people and value. Vancouver Island's profile includes a nod to Skutz Falls and the Cowichan River, as well as to activitiews such as mountain biking, kayaking, whale watching, driving and strolling through Butchart Gardens, and in Victoria and Nanaimo.

Nanaimo, the city's name originated when the first white settlers tried to adapt a Coast Salish word into English. The Coast Salish people called themselves "Sneneymexw", which means "great and mighty people". First Nations exhibits can be seen at Nanaimo District Museum.

A chinese community existed from 1906 until 1960, when it was completely destroyed by fire. A red pagoda memorial to Nanaimo's Chinese pioneers is located near Departure Bay Ferry Terminal. Visit the Chinatown exhibit at the museum to learn more about the heritage of Nanaimo's Chinese community.

Stroll the Harbourside Walkway, a 4-kilometre (2.5mile) public walkway between Harbour Park Mall and Departure Bay Ferry Terminal. The Bastion and Nanaimo District Museum are situated along this walkway. The Bastion Museum, built in 1853 and newly restored, is the oldest structure of its kind in North America. During the summer, daily at noon, there is a canon-firing ceremony complete with Scottish bagpiping and Highland dancing. The Nanaimo Museum highlights Native exhibits, archeological artifacts, 10,000-year old petroglyphs, a miner's cottage, and an amazing replica of a coal mine, complete with audio and visual effects.

The Walkway also passes through several park areas including Georgia and Maffeo-Sutton Parks. Take the paddlewheel ferry at Maffeo-Sutton Park for Newcastle Island Provincial Marine Park. 18 kilometres of designated trails here for hiking or cycling. Other favorite pastimes in this park include swimming, picnicking, canoeing and kayaking, camping, and wild life watching.

Bowen Park, an excellent recreation park for families features a petting zoo, a nature centre, swimming and wading pools and hiking trails. For swimming and ice skating visit Beban Park Recreational Complex.

Those who like strenuous hikes will enjoy climbing the 3000 ft. summit of Mount Benson: the view at the top is worth it! Easy to moderate hiking or cycling excursions on the Nanaimo Parkway, the oceanside Cable Bay Trail, Piper's Lagoon, Westwood Lake, Biggs Park and Jack Point near Duke Point Ferry Terminal. Scuba divers looking for an unforgettable experience should visit the HMCS Saskatchewan. This navy destroyer was sunk near Nanaimo in June 1997 to create an artificial reef and is now teeming with marine life.

Visit Fisherman's Wharf to buy fresh seafood, shop in the downtown boutiques, a mecca for shoppers - options ranging from unique art and gift shops in historic buildings, to modern shopping centres. Nanaimo Art Gallery is located on the beautiful Malaspina University-College overlooking a panorama of the city of Nanaimo and east across the Strait of Georgia to British Columbia's mainland mountains. The Gallery's mission is to enliven and enrich the Nanaimo and central Vancouver Island region with exhibitions and educational programming that encourage active public involvement with the visual arts.

Nanaimo's harbour has moorage for over 500 boats, making it the ideal base for boaters planning to explore nearby areas. Kayaking is big in Nanaimo, with the sea sculpted cliffs of nearby islands offering sheltered waters and incredible rock formations. Home to a number of festivals, the most famous is Nanaimo's annual World Championship Bathtub Race in July. Racers in homemade boats race from the harbour, around offshore islands and back to the city.

Morrell Nature Sanctuary on Nanaimo Lakes Road, Piper's Lagoon Park off Hammond Bay and Buttertubs Marsh Bird Sanctuary are ideal birdwatching locations. Check with Tourism Nanaimo for information about the many nature adventure tours available. Sport fishing for salmon, cod or red snapper is a very popular holiday activity also and skippered or bareboat fishing charters are available.

Nanaimo offers dining opportunities to suit every taste. Spectacular freshly caught seafood entries, sushi, continental cuisine or distinctive West Coast specialties. Visitors will find the decor and character of these establishments as enjoyable as the food itself including Canada's only floating pub, the Dinghy Dock in Nanaimo's harbour.

The Original Nanaimo Bar Recipe

Bottom Layer
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/4 c. sugar
5 tbsp. cocoa
1 egg, beaten
1 3/4 c. graham wafer crumbs
1/2 c. finely chopped almonds
1 c. coconut
Melt first 3 ingredients in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 X 8 pan.

Second Layer
1/2 c. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. and 2 tsp. cream
2 tbsp. vanilla custard powder
2 c. icing sugar
Cream butter, cream, custard powder and icing sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.

Third Layer
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. When cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator.

Nanaimo is 35 kilometres across the Strait of Georgia from Vancouver. BC Ferries has regular sailings from Horseshoe Bay and Tsawwassen. You can access 24-hour schedule recordings by calling 1-888-BCFERRY or 1-888-724-5223 in B.C. Schedules, cost, and other info can also be obtained at the BC Ferries website. If you are a foot passenger and need transportation, the car rental agencies will pick you up at the ferry terminal at no extra charge. You can bus to Nanaimo from downtown Vancouver on Maverick Coach Lines via BC Ferries. Island Coach Lines has regular schedules up and down the Island to Victoria or Port Hardy. Air BC and Pacific Coastal Airlines have almost hourly flights at Nanaimo Airport, located 15 kilometres south of town in Cassidy. The Nanaimo Seaplane Terminal provides facilities for seaplane flights. Baxter Air provides regularly scheduled service to the mainland and island destinations.

Golf Courses in the area:

• Cottonwood Golf Course, 1975 Haslam Rd., Nanaimo. 9hole
  

• Eaglecrest Golf Club, 2035 Island Highway West, Qualicum Beach. 18 hole
  

• Fairwinds Golf & Country Club, Nanoose Bay. 18 hole
  

• Gabriola Golf & Country Club, South Road, Gabriola Island. 9 hole
  

• Nanaimo Golf Club, 2800 Highland Blvd., Nanaimo. 18 Hole

Photographs

Nanaimo Downtown Marina

Downtown On Water Bistro

Nanaimo Fireworks Event

BC Ferries Connect Nanaimo / Vancouver Island
To Vancouver / Mainland With A 1 1/2 Hour
Scenic Ferry Ride.

Nanaimo Harbour Front Park

Overview Map of Nanaimo

New Nanaimo Aquatic Center

Photographs © 2001-2004 Susan McGougan