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Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of
Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...
, in
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
. As of the 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "Hub City," which was attributed to its original layout design, whose streets radiated from the shoreline like the spokes of a wagon wheel, and to its central location on Vancouver Island. Nanaimo is the headquarters of the
Regional District of Nanaimo The Regional District of Nanaimo is a regional district located on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the south by the Cowichan Valley Regional District, to the west by the Alberni-Clayoquot Regio ...
. Nanaimo is served by the coast-spanning Island Highway, the Island Rail Corridor, the
BC Ferries British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company. BC Ferries provides all major passenger and vehicle fer ...
system, and a local airport.


History

The
Indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
of the area that is now known as Nanaimo are the Snuneymuxw. An anglicised spelling and pronunciation of that word gave the city its current name. The first Europeans known to reach Nanaimo Harbour were members of the 1791 Spanish voyage of Juan Carrasco, under the command of Francisco de Eliza. They gave it the name ''Bocas de Winthuysen'' after naval officer Francisco Javier Winthuysen y Pineda. When the British
Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trade, fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake b ...
(HBC) established a settlement here in 1852, they named it Colvile Town after HBC governor Andrew Colvile. In 1858 it was renamed as Nanaimo, after the local indigenous people. The city has been called "The Harbour City" since the lead-up to Expo 86. The HBC attempted to start a coal mine at Port Rupert but the project had been unsuccessful. In 1850 Snuneymuxw Chief Che-wich-i-kan, commonly known as "Coal Tyee", brought samples of coal to Victoria. A company clerk was dispatched and eventually the governor James Douglas visited the future site of Nanaimo. While open to selling coal, the Snuneymuxw wished to retain control of it and retain the exclusive right to mine it. Chief Wun-wun-shum offered to sell coal for five barrels in exchange for one blanket. The HBC representative
Joseph William McKay Joseph William McKay (Mackay) (31 January 1829 – 17 December 1900) was a fur trader, businessman, politician and explorer who had a long career in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company in Canada. Life Joseph William McKay was born on Janua ...
deemed this "impertinent". The Snuneymuxw retained their rights to the resource for a while, but gradually lost them due to other tribes and miners from the failed Port Rupert project. By 1852, the first shipment of Nanaimo coal was loaded on the ''Cadboro''. Construction of the
Nanaimo Bastion The Nanaimo Bastion is a historical octagon-shaped blockhouse located at 98 Front Street in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. The Hudson's Bay Company, which then held a royal lease on all of what was then the Colony of Vancouver Island, built i ...
began in 1853 and was finished in 1855. On 27 November 1854, 24 coal miners and their families from England arrived at the settlement aboard the ''Beaver'' and ''Recovery''. They had travelled seven months on the ship ''Princess Royal'' arriving at Esquimalt two days earlier. They transferred to the two smaller vessels for the trip to Colvile Town. They were greeted by Joseph William McKay and 21 Scottish miners. During World War I, the provincial government established an Internment camp for Ukrainian detainees, many of them local, at a Provincial jail in Nanaimo. It operated from September 1914 to September 1915. In the 1940s, lumber supplanted coal as the main business. Minetown Days have been celebrated in the neighbouring community of Lantzville to highlight some of the locale's history. In the late nineteenth century, numerous immigrants came from China and settled here. What was known as the first Chinatown in Nanaimo was founded during the gold rush years of the 1860s; it was the third largest in British Columbia.Introduction
"
Archive
. ''Nanaimo Chinatowns Project'', Malaspina University-College. Retrieved on 15 February 2015.
In 1884, because of mounting racial tensions related to the Dunsmuir coal company's hiring of Chinese strikebreakers, the company helped move Chinatown to a location outside city limits.Chinese Community


. Vancouver Island University. Retrieved on 15 February 2015.
In 1908, when two Chinese entrepreneurs bought the site and tried to raise rents, the community and 4,000 shareholders from across Canada combined forces and bought a site for the third Chinatown, at a new location focused on Pine Street. That third Chinatown burned down on 30 September 1960 but it was by then mostly derelict and abandoned. A fourth Chinatown, also called Lower Chinatown or "new town", boomed for a while in the 1920s on Machleary Street.


Location and geography

Located on the east coast of Vancouver Island, Nanaimo is about north-west of Victoria, and west of
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...
, separated by the Strait of Georgia, and linked to Vancouver via the Horseshoe Bay
BC Ferries British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company. BC Ferries provides all major passenger and vehicle fer ...
terminal in West Vancouver and the Duke Point terminal to the
Tsawwassen ferry terminal Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, as part of the BC Ferries system and of Highway 17, is a major transportation facility in Delta, British Columbia, positioned less than from the 49th parallel along the Canada–United States border. It is located ...
in Tsawwassen. As the site of the main ferry terminal, Nanaimo is the gateway to many other destinations both on the northern part of the island—
Tofino Tofino ( ) is a town of approximately 2,516 residents on the west coast of Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The District of Tofino is located at the western terminus of Highway 4 on the tip of the Esowista Penins ...
, Comox Valley, Parksville, Campbell River,
Port Alberni Port Alberni () is a city located on Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The city lies within the Alberni Valley at the head of the Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island's longest inlet. It is the location of the head offices o ...
,
Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park is a provincial park in Parksville, British Columbia, Canada. Located at the east end of the town, the 347-hectare park features a two-kilometre long stretch of sandy beach, a stand of old-growth Douglas fir trees ...
—and off its coast— Newcastle Island, Protection Island, Gabriola Island, Valdes Island, and many other of the Gulf Islands.
Buttertubs Marsh Buttertubs Marsh is a bird sanctuary in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. Located in the middle of the city of Nanaimo, the marsh covers approximately 100 acres (40 hectares). Within this is the 46 acre (18.7 hectare) Buttertubs Marsh Conserva ...
is a bird sanctuary located in the middle of the city. The marsh covers approximately . Within this is the "Buttertubs Marsh Conservation Area", owned by the Nature Trust of British Columbia.


Climate

Like much of coastal British Columbia, Nanaimo experiences a temperate climate with mild, rainy winters and warm, dry summers. Due to its relatively dry summers, the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
places it at the northernmost limits of the ''Csb'' or warm-summer
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on th ...
zone. Other climate classification systems, such as Trewartha, place it firmly in the Oceanic zone (''Do''). Nanaimo is usually shielded from the Aleutian Low's influence by the mountains of central Vancouver Island, so that summers are unusually dry for its latitude and location—though summer drying as a trend is found in the immediate lee of the coastal ranges as far north as Skagway,
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...
. Heavy snowfall does occasionally occur during winter, with a record daily total of on 12 February 1975, but the mean maximum cover is only . The highest temperature ever recorded in Nanaimo was on 16 July 1941. The coldest temperature ever recorded was on 30 December 1968.


Transportation

Nanaimo is served by two airports: Nanaimo Airport (YCD) with services to Vancouver (YVR), Toronto (YYZ), and Calgary (YYC) and Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome with services to Vancouver Harbour, Vancouver Airport (YVR South Terminal), and Sechelt;. Nanaimo also has three
BC Ferry British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company. BC Ferries provides all major passenger and vehicle ferr ...
terminals located at Departure Bay, Duke Point, and downtown. The downtown terminal services Gabriola Island while Departure Bay and Duke Point service Horseshoe Bay and Tsawwassen respectively. A private passenger ferry operates between Nanaimo Harbour and Protection Island. A seasonal passenger ferry operates between Swy-a-Lana Lagoon and Saysutshun (Newcastle Island Marine) Park. Highways 1, 19, and 19A traverse the city. Bus service in the city is provided by
Nanaimo Regional Transit Regional District of Nanaimo Transit System provides both conventional bus service and special needs paratransit services within the Regional District of Nanaimo in British Columbia, Canada. The system, operated by the Regional Transportation Ser ...
. The Island Rail Corridor passes through Nanaimo and has a base of operations and yard in the downtown waterfront area. The Nanaimo Port Authority operates the inner Harbour Basin marina providing mooring for smaller vessels and the W. E. Mills Landing and Marina providing mooring for larger vessels. The Port Authority also operates two terminal facilities one at Assembly Wharf (near the downtown core) and the second at Duke Point for cargo operations. In 2011 the Authority completed the addition of a $22 million cruise ship terminal at Assembly Wharf capable of handling large cruise ships including providing
Canada Border Services Agency The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA; french: Agence des services frontaliers du Canada, ''ASFC'') is a federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for border control (i.e. protection and surveillance), immigration enforcement, and c ...
clearance.


Demographics

In the
2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...
conducted by Statistics Canada, Nanaimo had a population of 99,863 living in 43,164 of its 45,138 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 90,504. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. At the
census metropolitan area The census geographic units of Canada are the census subdivisions defined and used by Canada's federal government statistics bureau Statistics Canada to conduct the country's quinquennial census. These areas exist solely for the purposes of st ...
(CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Nanaimo CMA had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. In 2016, the average age of a Nanaimoite is 45.5 years old, higher than the national median at 41.2. In Nanaimo, there are 40,885 private dwellings, 39,165 which are occupied by usual residents (95.8% occupancy rate). The median value of these dwellings are $359,760, which is higher than the national median at $341,556. The average (after-tax) household income in Nanaimo is $48,469, lower than the national median at $54,089. The median individual income is $34,702, which is also lower than the national median ($38,977). The unemployment rate was 7.7%.


Ethnicity

*Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.


Language

Nanaimo's population is predominately
Anglophone Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the '' Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest langua ...
. As of the 2016 census 86.7% of residents claimed English as their mother tongue. Other common first languages were Chinese Languages (2.0%), French (1.3%), German (1.2%) and Punjabi (1.0%).


Religion

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Nanaimo included: *
Irreligion Irreligion or nonreligion is the absence or rejection of religion, or indifference to it. Irreligion takes many forms, ranging from the casual and unaware to full-fledged philosophies such as atheism and agnosticism, secular humanism and an ...
(60,365 persons or 62.2%) *
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...
(31,135 persons or 32.1%) *
Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit= Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fr ...
(1,330 persons or 1.4%) * Islam (1,000 persons or 1.0%) *
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or ''dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global po ...
(785 persons or 0.8%) *
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
(650 persons or 0.7%) *
Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
(230 persons or 0.2%) * Indigenous Spirituality (170 persons or 0.2%)


Economy

The original economic driver was coal mining; however, the forestry industry supplanted it in the early 1960s with the building of the MacMillan Bloedel pulp mill at Harmac in 1958, named after Harvey MacMillan. Today the pulp mill is owned by the employees and local investors and injects well over half a million dollars a day into the local economy. The largest employer is the provincial government. The service, retail and tourism industries are also big contributors to the local economy. Technological development on Nanaimo has been growing with companies such as "Inuktun" and the establishment of government-funded
Innovation Island Innovation is the practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of new goods or services or improvement in offering goods or services. ISO TC 279 in the standard ISO 56000:2020 defines innovation as "a new or changed en ...
as a site to help Nanaimo-based technological start ups by giving them access to tools, education and venture capital. The average sale price of houses in Nanaimo for 2011 was approximately $350,000. A recent surge of higher-density real estate development, centred in the Old City / Downtown area, as well as construction of a city-funded waterfront conference centre, has proven controversial. Proponents of these developments argue that they will bolster the city's economy, while critics worry that they will block waterfront views and increase traffic congestion. Concerns have also been raised about the waterfront conference centre's construction running over its proposed budget. Nanaimo has also been experiencing job growth in the technology sector.


Media outlets

Nanaimo is served by one newspaper: the ''Nanaimo News Bulletin'' (33,000 copies twice a week—audited), which is owned by
Black Press Black Press Group Ltd. is a Canadian publisher of prominent daily newspapers in Hawaii and Alaska and numerous non-daily newspapers in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, and (via Sound Publishing) the U.S. state of Washington. Black Press M ...
. ''The Harbour City Star'', also owned by publisher Black Press, was closed in 2016. On 29 January 2016, the 141-year-old ''Nanaimo Daily News'', shut down. Nanaimo also hosts a bureau for CIVI-DT ( CTV 2 Victoria, cable channel 12) and a satellite office for CHEK-DT (
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...
, cable channel 6). Nanaimo is also served by the
Jim Pattison Group The Jim Pattison Group is a Canadian Conglomerate (company), conglomerate based in Vancouver. In a recent survey by the Financial Post, the firm was ranked as Canada's 62nd largest company. Jim Pattison, a Vancouver-based entrepreneur, is the ch ...
's
CHWF-FM CHWF-FM (''106.9 The Wolf'') is a Canadian radio station located in Nanaimo, British Columbia, operating on 106.9 FM under the ownership of Jim Pattison Group division Island Radio. History CHWF signed on for the first time on July 1, 1981 on ...
(The Wolf) and
CKWV-FM CKWV-FM (''102.3 The Wave'') is a Canadian radio station located in Nanaimo, British Columbia. It broadcasts on 102.3 FM and is owned by Island Radio, a division of the Jim Pattison Group. History CKWV first signed on-air on May 24, 1949 as ...
(The Wave), as well as CHLY-FM, an independent community
campus radio Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produc ...
station and Vista Radio's CKAY-FM (Coast FM).
CBC Radio One CBC Radio One is the English-language news and information radio network of the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial-free and offers local and national programming. It is available on AM and FM to 98 percent of ...
is heard over CBU from Vancouver, with
CBU-FM CBU-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts the programming of the CBC Music network in Vancouver, British Columbia. The station broadcasts at 105.7 FM. CBU-FM's transmitter is located atop Mount Seymour. The station was originally lau ...
( CBC Music) and CBCV-FM available as
HD Radio HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for an in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. It generally simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD Radio is used ...
signals.


Politics


Federal

In the House of Commons of Canada, Nanaimo is represented by
Lisa Marie Barron Lisa Marie Barron is a Canadian politician who was elected to represent the riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, British Columbia, in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2021 Canadian federal election. She represents the New Democratic Party ...
of the NDP, representing the riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith since the 2021 election. The city was split into two separate ridings, Nanaimo—Cowichan ( Jean Crowder,
New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * ...
), which includes South Nanaimo and Cassidy, and Nanaimo—Alberni (
James Lunney James D. Lunney (born September 5, 1951) is a Canadian politician. He was the Member of Parliament for Nanaimo—Alberni from 2000 to 2015. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Manitoba in ...
,
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...
elected as a
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
), which includes North Nanaimo and Lantzville, until the 2012 federal electoral redistribution.


Provincial

In the
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is the deliberative assembly of the Parliament of British Columbia, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The Legislative Assembly meets in Victoria. Members are elected from provincial ...
, Nanaimo is represented by the ridings of Nanaimo ( Sheila Malcolmson, BC NDP), Nanaimo-North Cowichan ( Doug Routley, BC NDP) and Parksville-Qualicum ( Adam Walker, BC NDP). Leonard Krog resigned in 2018 to accept the position of Mayor of Nanaimo. In response, Sheila Malcolmson resigned from federal politics and successfully ran for the vacated position.


Civic

The mayor of Nanaimo is currently Leonard Krog, who replaced
Bill Mackay Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pla ...
in 2018. The most well-known mayor Nanaimo ever had was Frank J. Ney, who instigated Nanaimo's well-known bathtub races, which he regularly attended dressed as a pirate. There is a statue to commemorate Ney—dressed in his pirate costume—at Swy-a-Lana Lagoon, which is on the Nanaimo waterfront. Ney was also an MLA for the Social Credit party while he was also mayor. An elementary school has been named in his honour. Mark Bate became Nanaimo's first mayor in 1875. He served an additional 15 one-year terms as mayor (1875–1879, 1881–1886, 1888–1889, and 1898–1900).


Open government

The city's planning department has steadily produced enough municipal data to warrant a ''Time'' magazine article on
open-government Open government is the governing doctrine which sustain that citizens have the right to access the documents and proceedings of the government to allow for effective public oversight. In its broadest construction, it opposes reason of state and ...
. Nanaimo has been dubbed "the capital of Google Earth". Working directly with
Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
, the city fed it a wealth of information about its buildings, property lines, utilities and streets. The result is earth.nanaimo.ca, a wealth of city data viewed through the Google Earth 3D mapping program. Their Open Data Catalogue is available at data.nanaimo.ca.


Education

Nanaimo has over 30 elementary and secondary schools, most of which are public and are operated by School District 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith.
Aspengrove School Aspengrove School is a pre-school to grade 12 school in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. The school is an independent, non-denominational, co-educational, and university-preparatory school. Aspengrove has three houses: Oak, Cedar, and Arbutus. ...
is a JrK-grade 12 Independent (private) school accredited as an
International Baccalaureate World School The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB Dip ...
and offers the IB Primary Years, IB Middle Years and IB Diploma programme and received a 10 out of 10 by the IB Organization (IBO) in 2011. The '' Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique'' operates two Francophone schools, ''École Océane'' primary school and the ''École secondaire de Nanaimo''. The main campus of Vancouver Island University is located in Nanaimo, which brings many international students, mostly East Asian, to the city.


The Pacific Biological Station

The Pacific Biological Station, located on the north shore of Departure Bay, was established in 1908. It is the oldest fisheries research centre on the
Pacific coast Pacific coast may be used to reference any coastline that borders the Pacific Ocean. Geography Americas Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western or southwestern border, except for Panama, where the P ...
. Operated by
Fisheries and Oceans Canada Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; french: Pêches et Océans Canada, MPO), is a Ministry (government department), department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Can ...
, the station forms a network with eight other scientific facilities.


Museums

The Nanaimo Art Gallery is a public art museum located downtown at 150 Commercial Street. In addition to contemporary exhibitions by local, national and international artists, the Gallery operates Art Lab which offers year-round art-based programs for learners of all ages. The Gallery also holds a collection of artwork, operates The Gallery Store, which features work by local artists and artisans, and runs Artists in the Schools, a program that operates across three school districts. The
Nanaimo Museum The Nanaimo Museum (originally the ''Nanaimo Centennial Museum'') is a museum located in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada; it opened in November 1967. See also *List of coal mines and landmarks in the Nanaimo area This is a list of landmarks ...
is a public historical museum located downtown on the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation at 100 Museum Way. The Vancouver Island Military Museum is a public military historical museum located at 100 Cameron Road.


Arts

The Port Theatre in downtown Nanaimo hosts many performers and shows during the year.


Culture

The Nanaimo bar, which is a no-bake cookie bar with custard filling, is a Canadian dessert named after Nanaimo. Nanaimo hosts the annual Nanaimo Marine Festival. Part of the festival includes the bathtub race. The race starts in the Nanaimo Harbour downtown, goes around Entrance Island, north-west to Winchelsea Islands by Nanoose Bay and finish in Departure Bay back in Nanaimo. Until the 1990s the race alternated between racing from Nanaimo to Vancouver and from Vancouver to Nanaimo.


Sports and recreation

* Nanaimo is home to the largest sports club on Vancouver Island, Nanaimo United Football Club. NUFC is home to over 1,700 members, and is one of the oldest sports clubs in Canada, having been formed in 1903. * Nanaimo is home to North America's first legal, purpose-made
bungee jumping Bungee jumping (), also spelled bungy jumping, is an activity that involves a person jumping from a great height while connected to a large elastic cord. The launching pad is usually erected on a tall structure such as a building or crane, a ...
bridge, operated by
WildPlay Element Parks WildPlay Element Parks is a Canadian-owned chain of outdoor recreation parks located across British Columbia, Ontario and New York. It is based on Vancouver Island. WildPlay's first park was opened south of Nanaimo, British Columbia in March 2006 ...
. * Nanaimo is home to the Canadian Junior Football League's Vancouver Island Raiders, who play at Caledonia Park. * Nanaimo is home to the British Columbia Hockey League's Nanaimo Clippers and to the Western Lacrosse Association's Nanaimo Timbermen, both of which play at the
Frank Crane Arena The Frank Crane Arena is a 2,400-seat multi-purpose arena in Nanaimo, British Columbia. It is home to the Nanaimo Clippers of the British Columbia Hockey League and the Nanaimo Timbermen of the Western Lacrosse Association The Western Lacrosse ...
. * Nanaimo is home to the Nanaimo Buccaneers of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League, who play at the Nanaimo Ice Centre. * The Nanaimo Pirates, of the
B.C. Premier Baseball League The British Columbia Premier Baseball League, commonly referred to as the BCPBL or the PBL, is a competitive youth baseball league consisting of 13 teams located throughout British Columbia, Canada. Over the years, the BCPBL has served as a tal ...
(BCPBL), play at Serauxmen Stadium. * Football Nanaimo plays at Pioneer Park. * Nanaimo is home to the Senior A lacrosse team the Timbermen of the Western Lacrosse Association. Nanaimo is also home to the Junior A Timbermen and Junior B Timbermen. * Nanaimo is home to the Nanaimo Hornets Rugby Football Club. Is part of the British Columbia Rugby Union, Established in 1888 is the second oldest Rugby Club in Western Canada, Home ground and club is situated in Pioneer Park since 1968.


Notable people

* Terry Beech, politician *
Red Carr Alfred George Richard "Red" Carr (December 29, 1916 – May 16, 1990) was a Canadian ice hockey winger (ice hockey), left winger. He played 5 games in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1943–44 NHL season, 1943– ...
, professional ice hockey player * Gene Carr, professional ice hockey player *
Justin Chatwin Justin Chatwin (born October 31, 1982) is a Canadian actor. He began his career in 2001 with a brief appearance in the musical comedy '' Josie and the Pussycats''. Following his breakthrough role as Robbie Ferrier in the blockbuster '' War of the ...
, actor * Jimmy Claxton, baseball pitcher who broke US baseball's racial colour barrier *
Raymond Collishaw Raymond Collishaw, (22 November 1893 – 28 September 1976) was a distinguished Canadian fighter pilot, squadron leader, and commanding officer who served in the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and later the Royal Air Force. He was the highest ...
, British World War I flying ace * Allison Crowe, singer-songwriter and pianist *
John DeSantis John DeSantis, sometimes credited as John De Santis or John Desantis, (born November 13, 1973) is a Canadian actor, best known as Lurch on Fox Family's television of ''The New Addams Family''. His other work includes a principal role in Disney ...
, actor *
Michael Edgson Michael Edgson (born 6 May 1969) is a Canadian retired Paralympic swimmer. He is amongst the most successful Paralympians of all time having won 17 gold medals. He attended three Games between 1984 and 1992, winning medals in all but one of the ...
, swimmer * Jodelle Ferland, actress * David Gogo, blues guitarist * Paul Gogo, keyboardist for the rock band Trooper * Christopher Hart, actor and magician * Al Hill, ice hockey player and scout * Bob Hindmarch, professor and ice hockey coach *
Constance Isherwood Constance Dora Isherwood ( Holmes; January 19, 1920January 26, 2021) was a Canadian lawyer based in British Columbia who focused on civil and family law, and real estate law. At the time of her death, she was the oldest practicing lawyer in Br ...
, lawyer * Ingrid Jensen, jazz trumpeter * Susan Juby, author *
Diana Krall Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, '' Billboard'' maga ...
, jazz pianist and vocalist *
Tim Lander Tim Lander (born 26 February 1938) is a Canadian poet. Born in Surrey, England, he studied at the University of London. In 1964, Lander emigrated to Canada. He lived primarily in Vancouver, where he began publishing chapbooks of his poetry. He n ...
, poet *
Marc-André Leclerc Marc-André Leclerc (October 10, 1992 – March 5, 2018) was a Canadian rock climber and alpinist. Known for his solo ascents of numerous mountains in several parts of the world, he completed the first winter solo ascents of the Torre Egger in Pa ...
, alpinist * Susan Morgan, Oregon politician *
Callum Montgomery Callum Montgomery (born May 14, 1997) is a Canadian soccer player who plays for Canadian Premier League side Cavalry FC. Career Amateur and college Montgomery grew up in Lantzville, British Columbia. As a teenager, he moved to Victoria, Brit ...
, professional soccer player * Phil Olsen, Olympian javelin * Steve Smith, professional downhill mountain biker *
Shane Sutcliffe Shane Sutcliffe (born June 17, 1975) is a Canadian former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2004. He is referred to as "Kid Thunder" by his fans. Career Sutcliffe was born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and raised in Regina, ...
, boxer *
Kirsten Sweetland Kirsten Sweetland (born September 24, 1988) is a retired Canadian professional triathlete, the Junior World Champion of the year 2006, and the 2010 U23 World Championship silver medalist. In the six years from 2005 to 2010, Sweetland took part in ...
, triathlete *
May Tully May Tully (born 1880s – March 9, 1924) was a Canadian actress, writer, director, and producer in theatre and film, and, according to sportswriter Damon Runyon, "perhaps the greatest woman baseball fan that ever lived." Early life Mary Gertr ...
, vaudeville actress, writer, director * Lorna Vinden, wheelchair athlete *
Layla Zoe Layla Zoe is a Canadian blues and blues rock singer-songwriter. Since 2006 she has released a number of albums, both studio and live recordings, and has performed across North America and most of Western Europe. Zoe has been influenced by Frank Z ...
, blues and blues rock musician and songwriter


Sister cities

Nanaimo has one sister city: * Saitama City (←Iwatsuki City),
Saitama Prefecture is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 km2 (1,466 sq mi). Saitama Prefecture borders Tochigi Prefectur ...
, Japan (1996)http://www.saga-saitama.or.jp/english/sister_cities/index.php


See also

* List of coal mines and landmarks in the Nanaimo area *
1887 Nanaimo mine explosion The Nanaimo mine explosion occurred on May 3, 1887, in Nanaimo, British Columbia killing 150 miners. Only seven miners survived and the mine burned for one full day. The explosion started deep underground in the Number One Coal Mine after explosi ...


References


External links

* * {{Coord, 49, 09, 51, N, 123, 56, 11, W, type:city_region:CA-BC, display=title Cities in British Columbia Mining communities in British Columbia Populated places established in 1853 Populated places on the British Columbia Coast Port cities and towns on the Canadian Pacific coast Mid Vancouver Island