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 Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...

, in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

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 tot ...

. 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 Regi ...

. Nanaimo is served by the coast-spanning

Island Highway The Island Highway is actually a series of highways that follows much of the eastern coastline of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. While the Island Highway has no officially designated starting point, it is understood to begin at the ...

, the

Island Rail Corridor The Island Rail Corridor, previously the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (E&N Railway), is a railway operation on Vancouver Island and is the only remaining railway on Vancouver Island after the closure of the Englewood Railway in November 2017. T ...

, 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 ferry ...

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 The Snuneymuxw First Nation (pronounced ) is located in and around the city of Nanaimo on east-central Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The nation previously had also occupied territory along the Fraser River, in British Columbia. Pr ...

. An anglicised spelling and pronunciation of that word gave the city its current name. The first Europeans known to reach

Nanaimo Harbour Nanaimo Harbour, also known as the ''Port of Nanaimo'', is a natural harbour on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The City of Nanaimo runs along the west side of the harbour. Three islands, Newcastle, Protection, an ...

were members of the 1791 Spanish voyage of Juan Carrasco, under the command of

Francisco de Eliza Francisco de Eliza y Reventa (1759 – February 19, 1825) was a Spanish naval officer, navigator, and explorer. He is remembered mainly for his work in the Pacific Northwest. He was the commandant of the Spanish post in Nootka Sound on Vancouve ...

. They gave it the name ''Bocas de Winthuysen'' after naval officer

Francisco Javier Winthuysen y Pineda Francisco Javier Winthuysen y Pineda (born El Puerto de Santa María, 1747 - Died off Cape St. Vincent, 1797) was a Spanish naval officer. Life During the Anglo-Spanish War, part of the American Revolutionary War, Winthuysen fought against Br ...

. 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 trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...

(HBC) established a settlement here in 1852, they named it Colvile Town after HBC governor

Andrew Colvile Andrew Colvile (born Andrew Wedderburn; 6 November 1779 – 3 February 1856) was a Scottish businessman, notable as the governor of the Hudson's Bay Company, a huge organisation set up for the North American fur trade but also instrumental ...

. 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 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo 86, was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from May 2 until October 13, 1986. The fair, the theme of which was "Transportation and Communicatio ...

. 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 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 The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de ...

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 Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...

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 Lantzville is a coastal community on the east side of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, along the western shore of the Strait of Georgia and immediately north of Nanaimo. The District of Lantzville was incorporated on June 25, 2003. I ...

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 Vancouver Island University (abbreviated as VIU, formerly known as Malaspina University-College and earlier as Malaspina College) is a Canadian public university serving Vancouver Island and coastal British Columbia. Malaspina College began in 196 ...

. 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 Vancouver Island University (abbreviated as VIU, formerly known as Malaspina University-College and earlier as Malaspina College) is a Canadian public university serving Vancouver Island and coastal British Columbia. Malaspina College began in 196 ...

. 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 Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, and west of

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, separated by the

Strait of Georgia The Strait of Georgia (french: Détroit de Géorgie) or the Georgia Strait is an arm of the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the extreme southwestern mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada and the extreme northwestern mainland coast ...

, and linked to Vancouver via the Horseshoe Bay

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 a ...

Tsawwassen Tsawwassen ( ) is a suburban, mostly residential community on a peninsula in the southwestern corner of the City of Delta in British Columbia, Canada. It provides the only road access to the American territory on the southern tip of the peninsul ...

. 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 The Comox Valley is a region on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, that includes the city of Courtenay, British Columbia, Courtenay, the town of Comox, British Columbia, Comox, the village of Cumberland, British Columb ...

, 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—and off its coast—

Newcastle Island Saysutshun (Newcastle Island Marine) Provincial Park, formally known as ''Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park'', is a provincial park located on a small island off the coast of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. History For thousands ...

, Protection Island,

Gabriola Island Gabriola Island is one of the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia in British Columbia (BC), Canada. It is about east of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, to which it is linked by a 20-minute ferry service. It has a land area of about and a resid ...

Valdes Island Valdes Island is one of the Gulf Islands located in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada. It is across Porlier Pass from Galiano Island, which lies to the southeast. It has an area of , and is wide by in length. The island is popu ...

, and many other of the

Gulf Islands The Gulf Islands are a group of islands in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia. Etymology The name "Gulf Islands" comes from "Gulf of Georgia," the original term used by George Vancouver in his ma ...

. Buttertubs Marsh 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, notabl ...

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 the e ...

zone. Other climate classification systems, such as

Trewartha Trewartha and Andrewartha are Cornish family names (and placename, Dexter). There are places called Trewartha in the parishes of Merther, St Agnes, St Neot and Veryan. According to the ''Handbook of Cornish Names'' by G. Pawley White, "Trew ...

, place it firmly in the

Oceanic Oceanic may refer to: *Of or relating to the ocean *Of or relating to Oceania **Oceanic climate **Oceanic languages **Oceanic person or people, also called "Pacific Islander(s)" Places * Oceanic, British Columbia, a settlement on Smith Island, ...

zone (''Do''). Nanaimo is usually shielded from the

Aleutian Low The Aleutian Low is a semi-permanent low-pressure system located near the Aleutian Islands in the Bering Sea during the Northern Hemisphere winter. It is a climatic feature centered near the Aleutian Islands measured based on mean sea-level press ...

'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 The Municipality and Borough of Skagway is a first-class borough in Alaska on the Alaska Panhandle. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,240, up from 968 in 2010. The population doubles in the summer tourist season in order to deal wit ...

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 Nanaimo Airport is a privately owned and operated regional airport located south southeast of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. In 1999, the air terminal was named in honour of World War I ace Raymond Collishaw who was born in Nanaimo. The N ...

(YCD) with services to Vancouver (YVR), Toronto (YYZ), and Calgary (YYC) and

Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome Nanaimo Harbour Water Aerodrome is a seaplane base (SPB) serving the city of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. It is located in the Nanaimo Harbour, right downtown. It is registered as an aerodrome, formerly classified as an airport, and an ...

with services to Vancouver Harbour, Vancouver Airport (YVR South Terminal), and Sechelt;. Nanaimo also has three BC Ferry terminals located at

Departure Bay Departure Bay is a bay in central Nanaimo, British Columbia, on the east coast of Vancouver Island. The surrounding neighbourhood is also referred to as "Departure Bay" —once a settlement of its own, it was amalgamated into the City of Nan ...

Duke Point Duke Point is a geographical location in the extreme southeastern part of the city of Nanaimo in British Columbia. It is located on a thin peninsula to the east of the Nanaimo River estuary, just across the Northumberland Channel from Gabriola ...

, and

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

. The downtown terminal services

while Departure Bay and Duke Point service Horseshoe Bay and

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

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 cu ...

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 Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

, 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 sta ...

(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 language ...

. 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 a ...

(60,365 persons or 62.2%) *

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

(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 fro ...

(1,330 persons or 1.4%) *

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

(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 p ...

(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 gra ...

(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 MacMillan Bloedel Limited, sometimes referred to as "MacBlo", was a Canadian forestry company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was formed through the merger of three smaller forestry companies in 1951 and 1959. Those were the Po ...

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 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 CIVI-DT (channel 53) is a television station in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, part of the CTV 2 system. It is owned and operated by Bell Media alongside Vancouver-based CTV station CIVT-DT, channel 32 (although the two stations maintain s ...

(

CTV 2 CTV 2 is a Canadian English-language television system owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. The system consists of four terrestrial owned-and-operated television stations (O&Os) in Ontario, one in British Columbia and two regional cab ...

Victoria, cable channel 12) and a satellite office for

CHEK-DT CHEK-DT (channel 6) is an independent television station in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, serving Vancouver Island and Greater Vancouver. The station is owned by the CHEK Media Group, a consortium made up of station employees and local inv ...

(

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 * Independ ...

, cable channel 6). Nanaimo is also served by the

Jim Pattison Group The Jim Pattison Group is a Canadian 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 chairman, CEO, and sole ...

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 C ...

(The Wave), as well as

CHLY-FM CHLY 101.7 FM is a campus radio station based in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. Primarily funded by students of Vancouver Island University's Nanaimo campus, the station is also supported by donations and memberships from the community, as we ...

, 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 produce ...

station and

Vista Radio Vista Radio Ltd. (also formerly known as Vista Broadcast Group) is a Canadian radio broadcasting company. The company only owned stations in British Columbia until 2007, when it expanded outside the province by acquiring an existing station in Ye ...

CKAY-FM CKAY-FM is a Canadian radio station that broadcasts a classic hits format at 91.7 FM, licensed to Gibsons, British Columbia with studios in Sechelt. The station targets Nanaimo and the Sunshine Coast. Originally owned and operated by Westwave ...

(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 Ca ...

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 CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...

) and

CBCV-FM CBCV-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts the programming of the CBC Radio One network in Victoria, British Columbia, and throughout Vancouver Island, the Southern Gulf Islands, and the Sunshine Coast. It also reaches out to parts of ...

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 The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...

, 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. Ba ...

of the

NDP NDP may stand for: Computing * Neighbor Discovery Protocol, an Internet protocol * Nortel Discovery Protocol, a layer two Internet protocol, also called SONMP * Nondeterministic programming, a type of computer language Government * National Deve ...

, representing the riding of

Nanaimo—Ladysmith Nanaimo—Ladysmith is a federal electoral district in British Columbia. Nanaimo—Ladysmith was created by the 2012 federal electoral boundaries redistribution and was legally defined in the 2013 representation order. It has come into effect ...

since the 2021 election. The city was split into two separate ridings,

Nanaimo—Cowichan Nanaimo—Cowichan is a former federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, which was represented in the House of Commons of Canada between 1988 and 2015. It was located on Vancouver Island. Demographics Geography It included, togeth ...

(

Jean Crowder Jean A. Crowder (born July 7, 1952) is a Canadian businesswoman and politician. She served as a Member of Parliament for the New Democratic Party from 2004 until 2015. Life and career Crowder was born in Montreal, Quebec. She received a degree ...

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: * * * * * * * * * * * * t ...

), which includes South Nanaimo and Cassidy, and

Nanaimo—Alberni Nanaimo—Alberni was a federal electoral district (Canada), electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1979 to 1988. It was subsequently recreated and was represented in the House ...

(

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 ...

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 i ...

), 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, British Columbia, Victoria. Members ar ...

, Nanaimo is represented by the ridings of

Nanaimo Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "H ...

(

Sheila Malcolmson Sheila Malcolmson (born March 26, 1966) is a Canadian politician who has served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for the electoral district of Nanaimo since January 30, 2019. She was previously the federal Member of ...

BC NDP The New Democratic Party of British Columbia (BC NDP) is a social democracy, social-democratic provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. As of 2017, it governs the province. It is the British Columbia provincial arm of the feder ...

Nanaimo-North Cowichan Nanaimo-North Cowichan is a provincial electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, established by the '' Electoral Districts Act, 2008''. It is represented by Doug Routley (British Columbia New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party ...

(

Doug Routley Doug Routley (born May 9, 1961) is the current MLA for Nanaimo-North Cowichan in the Canadian province of British Columbia.BC NDP The New Democratic Party of British Columbia (BC NDP) is a social democracy, social-democratic provincial political party in British Columbia, Canada. As of 2017, it governs the province. It is the British Columbia provincial arm of the feder ...

) and

Parksville-Qualicum Parksville-Qualicum is the name of a provincial electoral district in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia. It was first contested in the 1991 British Columbia general election, 1991 election. Following ...

(

Adam Walker Adam Walker may refer to: * Adam Walker (American football, born 1963), American football running back * Adam Walker (American football, born 1968), American football running back * Adam Walker (Australian politician) (1829–1902), Australian polit ...

Leonard Krog Leonard Eugene Krog is a Canadian politician and lawyer in British Columbia, who currently serves as Mayor of Nanaimo. Prior to his tenure as mayor, Krog served in the provincial legislature, and was first elected in the 1991 general election r ...

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

, who replaced Bill Mackay in 2018. The most well-known mayor Nanaimo ever had was

Frank J. Ney Frank James Ney (May 12, 1918 – November 24, 1992) was a mayor of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, serving for twenty-one years. Ney also served a term as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. He was known for his o ...

, 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. Nanaimo has been dubbed "the capital of Google Earth". Working directly with

Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...

, 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 Google Earth is a computer program that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satellite images, aerial photography, and geog ...

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 School District 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith is a school district on central Vancouver Island in British Columbia. This includes the major centres of Nanaimo and Ladysmith. It is also covers the surrounding communities and the adjacent northern Gulf Is ...

. Aspengrove School 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 The ''Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique'' (also known as Francophone Education Authority or School District No 93) is the French-language school board for all French schools located in British Columbia. Its headquarters are ...

'' operates two Francophone schools, ''École Océane'' primary school and the ''École secondaire de Nanaimo''. The main campus of

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 Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both ...

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 Pac ...

. Operated by

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; french: Pêches et Océans Canada, MPO), is a department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and sc ...

, 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 The Snuneymuxw First Nation (pronounced ) is located in and around the city of Nanaimo on east-central Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The nation previously had also occupied territory along the Fraser River, in British Columbia. Pr ...

at 100 Museum Way. The Vancouver Island Military Museum is a public military historical museum located at 100 Cameron Road.

Arts

The

Port Theatre The Port Theatre is a venue for performing arts, located in Nanaimo, British Columbia Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it i ...

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

Culture

The

Nanaimo bar The Nanaimo bar is a bar dessert that requires no baking and is named after the Canadian city of Nanaimo in British Columbia. It consists of three layers: a wafer, nut (walnuts, almonds, or pecans), and coconut crumb base; custard icing in th ...

, 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

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. * Nanaimo is home to the

Canadian Junior Football League The Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) is a national Major Junior Canadian football league consisting of 19 teams playing in five provinces across Canada. The teams compete annually for the Canadian Bowl. Many CJFL players move on to profess ...

Vancouver Island Raiders The Vancouver Island Raiders are a Canadian Junior Football team based in Nanaimo, British Columbia. The Raiders play in the six-team B.C. Football Conference, which itself is part of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) and competes annual ...

, who play at Caledonia Park. * Nanaimo is home to the

British Columbia Hockey League The British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league from British Columbia under Hockey Canada and BC Hockey. Founded in Vernon in 1961, the BCHL now includes 18 teams. From 1993 to 2021, the league was a member of the Ca ...

Nanaimo Clippers The Nanaimo Clippers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Island Division of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). They play their home games at Frank Crane Arena. Franchis ...

and to the

Western Lacrosse Association The Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) is a men's Senior A box lacrosse sanctioned by the Canadian Lacrosse Association. It consists of seven teams, based in cities throughout southwestern British Columbia. Each year, the playoff teams battle for ...

Nanaimo Timbermen The Nanaimo Timbermen are a Senior A box lacrosse club, based in Nanaimo, British Columbia. The team competes in the 7-team Western Lacrosse Association (WLA). Their short history has not been a pleasant one, placing sixth place in their first t ...

, 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 The Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a junior "B" ice hockey league of 11 franchised member clubs, all of which are currently located in Canada, on Vancouver Island. The B ...

, 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 Terry Beech (born April 2, 1981) is a Canadian politician who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of Canada to represent the federal electoral district of Burnaby North—Seymour during the 2015 Canadian federal electi ...

, 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 James Edgar Claxton (December 14, 1892 - March 3, 1970) was a Canadian-American baseball pitcher, and the first black man to play organized white baseball in the twentieth century. Early life and background Jimmy Claxton was born on December 14, ...

, 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 Allison Louise Crowe (born November 16, 1981) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist born in Nanaimo, British Columbia, whose home is Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador. History Crowe began performing professionally in 1 ...

, 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 Jodelle Micah Ferland (born October 9, 1994) is a Canadians, Canadian actress. She debuted as a child actress at the age of four in the television film Mermaid (2000 film), ''Mermaid'' (2000) for which she won a Young Artist Award and received ...

, actress *

David Gogo David Gogo (born March 18, 1969), is a Canadian blues guitarist, singer-songwriter and bandleader who is currently signed to the independent Cordova Bay Records label. He was formerly signed to EMI Records. Between 1994 and 2014, he released 12 ...

, blues guitarist * Paul Gogo, keyboardist for the rock band Trooper * Christopher Hart, actor and magician * Al Hill, ice hockey player and scout *

Bob Hindmarch Robert George Hindmarch (May 27, 1930 – February 20, 2021) was a Canadian educator, sports administrator and ice hockey coach. He was a multi-sport athlete at the University of British Columbia (UBC) as a student, and returned as a professor ...

, professor and ice hockey coach * Constance Isherwood, lawyer *

Ingrid Jensen Ingrid Jensen (born January 12, 1966) is a Canadian jazz trumpeter. Music career Jensen was born in North Vancouver and grew up in Nanaimo. She received a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Boston. After graduating from Berklee, she ...

, jazz trumpeter *

Susan Juby Susan Juby (born March 30, 1969)Dave Jenkinson ''CM Magazine'', May 11, 2005. is a Canadian writer. She is currently residing in Nanaimo, British Columbia, where she is a professor of creative writing at Vancouver Island University. Juby is kno ...

, 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, professional soccer player * Phil Olsen, Olympian javelin *

Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to: Academics * Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager * Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...

, professional downhill mountain biker * Shane Sutcliffe, boxer * Kirsten Sweetland, 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 Lorna Vinden Anderson (1931 – June 9, 2008), born Lorna Margaret Skidmore, was a Canadian wheelchair athlete, competing in pentathlon, track and field, archery, and swimming events at the 1967 and 1969 Wheelchair Pan American Games, and the 19 ...

, 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 is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance. Being in the Greater Tokyo Area and lyin ...

(←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 Prefecture ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

(1996)http://www.saga-saitama.or.jp/english/sister_cities/index.php

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