The Vancouver Island section of the TransCanada Highway terminates at Nanaimo (the island's second largest town) where ferries leave Departure Bay on the 67 km / 42 mi crossing to Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver). Nanaimo evolved from a Hudson's Bay Company settlement called Colville Town, which owed its existence to the alertness of Company agents who saw the potential in the coal deposits they were shown by local Indians. The first settlers, mainly English and Scottish miners, arrived in 1851 and for the next 75 years coal dominated Nanaimo's economy. Demand fell sharply after the Second World War however and in 1953 production ceased at the town's last remaining mine.
Today Nanaimo makes its living from the timber and fishing industries, from its harbor, and to an ever increasing extent from tourism. The offshore islands in the Strait of Georgia, and the surrounding mountains and lakes, all offer good opportunities for recreation. Indisputably the highpoint of Nanaimo's year is the "Great International Bathtub Race" in mid-July. Nothing daunted the participants in this now classic event set out to cross the 55 km (34 mi.) Georgia Strait to Vancouver in a flotilla of variously modified, outboard-engine bathtubs.
Gabriola, the northernmost of the Gulf Islands, is a quiet holiday retreat with little chalets and holiday homes, enchanting bays and eye-catching viewpoints.
In summer one of the highlights is the Saturday Farmer's Market, with fruits, vegetables, and baking for sale. There are also a variety of shops and galleries. For nature lovers there are beaches and good offshore scuba diving.
Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park features caves at the Horne Lake Caverns and camping and water based activities on Horne Lake. The caves here are for the most part undeveloped, without installed lighting or paved paths, leaving a very natural environment. Visitors can take guided tours with various levels of difficulty available.
Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park also offers camping, canoeing and other nature based activities.
Nanaimo Art Gallery is on the Malaspina University-College campus. Local, regional and national exhibits are featured. The company also operates a downtown sales gallery at 150 Commercial Street in Nanaimo.
Address: Nanaimo Art Gallery, #330, 900 Fifth Street, Nanaimo, BC V9R5S5, Canada
Phone: 1 (250) 740-6350, Fax: 1 (250) 740-6475
The Nanaimo Museum deals with a variety of topics related to Vancouver Island, including First Nations, Chinese, and European influences. There is a mining exhibit, an onsite miner's cottage, a restored 1890s locomotive and much more. Visitors can learn about the community and the harbour through changing exhibits.
Hours:
May 18 to September 3: 10am-5pm
September 4 to May 17: 10am-5pm; Closed: Sun, Mon
Always opened on: Canada Day (July 1), Labor Day - Canada (1st Monday, September), Easter Monday - Christian
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - Canada (2nd Monday, October ), New Year's Eve (December 31), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26)
26 km / 16 mi north-west of Nanaimo, Nanoose Bay has some well-frequented bathing beaches and a large, sheltered yacht harbor (sailing school, boat hire, Naval submarine training establishment).
Popular with trippers (passenger ferry in summer) the 300 ha (740 acre) Newcastle Island which directly faces the harbor provides fine views of the coast and the mountains (Nares Point). The Pavilion, built in 1931, contains a Visitors Center (information about walks, coastal flora and fauna, and the island's interesting history). Boat hire and beach.
Address: Newcastle Island Marine Provincial Park, c/o BC Parks South Vancouver Island District, 2930 Trans Canada Highway, Victoria, BC V9E1K3, Canada
Phone: 1 (250) 391-2300, Fax: 1 (250) 478-9211
The highlight of Petroglyph Provincial Park, near Nanaimo, is the concentration of prehistoric rock carvings which date back over 1000 years. This is a day use park only, offering interpretive plaques along a short walk. The petroglyphs depict various animals, fish, and humans.
Address: Petroglyph Provincial Park, c/o BC Parks - South Vancouver Island District, 2930 Trans Canada Highway, Victoria, BC V9B6H6, Canada
Phone: 1 (250) 391-2300, Fax: 1 (250) 478-9211
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Gabriola Island, Canada
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Nanaimo
