Blog

Gabriola Island Thanksgiving Studio Tour

September 7, 2019

Gabriola Island is known as the Isle of the Arts, and for good reason. This Gulf Island, located a short 25-minute ferry ride from Nanaimo’s downtown, is home to many talented artisans offering creations from jewelry to furniture, ceramics to paintings and sculpture. The 23rd Annual Gabriola Island Thanksgiving Studio Tour provides the public with a rare opportunity to step into the workshops for more than 80 Isle of the Arts Artisans. Fall in love with, and take home, a unique treasure. What: Gabriola Island Thanksgiving Studio Tour When: October 12-14, 2019 Where: Various Artists’ Workshops on Gabriola Island Access […]

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Nanaimo Museum – Historical Fall Lantern Tours

September 7, 2019

Nanaimo’s mysterious, exciting, strangely wonderful past is on display this Fall with the following guided walking tours offered by Nanaimo Museum staff. What: Crime & Punishment Lantern Tour – Nanaimo Museum “Fatal love triangles, muddled motives, and severe consequences all play a part in the murderous stories told on the new Crime & Punishment Lantern Tour this October. Guests will join a Nanaimo Museum tour guide on a walk through downtown to sites related to crimes and punishments in Nanaimo at the turn of the century.” When: Choose from the following dates and BOOK early. These sell out! Friday, October 4th […]

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Step Back In Time: 3 Historic Walking Tours In Downtown Nanaimo

September 7, 2019

Hear the echoes of the old railway and mine whistles, where the sounds of coal miners’ hobnailed boots still reverberate through time. Step back to where history’s ghosts roam, from ancient First Nations village sites to the last wooden Hudson’s Bay Company bastion still standing in North America. THE RAILROAD CONNECTION WALK Nanaimo’s Fitzwilliam Street was named for Charles Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, the son of an earl and a stakeholder in the local coal company. The area developed slowly until a bridge was built across the ravine in 1875, allowing many residents to cross to their churches on the other side. The […]

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Food & Drink Tours In Nanaimo, BC

August 8, 2019

Food is a powerful thing. It brings people together, associates memories to flavours, and creates opportunities for new experiences. Whether it’s meeting with extended family for dinner or quickly stopping at a cafe for an Americano, food plays a pivotal role in your full experience a place. Like many destinations, Nanaimo has no shortage of great, local cuisine. But in a city so large, it’s not always easy to find those great, hidden gems. That’s where a food tour comes in. Tours can either be done on your own with one of our itineraries or facilitated through a local expert […]

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Local Insight: How To Get To Blueback Beach In Nanaimo

July 4, 2019

Photo by Dana Wacker Blueback Beach is one of Nanaimo’s best-hidden gems. Located in North Nanaimo, below roughly 200 stairs, the beach offers breathtaking views of the coastal mountains and sunset all at once. The shore itself is a mixture of small-to-medium sized rocks at first, but quickly transitions into a long sandbar, making it a great place for swimming, wading, and floating. Despite the stairs, the walk to the beach is actually quite short, only 300 meters. The park is open all year-round, making a great place to beat the heat in the summer or a quiet hideaway in […]

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5 Best Places To Watch The Sunset In Nanaimo

June 11, 2019

Thanks to its rolling mountains and easy access to beaches, Nanaimo offers plenty of viewpoints to capture memorable sunsets. Here are the five best places to watch the sun go down in Nanaimo:  

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An artist haven on a wild coastline

May 9, 2019

Jordan Dyck Explores Gabriola Island ‘The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.’ The act of seeking these places is becoming a lot more difficult than ever before. However, there are still environments that allow for that unique feeling of connectedness to the outdoors in a modern world. One of those places, is Gabriola Island, otherwise known, as the Isle of the Arts. A small island that’s a 15-minute ferry ride distance from Nanaimo, Gabriola Island hosts a deeply embedded arts community that thrives on this wild coastline. An artists haven, Gabriola […]

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Crafting A Farm Fresh Nanaimo With These Creative Locals

April 26, 2019

Written by Jordan Dyck (Follow along with her travels over @joordanrenee on Instagram). An escape from city life for some, a place to call home for others. A city that borders lush rain forests, crashing coastlines, bountiful farmland, and even a slight urban sprawl, Nanaimo wears many faces to those who experience it. On first glimpse off the ferry, you may see similar big-box retailers to those on the mainland. You may be tempted to stop by that drive through on your way to another island destination, but you’d be missing some of the most delicious, most unique, creative businesses […]

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Festival Nanaimo Celebrations

March 5, 2019

The Signs of Seasonal Change in Nanaimo The days are getting longer bringing with them better weather and the sights and sounds of seasonal change. New spring bulbs and floral buds are breaking free every day. As seedlings start to push through sun-touched soils and new growth paints the landscape in various hues of green, we receive a sense of vitality that comes with rebirth/new life – and what better way to revel in this uplifting and refreshing energy than through the act of celebration. What is Festival Nanaimo? Stradling the spring equinox (20th March 2019), Festival Nanaimo is a […]

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The Grand Whiskey Bar

March 5, 2019

Nearly every man, woman, and child across this great nation knows Nanaimo for the sweet n’ chewy dessert that bears its name, but what if we told you that this great city had another bar worthy of a little recognition? While not a dessert, the Whiskey Bar at the Grand Hotel, Nanaimo is surely something worth buzzing about. Home to “the only fully-fledged bar of its kind on the Island,” says Manager Susie Sirri, this unique establishment offers over 75 different bottles of the much-beloved drink. From traditional single malt Scotch to more intricate blends and exotics from places like […]

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