Special Features - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo

101 THINGS +

TO SEE AND DO I N N A N A I MO

CHECK OUT THE VIEW FROM ATOP MOUNT BENSON

2012

+ Published by the

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Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

THERE’S TONS OF THINGS TO SEE AND DO

D

on’t limit yourself to the items we’ve listed in the pages that follow when looking for activities in and around Nanaimo.

The list is just some of the highlights – a partial list, really.

This city of roughly 90,000 people has a spectacular waterfront and wilderness all around.

Regardless of what you’re into, we’ve got it, and probably close by.

Nanaimo is a fabulous, fun city. We could probably list 1,001 things to see and do here.

So if you don’t see your favourite activity among this list, just let us know, we’ll see if we can’t feature it next year’s edition.

Mitch Wright, News Bulletin managing editor

Look inside for these feature stories Page 4 The Bastion

Page 16 E&N Trail

Page 5 Dive in

Page 17 ’Cue up for first

Page 7

summer cook-off Catch a game

Page 8 Tragedy on

the mountain Page 10 Plenty of hiking 101 Things to see and do in Nanaimo is an annual publication of the Nanaimo News Bulletin. Contributors: Chris Bush, Melissa Fryer, Toby Gorman, Beth Hendry-Yim, Bruce Mason, Jenn McGarrigle, Greg Sakaki, Mitch Wright.

Page 23 Parkway Trail Page 24 Stroll our parks Page 25 Nanaimo at night Page 26 Your favourites Page 29 How about

a bath?

Page 33 Getting to the

heart of Gabriola

This unique, Marine Provincial Park offers moorage, camping, picnic day use shelters, extensive hiking trails and a concession.

The island also features a large pavilion hall and has catering services available for your next special event. admin@newcastleisland.ca www.newcastleisland.ca

Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

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1

I

t’s not new, but it is improved. It’s not bigger, but it’s definitely fi better.

Nanaimo’s iconic Bastion underwent a major transformation last year, including removing its cone-shaped roof and replacing interior timbers.

The project cost about $308,000, but the Bastion is standing tall and straight – it had a three-degree list to it.

Crews managed to save 90 per cent of the original beams during the restoration.

Other upgrades included an improved sprinkler system to guard against fires. fi A fresh coat of paint was also applied

The Ba Th Bastion astion

instead of a lime whitewash to maintain historical accuracy and improve the wood’s ability to breathe.

The entire restoration process was documented through digital video and photography.

The Bastion was originally built in 1853 by the Hudson’s Bay Company and is the last of the original free-standing HBC bastions. It was also the company’s only foray into the coal industry.

Though the three-storey, octagonshaped building once served as a guardian for Nanaimo, its interior cannons

were never fired in an act of aggression, though they often fi fired to welcome visitors who arrived by boat. They were capable of sending a six-pound shot over Newcastle Channel to Protection Island.

The structure has been moved three times from its original position overlooking the harbour and a smattering of 19th century homes and businesses.

Taking a tour inside the Bastion feels like a walk back in history. Operated as an exhibit by the Nanaimo Museum, it is open for tours during the summer season daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

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WILD PLAY ADVENTURE PARK K – What gets your

adrenaline pumping? Maybe a leap off ff of North America’s only legal bungy bridge toward the roaring Nanaimo River? How about a two-hour treetop adventure at Wild Play, where adventurists challenge themselves nine metres off ff the forest floor on an aerial obstacle course.

Call 1-888-668-7874 or visit www. wildplayparks.com.

Dive in

2

Photo courtesy Aaron Bell www.undersea.ca

T

he big draw in recent years is Nanaimo’s three artificial reefs – the HMCS Cape Breton and HMCS Saskatchewan near Snake Island and the Rivtow Lion in Departure Bay. But Nanaimo and the Island as a whole is a major dive destination for more reasons than just the artificial reefs.

The waters around Nanaimo are home to hundreds of different species of brilliantly coloured starfish, anenomes and nudibranchs. Different kinds of seaweed and kelps carpet the ocean floor and an array of animals greet lucky divers – from octopuses to rockfish to wolf eels, which are elongated fish that can grow to two metres long or bigger.

Seals can be spotted – and sometimes curious ones come right up to you – as divers descend or ascend the rock wall at

Spring Special

Snake Island.

There are als which elimina locals to hire o People come Middle East, S States and Can There’s also divers. After al backyard mak ak sible. It’s quieet and troubles o watch the abundant undant marine flora and fauna move about and interact.

For those who don’t want to scuba dive or who want to bring the family on a marine adventure, Sundown Diving takes people snorkelling with the seals at Snake Island.

For local knowledge, call a dive shop or visit www.bcdiveguide.com.

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BOOKFEST – Vancouver Is-

land Children’s Book Festival celebrates its 26th anniversary May 5 with a move to downtown Nanaimo and Diana Krall Plaza. The fun-fi filled day features authors, illustrators and storytellers entertaining kids from fi five to 12. Go to www.bookfest.ca for more information.

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DINING – Nanaimo has a

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HIT THE DIRT – The Th Marie

wide variety of culinary options. From Indian or Thai Th food, sushi, Mediterranean or traditional burgers or wings, there are plenty of opportunities. Check out listings at www.tourismnanaimo.com.

Davidson BMX Park has its ups and downs, and that’s a good thing when it comes to BMX racing. Th The Nanaimo BMX Association’s track at Beban Park hosted world championship races, yet anyone on two wheels is allowed to use the facility. Regular races go Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings all spring and summer. For more information, visit www.nanaimobmx.com.

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Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

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Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

Catch a game City’s sports venues put fans close to action

BY GREG SAKAKI

A

t Nanaimo’s sports venues, every seat is a good one. Whether it be at the arena, the gym, the field fi or the ballpark, spectators can get up close to fast-paced action.

Nanaimo’s biggest rink is Frank Crane Arena at Beban Park. The Nanaimo Clippers of the B.C. Hockey League call the 3,000-seat arena home, and the Nanaimo Timbermen lacrosse teams of the senior A Western Lacrosse Association and the B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League play there in the summers.

The Nanaimo Ice Centre, meanwhile, is home to the Nanaimo DBL Timbermen senior B lacrosse team in the summer and the North Island Silvertips major midget hockey team in the winter.

There is a bid process underway for a Nanaimo Buccaneers junior B hockey team to also play out of the NIC. The twin-sheet ice centre is part of Nanaimo’s Larry McNabb Sports Zone on Third Street. The concentration of sports venues there also includes the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre, the Rotary Bowl track and field stadium, Serauxmen Stadium for baseball and the Serauxmen Sports Fields for soccer and minor baseball.

Serauxmen Stadium, an enclosed ballpark, houses the Nanaimo Pirates of the B.C. Premier Baseball League, the Vancouver Island Baseball Institute Mariners of the Canadian College Baseball Conference and the Nanaimo Coal Miners senior men’s team.

The city’s biggest football games take place closer to downtown at Caledonia Park. The Vancouver Island Raiders of the Canadian Junior Football League are nearly unbeatable in their home park.

More football is played in Nanaimo’s north end at May Richards Bennett Pioneer Park, home to the Nanaimo Redmen of the Vancouver Mainland Football League. Pioneer Park is also home field fi for the Nanaimo Senior Men’s Fastball League and the Nanaimo Hornets of the

7

B.C. Rugby Union.

Another north-end park is the McGirr Sports Fields, where the city’s slo-pitch leagues play.

The city’s biggest park, Beban Park, has an artifi fical turf pitch called Merle Logan Field where the Nanaimo United soccer club plays its home games. Beban Pool, Beban Park Golf Centre, Cliff McNabb Arena, Frank Crane Arena, the Marie Davidson BMX Park, the Vancouver Island

Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

Exhibition equestrian grounds and tennis courts are other attractions at Beban.

Nearby Bowen Park is home to the outdoor Kin Pool, the Nanaimo Lawn Bowling Club, tennis courts, beach volleyball courts and a disc golf course.

An excellent fan atmosphere can often be found up the hill at the Vancouver Island University gymnasium, where the VIU Mariners basketball and volleyball teams play ay.

7

Tragedy on the mountain

BY BETH HENDRY-YIM At 6:48 p.m. October 17, 1951, Queen Charlotte Airlines (QCA) received a routine call from Captain Doug McQueen of Flight 102-17 estimating his position at 30 kilometres west of Vancouver.

Filled to capacity, the twin engine Canso carried 20 passengers and three crew members on what should have been a routine four-hour flight fl from Kitimat.

It was anything but.

At 6:58 the plane slammed into the side of Mount Benson, killing everyone on board and scattering debris over 500 metres. It was and is the worst plane crash in B.C.’s history.

McQueen was the type of pilot more at home in the air then on the ground. He flew like a bush pilot, eschewing instrufl ments and relying on eyeball and feel, punching through holes in thick cloud, veering around mountains, taking off in high winds and landing on a dime. If you were desperate to get someplace, he’d get yyou there; if you were sightseeing, reckon on a few more grey hairs.

Although he was deaf in one ear and his flight training was incomplete, QCA operafl tions liked McQueen for his enthusiasm and ability to produce, owner Jim Spilsbury recounts, “He got the loads when other guys couldn’t.”

On the afternoon of the 17th he was eager to get the Canso in the air. Central BC Airways was grounded due to the 60-75 km/h winds and McQueen wanted to prove that the Canso was a better plane than the planes Central Airways were flying.

Already behind schedule he was also

Photograph of four boys with the plane’s wing, taken by June Stefanek, 1951, from the Nanaimo and Area Land Trust’s image archives.

down a co-pilot and couldn’t fly fl without someone in the seat next to him. McQueen grabbed Jaginder Johl, a baggage handler working for QCA, and they set off only 17 minutes behind.

By the time they reached Sullivan Bay, approximately 500 kilometres down the coast, a battering by wind and rain set them back 49 minutes and night was falling fast.

McQueen could have landed in Alert Bay or Port Hardy but bad weather made landing there tricky so he decided to continue flying, relying on memory and reckoning to get to Vancouver.

That was only one of the mistakes he made. His next was failing to request Instrumental Flying Rules. He had his

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reasons, the most relevant was political, the Department of Transport wasn’t recognizing the Canso as an IFR-certifiable fi aircraft.

So even though night had fallen and horizontal visibility was down to 2000 feet, McQueen continued with Visual Flying Rules keeping an eye on the ground at all times and according to protocol, flying at least 500 feet under the clouds.

As they passed Comox, the clouds had sunk to 1000 feet with McQueen carefully tracking the ground and ocean by sight.

Once again he could have landed but with fog settling over the airfield fi he opted for heading on to Vancouver.

The weather was brutal, pushing them off course toward the west and the Island.

McQueen’s eyes strained to keep a visual and when he saw lights spread out below him that he assumed were Vancouver, relief must have been palpable.

It was short-lived.

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Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

No one in Nanaimo minded the pounding wind and rain that night. Sitting around kitchen tables finishing up with dinner, listening as raindrops hit the windows and roof many jokingly swore off ever complaining about the wet again.

Only a few weeks earlier the heat from a long summer set the tinder dry forest of Mount Benson aflame. fl Homes in Extension readied for evacuation and fl flames threatened the city’s water supply.

More than 890 men: army, young men conscripted from pubs and bars, loggers and townsfolk pitched in to fight the blaze.

It took a week to subdue. People watched the mountain burn from the roofs of their cars praying their fathers, husbands, sons and brothers were safe. When the rains did come a week later the city breathed a collective sigh of relief.

But the mountain wasn’t finished wreaking havoc on the Island community.

At 6:45 Frank Murphy saw the Canso flying over his Pleasant Valley home. It fl was flying at low altitude and moving fast.

Built in 1941 the plane was one of 4,050 produced in the United States for conducting air search and rescue missions in the Second World War. Murphy recognized the rumble of its twin engines as he watched it disappear into the gloom.

At 6:55 Keith Price, on duty at the Jingle Pot substation, spotted the Canso circle twice, barely missing the 132,000-volt lines, before the running lights were enveloped by fog. Later, at the inquest he said the plane had its throttle fully open and gained about

50 metres of altitude before the blast.

Both men saw the explosion, a blue flash fl followed by fl flickering orange, but Price saw the impact before he heard the screaming of metal ripping through trees and smashing into rock.

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It took RCMP Const. Bruce McMillan of the Nanaimo R.C.M.P and volunteers almost three hours to climb the 2.5 kilometres from Kilpatrick to the wreck.

Brian Loughnan a reporter for the Times Colonist was with the initial party, climbing “through a nightmare jungle of salal bushes and jagged rocks.” He described the scene that greeted them.

“The rocks of the last cliff below the wreck were rainbow-colored by spattered oil, and pieces of metal, crumpled like tinfoil, were strewn in the bushes.

On the ledge below the rock cliff where the Canso struck was one huge wing shot through with rips, standing on edge.

Twisted propellers, heavy struts snapped and warped, unrecognizable pieces of machinery and ripped metal covered almost every foot of the ledge.

Six twisted bodies lay in the utter stillness of death near the front of the charred remains. They looked hardly human.

Searchers, looking hard at the piled wreckage gradually recognized the burned shape of an arm; a dead man staring at the scudding rain clouds.

The main mass of the plane, where the fuselage had been, was a heap of ash. It looked as if a great pile of dead leaves had been burned, leaving only soft particles.

A big rock cracked by the terrific fi force of the exploding plane and sprayed by burning gasoline, still smoked steadily and scorched the boots of searchers.”

A hand reaching through a piece of fuselage was that of a woman. Another was a man left with only one logging boot on.

McQueen was thrown clear and died not from impact but from shock and loss of blood. A ring on his finger allowed easy identification fi of his body, but his co-pilot was charred beyond recognition.

In an inquest held five days after the crash, Dr. Meneeley, who conducted the autopsies, testified fi to the diffi ficulty in identifying most of the bodies. A good luck charm, a recent bill, scraps of clothing, dental records, estimated height and weight, identifying features and wrist watches helped, but several of the bodies, labeled with numbers, were never given a name and with no one stepping forward to claim the bodies they were eventually buried in a mass grave.

The verdict rendered after 10 minutes of deliberation by a jury of six, fi five of whom were former air force members, concluded that there was “no evidence to enable us other than to render an open verdict”. According to Coroner Jones, “the dead can tell no tales,” and the jury were obviously not making any conjectures or assumptions.

The ruling provided little consolation for 10

Hikes offer spectacular viewpoints

I

f hiking is your favourite form of exercise, you don’t have to go further than Nanaimo to appreciate everything from a crushed gravel trail to a six-hour trek up and down a mountain. From seaside to forest, every level of hiker can find something satisfying in Nanaimo.

Hikes include: Mt. Benson – If Nanaimo’s waterfront is one jewel in the city, No. 2 has got to be Mt. Benson, providing outdoor enthusiasts with an opportunity to take to the woods only minutes from their door-

and views galore along the way. Benson’s view from the summit is spectacular, encompassing Cedar to Texada Island along the water, the entire Nanaimo River valley and the mountain peaks beyond.

Morrell Sanctuary – Eleven kilometres of dirt roads and trails lead through this 111-hectare Nature Trust of B.C. park, providing hikers with platform views, occasional wildlife and the opportunity to push through to Westwood Lake Park, the Westwood Ridges and beyond.

Westwood Lake – A 6.2-kilometre bark mulch trail around Westwood Lake provides an enjoyable hike with equally enjoyable water views.

Westwood Ridges – Situated between Westwood Lake and the slopes of Mt. Benson, the Westwood Ridges offer eye-opening views. The trail, while wooded, is not overly strenuous, but does present the occasional challenge with footing.

Ammonite Falls – Tumbling down the northwest slope of Mt. Benson and draining into Brannen Lake, Benson Creek creates the dramatic Ammonite waterfalls. Part of a regional park, Ammonite is a series of three drops rushing through a heavy forest that can be reached either off of Jameson Road near Jingle Pot Road or the Doumont Road trails.

For anyone searching for a little outdoors in a more leisurely fashion, Nanaimo offers parks including Cottle Lake (Linley Valley), Neck Point, Piper’s Lagoon, Buttertubs Marsh, Colliery Dam, Bowen, Biggs, Cable Bay, Beach Estates and Newcastle Island.

Even a hike on the paved routes including the Parkway Trail, Nanaimo Harbourfront Walkway or E&N Trail can be a nice outing.

8

step. Accessible from Witchcraft Lake on Benson View Road or up through the hills above Westwood Lake, the nearly six-hour hike (including a few strenuous portions) round-trip takes you through old growth timber, waterfalls and streams, previously logged areas the families of the dead like Eva Ferguson of Parksville and her four children aged 1-4. Her husband, 31-year-old J.B. had only been working in Kitimat for two weeks and wasn’t even expected home.

Neither did it provide much comfort for Grace Graham of Nanaimo, whose sevenweek-old daughter would never meet her

father, 29-year-old Gordon. All she had were memories of happier times and a broken, charred watch. The watch, one of six found at the wreckage, had helped identify Graham’s body, now it served as the only link to her loved one and an eerie reminder of the time of the crash.

All six watches stopped at 6:58.

Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

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Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

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Poker Dive takes place June 10 at Neck Point Park. The Th event, which raises money for the Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation, features a cash jackpot, great prizes and a barbecue.

Call 250-758-7946 or go to www.sosscuba.ca.

CEMETERY TOURS – A great

way to learn about Nanaimo’s history. Guided cemetery tours take place in July and August with stories about our earliest residents.

Contact the Nanaimo Museum at 250753-1821 for details.

10

13

FISHERMAN’S WHARF – Fresh seafood taken right out of the ocean can be found at the Boat Basin below Front Street.

FITNESS GYMS – The

Nanaimo Aquatic Centre gym and Beban Park gym offer ff state-of-the art fitness equipment, including rowing machines, treadmills, stair climbers and universal gyms. Call 250-756-5200.

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BOWLING – A great activity for rainy days. Brechin Lanes at 1870 East Wellington Rd. off ffers five-pin bowling with automatic lanes and scoring, and bumpers for the kids. Call 250-7532341. Splitsville at 171 Calder Rd. offers ff 10-pin fun, call 250-754-2442.

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SKATEBOARDThe ING –Th

Nanaimo Skate Bowl can be found on the corner of Comox Road and Wall Street while the Pioneer Skatepark can be found behind Canadian Tire in the north end.

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15

FESTIVAL OF BANNERS – Now in its 25th year, runs May 1 to Thanksgiving.

Artists create banners on a common theme and they are displayed on street lamps throughout the city. It’s a symphony of colours that can be seen right through the fall season before being sold. Proceeds go to charity. 250-740-6350 or www.nanaimogallery.ca.

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BEBAN PARK POOL

– This pirate-themed pool features a 61-metre waterslide, leisure pool and a unique pirate ship interactive play feature. The Th facility also has a 25-metre pool, weight room, hot tub and steam room. A great place to cool off ff or keep in shape. Call 250-756-5200 or visit www.nanaimo.ca.

17

DISC GOLF F – An 18-hole disc golf course is located in Bowen Park. Borrow discs from the administration offi ffice Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

18

HORSESHOES – A great way to

spend an aft fternoon. Six public pitches are maintained at Bowen Park near the tennis courts.

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Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

19

NANAIMO MODEL RAILROAD SHOW – Hobbyists

from across the Island and Lower Mainland arrive at Beban Park April 15 to share their passion. Experienced and newcomers welcome.

Island at the Nanaimo Museum or shop for aboriginal art at Art of Siem on Front Street or at Hill’s Native Art on Bastion Street.

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20

20TH ANNUAL ISLAND FANTASY BALL – Watch the exhilarating event as it celebrates 20 years of competion and entertainment May 5-6. International ballroom dance competition at its finest, with competitors from age six to 60, and dancing at levels from novice to expert at the Beban Park Social Centre.

21

ISLAND EQUINE AFFAIR – The event returns for its second year in a brand new location at Arbutus Meadows Equestrian Centre. Based on education and awareness, it features demonstrations, exhibitions, clinicians and more. It benefi fits the Hope for Horses Society, a non-profi fit organization for abused and starving equines in need. www.hopeforhorsesbc.com.

22

FERRIES – Spend an af-

ternoon aboard a vessel that’s part of the largest ferry fleet fl in the world.

B.C. Ferries has one of its largest hubs in Nanaimo, with major terminals at Departure Bay and Duke Point, as well as the smaller Gabriola Island route.

23

FIRST NATIONS CULTURE – Learn about

the first fi people on the

Telephone: 250-714-0630 leonard.krog.mla@leg.bc.ca

www.leonardkrog-mla.ca

24

CHECK OUT THE LOTUS PINNATUS – It

25

YELLOW POINT DRAMA GROUP – The oldest

26

FLOATING BOAT AND MARINE TRADE SHOW

6-8 Passenger Limousine

15 Passenger Van & 8 Passenger SUV

was adopted in 2010 as Nanaimo’s official fi floral emblem. The rare flower, also known as the bog bird’s-foot trefoil, is located in only a handful of places in Canada – all in the Nanaimo area. The delicate bloom is best spotted at the Harewood Plains, located in south Nanaimo between White Rapids Road and McKeown Way.

theatre group in western Canada. Based at the Cedar Community Hall, the group offers ff shows in the spring and fall. Contact 250-245-7882.

– The Th eighth annual show takes place June 1-3 at the Nanaimo Boat Basin. The Th event features everything for boat enthusiasts. Call 250-754-5053 or visit www.vancouverislandboatshow.com.

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Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

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15

E&N Trail offers in-city excursion

P

ark your four wheeler and get on your two-wheeler. With Nanaimo’s multi-use E&N Trail, pedal power gets you to major shopping centres, Beban Park and lakeside views, quickly and safely.

Built in 1997, the trail was formed through a partnership between the City of Nanaimo and Rail America. Currently, the eight-kilometre trail follows the rail line from Rosehill Avenue in south Nanaimo to East Wellington in the north, connecting waterfront, shopping and schools.

Nicely graded with few and small slopes, the trail serves both pedestrian, cycle and wheelchair traffic fi and is one of the most utilized trails in Nanaimo.

It’s well maintained and wide enough to accommodate pedestrians walking their dogs and bike traffic fi without the need to veer off the trail.

A unique concept, the trail made his-

27

BY BETH HENDRY-YIM tory as the first fi municipal pathway paralleling an active railway. Richard Harding, parks, recreation and culture diretor, and the driving force behind the trail, said safety was a priority with consultations between stakeholders occurring regularly.

Though the trail also runs beside the highway, dips, curves and trees maintain

a sense of distance from the hustle and bustle of driving. People nod at each other, dogs stop for quick visits, and regulars stay a moment to catch up. It’s a different feel on the trail, even though most people are trying to get somewhere by its very nature you’re forced to slow down.

At St. George Crescent, the trail veers onto Rosehill Avenue, dips into Caledonia Park, and then meanders along the Millstone River.

This is the best part of the trail. It’s a different perspective, with little to no traffic fi on Rosehill and trees to buffer noise from the highway as you reach the river.

A tidal estuary, the Millstone, in 1890, served as a logging hub, with Haslam’s Mill, the second largest employer in Nanaimo at the time, a gasworks and a tannery on its shores.

There is little today to remind us of that era. The river, reclaimed by seabirds and otter, has undergone a green transformation with arbutus, fir fi and cedar taking over where buildings once stood. It’s a fitting end to a commute by pedal power fi that takes only about 30 minutes.

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Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

’cue up for first summer cook-off

S

crape the grill, pour on the charcoal and spark up the lighter fluid fl because downtown Nanaimo is getting primed for city’s biggest ever barbecue contest.

There’ll be heaping helpings of pulled pork, wicked wings, and no sparing the ribs when barbecues start sizzling in Commercial Street’s parking spaces July 14-15 for the Thrifty Foods Nanaimo Barbecue Festival’s BBQ Cook-off.

This is not just any big cook out. It’s a fundraiser for the Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation and the only Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned event in B.C. The non-profit fi society, launched in 1985, celebrates, teaches, preserves and promotes barbecuing as a culinary tech-

nique, a sport and, yes, even an art form.

The barbecued ribs cook-off is the main event, but daily people’s choice awards competitions should help keep visitors’ stomachs from grumbling too loudly.

“The public can buy tickets and vote for their favourite chicken wings on the Saturday and pulled pork on the Sunday,” said Alison Donaghey, event coordinator.

There will also be a ribeating contest.

Commercial Street has space for about 35 barbecue entrants who will compete for $10,000 in prizes, but wait there’s more.

The winning team gets a chance to compete in the Super Bowl of barbecue championship competitions, the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invita-

28

BY CHRIS BUSH tional Barbecue, hosted every October in Lynchburg, Tenn.

While competition heats up on Commercial Street, Diana Krall Plaza will be turned into a family fun zone featuring activities and live music entertainment.

Dan Zapotichny, Thrifty Foods Longwood Station store manager, said the competition is the kind of community event Thrifty Foods, which will be the supplier of meats and barbecue condiments, is always on the lookout for because it offers the company another opportunity to get behind a good cause and support the community.

“The Kansas City Barbecue Society is the biggest around,” Zapotichny said.

“Their judges are actually coming up and we’re going to be the only event sanctioned in British Columbia by these folks. It’s our first fi kick at the cat with this and it’s going to be a learning curve for all of us, but they’ll be giving us guidance from now until the event happens.”

For more information or to get involved, please visit the Thrifty Foods Nanaimo Barbecue Festival website at http://nanaimobbqfest.com.

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Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

17

Celebrating

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Thought Provoking Local & National Exhibitions Workshops for Children and Adults Festival of Banners Art Sales & Rental Program Gift Shops full of Elegant & Eclectic Gifts

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29

ISLAND CHASE 2012

– Canada Day long weekend this year (June 30 to July 2). Hosted

by Nanaimo’s English Entertainment, this adventure combines the thrill of a car rally with the strategy of a scavenger hunt, all for a grand prize of $5,000 cash. Th The first annual event begins at Country Club Centre and takes participants from Campbell River to Victoria.

For details visit www.islandchase.ca.

30

HARBOURFRONT WALKWAY – What’s

a waterfront city if you can’t stroll along the shore? The walkway leads from Cameron Island all the way to the B.C. Ferries terminal at Departure Bay and is a popular attraction. Along the way, strollers get a look at the downtown Boat Basin and can stop in for coffee or ice cream, or browse the shops.

31

PORT THEATRE –

Nanaimo’s 800-seat performing arts centre is located at 150 Front St., with more than 250 scheduled events each year. Call 250-754-8550 or visit www.porttheatre.com.

32

NANAIMO RIVER SALMON HATCHERY –

October to December is the best time to visit the hatchery but juvenile salmon in their outdoor channels can be seen until May. The Th public is welcome to use the walking trails. Turn on Beck Road just north of the Haslam Creek Bridge then go left ft on Rugby Road. 250-245-7780 or www.nanaimoriverhatchery.ca.

33

SPRING ART FEATURE

34

DEPARTURE BAY BEACH – Grab a snack

35

BINGO – Get out your

36

NANAIMO MUSEUM –

– The Th Spring Showcase is a display of art from Nanaimo and area painters, photographers, potters, sculptors and others. The Th show can be viewed during April at the Nanaimo Arts Council gallery in Nanaimo North Town Centre.

and watch the ferries come and go, check out the Snuneymuxw First Nation portal, have a picnic or go for a swim at one of Nanaimo’s most popular areas.

dabbers and head for Playtime Bingo at 495 Dunsmuir St. (call 250754-3077 or go to www.playtimegaming.ca) or , or Harbour City Bingo at 520 Fift fth St. (call 250-754-1421).

Nanaimo’s history was given new life with the construction of this facility in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. Open Monday to Saturday. Call 250-753-1821 or go to www. nanaimomuseum.ca.

37

MCNAB’S CORN MAZE

- Quickly becoming a fall staple for a fun family activity in Nanaimo. Located at 4659 Yellow Point Rd., the maze usually starts up around mid-August.

For more information visit http://www. mcnabscornmaze.com.

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39

CANADA DAY CELEBRATIONS – July

1 at Maffeo ff Sutton Park. Nanaimo celebrates Canada and its diversity with all kinds of music, food, entertainment and family events. Call 250-756-5200 or visit www.nanaimo.ca.

VANCOUVER ISLAND MILITARY MUSEUM

– Memorials, medal displays, books and military records can all be found at the Vancouver Island Military Museum, located in Piper Park in downtown Nanaimo. The city has an important military past and it can all be learned and viewed at the museum.

40

NANAIMO AQUATIC CENTRE – Stay in shape

or just cool down, the

Nanaimo Aquatic Centre has it all – a 52-metre pool, three water slides, a leisure pool, wave pool, steam room, hot tub, lazy river, spacious weight room and restaurant.

41

TENNIS – Tennis, anyone?

Beban and Bowen parks both feature six public tennis courts that operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Bowen also has three nighttime token-operated courts. Tokens cost $8 per hour from the Bowen or Beban Park offi ffices or the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre.

Your donations mean we have food for the 900 to 1200 Adults and 300-600 Children who come to us each week.

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JUNE 1 - 3, 2012 • Nanaimo Boat Basin Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

19

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Eat in or Take-out, View online menu at: www.thirstycamelcafe.ca or call: (250) 753-9313

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Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

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Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

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21

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42

WATER PARKS – Take

the kids to chill out on a hot summer day at the Kiwanis Bay Water Park located near Departure Bay beach, the Haliburton Water Park near Princess Royal School or Harewood Mining Community Water Park on Howard Avenue.

43

FARMERS’ MARKETS

– A relaxing way to find some of the Island’s freshest produce, food and craft fts. The Downtown Farmers’ Market is open May 6 to early October on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Cedar Farmers’ Market, open from mid-May to October, can be found at 2313 Yellow Point Rd. The newly created Bowen Road Farmers’ Market will take place from 4-7 p.m. late May to early October every Wednesday at Beban Park.

44

GOLF F – Golf can be

played in Nanaimo almost year round, and with seven local

courses, there is no shortage of options.

The courses include Nanaimo Golf Th Club, Fairwinds, Gabriola, Cottonwood, Pryde Vista, Eagle Quest and Winchelsea View. Beban Park features a pitch-and-putt course for those who want to work on their short game.

45

DINGHY DOCK PUB –

46

READ A BOOK K – Visit

Canada’s only fl floating pub is on Protection Island, a 10-minute ferry ride from the Nanaimo Boat Basin.

Chow down on pub fare and seafood.

The Protection Connection ferry leaves Th 10 minutes past the hour beginning at 7:10 a.m. weekdays, 8:10 a.m. Saturdays and 9:10 a.m. Sundays. A walk around Protection Island is a popular post-meal activity.

the Vancouver Island Regional Library, grab a book, kick back and enjoy. The Th library also off ffers summer reading programs for children. For hours and information call 250-7531154 (Harbourfront) or 250-758-5544 (Wellington).

Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

Parkway Trail runs city’s length

N

eed a scenic route for the commute to work? Want to meet with friends for a walk in the woods? Then look no further than the Parkway Trail.

This 20-kilometre trail running from Woodgrove Centre to Chase River is a Nanaimo gem and perfect for getting there and getting fit. fi Weaving in and out of trees and up and down hills and ravines, the trail follows the Nanaimo Parkway from one end of the city to the other.

It’s an impressive length of hard surface trail that connects Colliery Dam, Buttertubs Marsh, Morrell Sanctuary, Nanaimo Aquatic Centre and Vancouver Island University.

Built in 1998, the trail was graded by the highways department and paved by the City of Nanaimo.

It’s well maintained with trail markers, benches, parking lots conveniently located to access specific fi sections, and at Northfi field Road, a covered picnic area with a spectacular view of Mount Benson.

The trail, created as a direct result of interest by local citizens for more trails and pathways, is multipurpose, with most sections able to accommodate cycle, pedestrian and wheelchair traffic. fi If you want to try a short walk, park at Northfield fi Road and the Parkway and head north. Within minutes you dip down into the woods where birdcalls

47

Pawn

BY BETH HENDRY-YIM quickly replace traffic fi sounds and the overarching trees create a peaceful and serene atmosphere.

Head south toward Jinglepot Road and in the winter you’ll pass several small waterfalls, cross the Millstone Creek and walk beside a well-established and productive apple orchard. Turn left at the Third Street Connector and finish up with a dip at the Aquatic Centre.

Although the City of Nanaimo requires pets to be on-leash and controlled along the trail, you can always start or end your walk at the south end of Colliery Dam where dogs can run off-leash.

In the summer, you and your pet might even want to cool off at the upper dam where a small lake entices with its clean and refreshing water.

Of course, no matter where you begin or finish your walk along the Parkway Trail you are guaranteed an opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty found in and around Nanaimo.

For a trail map, contact Nanaimo Parks, Recreation and Culture at 250756-5200 or visit www.nanaimo.ca.

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Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

23

Stroll our parks PETROGLYPH PARK K – A two-hectare

provincial park featuring prehistoric sandstone rock carvings depicting mystical animal and human fi figures.

Parking lot is off ff the Island Highway between Haliburton Street and Highview Terrace.

PIPER’S LAGOON PARK K – A trail leads

to a rocky headland between a shallow lagoon and an outer beach. It features several lookouts across the Georgia Strait and has several benches for watching marine life or birds.

BEBAN PARK K – Nanaimo’s premier rec-

reation facility off ffers swimming, skating, tennis, playgrounds and multi-use trails. Home to the Canadian national cyclocross championship in November, with hockey’s Nanaimo Junior A Clippers also calling Frank Crane Arena home.

SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN PARK K - If

yyou’re looking for the least amount of

48-55 Nanaimo has many parks within its city limits to take a stroll through. For more of a nature feel try Bowen Park or Colliery Dam. For an urban feel try Maff ffeo Sutton Park along the seawall. For a complete list of city parks visit www.nanaimo. ca or check out the other listings on this page.

work and the most reward, this easily accessible bluff requires just a five fi minute climb for one of the best views of Departure Bay, Newcastle Island and central Nanaimo. Trail access is located at the end of Friar Tuck Way. WESTWOOD LAKE – Walk, jog or cycle

the six-kilometre trail around the lake in this 106-hectare park. Trails connect with others leading up Mount Benson or over to Morrell Sanctuary. The Th popular swimming beach has a lifeguard on duty in the summer. No power boats are allowed.

JACK POINT/BIGGS PARK K – Biggs Park

starts with a trail along the water just west of the Duke Point Highway with excellent views of the Nanaimo River estuary and the City of Nanaimo. The Th pathway leads to a trail through woods and rocky shoreline.

NECK POINT – This Th 17.5-hectare water-

front park features stunning views and a real West Coast feel. A popular place for snorkeling in the summer, the park also has benches and several lookout points. Th The parking lot is accessible off Hammond Bay Road. Be sure to visit the recently opened expansion on the south side of the park.

CABLE BAY TRAIL – A great place to spot sea lions from October to April or seals playing in the rapids at Dodds Narrows. The two-kilometre trail leads through mixed forest before crossing a small stream by the ocean.

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Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

Nanaimo nightlife

Live entertainment creates vibrant downtown

56 5 6 ct h mo typ at v at tch tch terf terf Theatre eatre – or stop in for dinner and a serenade at Acme Food Co. or the Front Street Grill.

Something is available for a variety of tastes almost every night of the week.

CLUB MUSIC Club 241 – 241 Skinner St. If club music is more your style, the club features stainless steel cages, poles and a lighted dance floor.

Level 2 – 170 Skinner St. Located above Modern Cafe, the all-inclusive bar features DJs mixing as well as the bar staff.

Spice Lounge – 240 Skinner St. Catering to the R & B and dance crowd, the bar hosts live entertainment with resident DJs.

Nanaimo Centre Stage – 25 Victoria Rd. Home to resident theatre company Schmooze Productions, also hosts smaller dance, music and theatre productions.

Acme Food Co. – 14 Commercial St. Friday and Saturday nights diners are serenaded by local jazz, folk and blues musicians.

◆ ◆ ◆

◆ ◆

◆ ◆

LIVE MUSIC Queen’s – 34 Victoria Cres.

Live music nearly every night of the week, from local house bands to national talent.

St. Andrews United Church – 311 Fitzwilliam St. Heritage church in Old City Quarter hosts Upper Island Musical Festival as well as choral and music performances.

Map courtesy of Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association

Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

– 75 Front St. An eclectic mix of jazz, blues, rock and folk by local musicians on weekends.

Diners Rendezvous – 489 Wallace St. Lounge hosts all types of intimate performances from mainstream music and theatre to edgier drag, burlesque and bellydancing.

PERFORMING ARTS Port Theatre – 125 Front St. Jewel in Nanaimo’s downtown, offering more than 200 bands, comedians, dance and theatre shows annually.

25

Your favourites Y We asked News Bulletin readers to share some of their favourite Nanaimo places and events. Here’s a sampling of what you sent in:

Morden Colliery Historic Regional Park k – A too little known national

historic place, the park is a 10-minute drive south from downtown Nanaimo on the Island Highway. A left turn onto Morden Road and three more minutes east takes you back a century to when Morden Colliery was a thriving, coal-producing mine.

Morden’s surviving, although rapidly deteriorating, head frame and tipple loom up 74 feet opposite the present parking lot – grey, formidable, and one of two such remaining above ground structures in North America.

The head frame and tipple are notable also for being one of the first fi industrial structures in B.C. built of reinforced concrete, a relatively untested technique at the time.

Close by there is a 1.2-kilometre branch of the Morden Colliery Regional Trail that follows part of the route of the Pacifi fic Coast Coal Mining railway, which

carried coal down to the Nanaimo River.

This beautiful wooded trail was developed and is maintained by the Regional District of Nanaimo.

From 1909 to 1920 the railway line crossed the river on a wooden trestle bridge (later demolished by floods) fl continued across country and eventually arrived at Boat Harbour, where the coal was loaded onto steam or sailing ships.

Friends of Morden Mine, formed in 2003, as well as many others, hope this bridge access will be rebuilt and form part of the Trans-Canada Trail.

For more information please see www. mordenmine.com or for a guided tour of Morden for a party of six or more contact info@mordenmine.com.

– Frances Christopherson, Friends of Morden Mine

57

58

ORCHID SHOW –

Central Vancouver Island Orchid Society’s annual show and sale April 13-15 is a free event during regular mall hours at Country Club Centre, with displays of many different species and hybrid orchids. Call 250-246-3447, email: orchidlady@telus.net.

– Shirley McClare

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59

60

FEEDING THE DUCKS

– Kisha Cook sent this picture of her niece Teresa and nephew Ethan at the Bowen Park duck pond.

DOG AGILITY TRIALS

– 2012 National Championships Aug. 1-5 at Beban Park’s Sports Grounds, where 600 qualifying dog teams from across Canada and the U.S. are competing for the title of Canadian Agility Champion. This event is a qualifier fi for the World Championships.

– Ilona Linterman

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Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

Nanaimo Welcomes You to

Attend the Church of Your Choice Calvary Fellowship Nanaimo 250-729-0698 • 1951 Estevan Rd., (Ecolee Ocean School) At Calvary Fellowship our desire is to know God and His purposes for us. To do that we carefully study week by week chapter by chapter, the most popular and most widely read book of all time, God’s handbook for humanity, the Bible.

We invite you to come and join us as we learn God’s word, fellowship and worship God together!

www.cfnanaimo.weebly.com

Christian Science Society 250-753-8036 • 20 Chapel Street “A church designed to commemorate the word and works of our Master, which should reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing.” -MB Eddy.

www.christianscience.bc.ca

Church of the Nazarene 250-585-5553 • 2150 Departure Bay Rd Come as you are. You are always welcome. You are not a stranger - just a friend we have not met yet! Together we will enter the presence of God to worship. Sunday 10:30 am in the St. James building.

www.nanaimonazarene.com

Harbourview Seventh-Day Adventist 250-751-2109 • 1609 Meredith Road Are you seeking a traditional, reverent worship service? We are a loving, Christ-centered, Bible-based congregation. Our church family is dedicated to sharing our spirit of faith with the surrounding community. We seek to expand outreach and education programs by embracing new members. Potluck every week. Bible study Saturday 9:30 am - Worship Service 10:45 am.

www.harbourviewadventist.ca

Lighthouse Bible Baptist Church 250-716-SAVE (7283) • 520 Prideaux St. We are a Bible based church that believes in the importance of building strong families and lives through the preaching of the Word of God, through ministry opportunities, and through fellowship with other believers. We believe you’ll see a difference!

www.lighthousebbc.com

St. Andrew’s United Church

250-753-1924 • 311 Fitzwilliam St. Built in 1893, St. Andrew’s has 119 years of service to the community of Nanaimo. We hold traditional church services acoompanied by our pipe organ and Senior and Junior choirs. We are a friendly, welcoming church offering tea and coffee after church. We have a Sunday School for children and teens, a thrfit shop offering household goods and clothes and an Outreach program that includes the Nanaimo Food Banks, Brannan Lake, Haven House.

www.standrewsunitednanaimo.ca

Passion for Departure Bay Baptist Church 250-758-9334 - 3510 Departure Bay Rd God. We strive to be a place where people know they matter to God and to us. We would love for you to join with us each Sunday Compassion morning at 10:30 am. We have age appropriate activities for y , including infants and youth. We also have youth for People. everyone events each week, adult activities and seniors events. www.departurebay.ca

ET Family Church 250-753-0258 • 1300 Princess Royal A place where individuals and families can take a fresh step on their spiritual journey and experience God. Our passion is to love God, serve others, and grow in grace! Our gatherings focus on energetic worship and relevant teaching in an informal atmosphere. Everyone is welcome.

www.etfamilychurch.com

St. Paul’s Anglican 250-753-2523 • 29 Church Street Proclaiming God’s love and the faith of Christ crucified and resurrected through Christ centered music, preaching and liturgy. We welcome you to join us in knowing Jesus Christ as Saviour and Friend. A spiritual oasis in the middle of the city.

www.stpaulsnanaimo.shawbiz.ca

Trinity Catholic Church 250-390-2612 • 6234 Spartan Rd Our catholic traditions are celebrated and we invite all to join us in our reverent and liturgical celebration of Holy Communion, our source of strength and spiritual life. Jesus is truly present with us in Holy Communion and reaches out his arms of love to all who come to him in faith.

www.trinitynanaimo.com

First Baptist Church

World of Pentecost Church

250-753-0241 • 1650 Waddington Rd.

250-756-7926 • 3606 Allsop

Established in 1891 and newly expanded, First Baptist Church’s vision is “To Know Christ... and Make Him Known.” Visitors are welcome at our two Sunday morning services, 9 am and 11 am. Oh come, let us worship!

As a growing church it is our goal to preach the whole gospel in order to help people experience a who whole new world. We strive to help people stand strong ng in their fait faith by helping them develop a personal relationship nship with God.

www.fbcnanaimo.ca

www.worldofpentecost.ca entecost.c

Thank you and GOD Bless!

Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

27

H nddsHa s-on on Fun in th he B Baarn r yaard r & Ho Hors rseb rs e ac eb ackk Trrai aill Ri R dees

www. ww w.ti w. tige ti ggeerl rlil ilyf il yfar a m. ar m ca a 2 025 0-24 2488-24 2408 08 16692 Errrrin ingt ggtton o Rd d..

Welcome to a Food Lover’s Paradise!

Tastings Daily: * low fat cheese * goat cheese * sheep cheese * lactose free cheeses

Celebrating 19 Years in Nanaimo’s Old City Quarter! * Exotic Cheeses and Chutneys * Truffles, Olives and Pates * Gourmet Oils and Vinegars * British, South African & European Imported Foods

250-754-0100

426 Fitzwilliam Street, Nanaimo, BC www.mcleansfoods.com thebigcheese@mcleansfoods.com

Beban Park

61

MOTOCROSS – Many people aren’t aware that Nanaimo is home to one of Canada’s premier motocross tracks. Offi ficially called The Wastelands, the track is operated by the non-profit fi Nanaimo Motocross Association, and hosts four or fi five Island Series races annually. Nanaimo has hosted many national championship rounds, and in 2012 continues the tradition with the opening round of the Monster Energy CMRC Nationals on Sunday, June 3.

62

RELAY FOR LIFE – Join

with thousands who have decided to fight fi back at an event that celebrates cancer survivors and honours loved ones who haven’t survived June 8-9, 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the NDSS Rotary Bowl.

Money raised will be invested in cancer research to save lives; deliver trusted information and caring support to people living with cancer and cancer prevention initiatives. Contact nanaimorelay@bc.cancer.ca.

63

GAMBLING – Casino

Nanaimo, as it’s now known, in downtown Nanaimo has plenty of options for bettors. With more than 17,000

square feet of gaming flfloor, it has 380 slot machines, and your favourite table games.

64

NANAIMO CANOEKAYAK CLUB – The club

65

PLAYGROUNDS – Dur-

hosts several regattas over the summer at Long Lake. Th The club also hosts learn to paddle programs from May to September on Saturdays from 1-3 p.m. Call 250-741-1200 or visit www.nckc.ca.

ing July and August, playgrounds host free programs for children aged six to 12. Join in for games, sports and craft fts. Call 250-756-5200.

Swing into Spring!

Driving Range

Golf Lessons with Certified Instructors Pitch & Putt

Golf Centre 28

Group Discounts available (250) 756-0108 • 2280 Bowen Rd. • www.bebanparkgolf.ca Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

70

MORRELL NATURE SANCTUARY – A stunning

network of nature trails on 112 hectares of second growth forest. There are 11 kilometres of trails that pass by beaver ponds, marshes and Morrell Lake. Lots of wildlife to see and an off-leash area for dogs under the powerlines.

71

How about a bath?

N

anaimo’s first bathtub race was a publicity stunt – now it’s internationally renowned.

Originally a crazy idea to celebrate Canada’s Centennial and put Nanaimo on the map, the first bathtub races were held in 1967. Now, Nanaimo is the bathtubbing capital of the world and host to the Great International World Championship Bathtub Race.

On Sunday, July 22, at 11 a.m. sharp, tubbers will race out of Nanaimo Harbour, head up past Schooner Cove and circle Winchelsea Island. The 58-kilometre race ends back in Nanaimo’s Departure Bay where participants have to park their tubs, run up the beach and ring a silver bell.

Bathtub and driver combined must weigh a minimum of 350 pounds (158 kilograms) and the boat’s engine can be

67

no more than eight horsepower. Minimum racer age is 14. Three classes run the race: stock, modified fi and unlimited.

Finish times range from just over one hour to two hours, depending on the class of tub and the weather.

Last year’s weather was particularly brutal, with only 13 out of 49 racers making it through the rough waters to complete the course.

The Great International World Championship Bathtub Race is part of the Nanaimo Marine Festival.

The four-day festival starts on Thursday, July 19 at Maffeo Sutton Park with a kids’ carnival, mainstage entertainment and beer gardens. On Saturday, the Sail Past On Wheels Parade travels through the downtown core, starting at 10:30 a.m., and at night the sky will light up with one of the biggest fireworks fi displays on Vancouver Island.

66

BIRD WATCHING – More

than 250 bird species call the area home or return annually on migration routes. Buttertubs Marsh is a popular 18-hectare bird and wildlife sanctuary near Bowen Park. For other favourites visit http://birding.bc.ca.

68

VAN ISLE SAILING CO-OP – The Th non-profi fit

group owns the sailboats and members get to sail on them, learning byy crewing with experi-

enced sailors. For more information, visit www.vanislesailing.ca.

69

YOGA – Most people

associate yoga with stretching, but stretching is just one element of a yoga practice. Yoga incorporates fl flexibility, strength and meditation and promotes physical, mental, emotional and spiritual balance. It’s versatile so it can be tailored to all ages, body types and activity levels.

There are dozens of yoga styles offered in Nanaimo, whether you are inexperienced, seek a challenge or somewhere in between.

Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

CANSTRUCTION – An

annual fundraiser for the Loaves and Fishes Food Bank. Participants build creative structures or sculptures out of canned goods. Back in the Old City Quarter this year, taking place in early September. For information, call 250-754-8141.

72

MILLSTONE RIVER SALMON SIDE CHANNEL – This new channel,

located in Bowen Park, is the perfect place for a stroll and to learn more about the environment we live in. Ducks, otters and beaver inhabit the channel year round, and late September through December are the best times to see coho salmon.

73

SILLY BOAT REGATTA

74

NANAIMO MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL L – Live

75

CAMPING – Nanaimo

– The 2012 Silly Boat Regatta is on Sunday, July 15 at Maffeo Sutton Park.

Boat building starts at 8 a.m., activities and games start at 10 a.m. and races begin at 1 p.m. The regatta is a fundraiser for the Nanaimo Child Development Centre.

Participants have four hours to assemble a floating concoction of craziness. Recycled materials are welcome – no kits or motors allowed. To register or volunteer call 250-753-0251 or visit the website at www. sillyboat.com.

music, cultural demonstrations and family entertainment in the Old City Quarter. Takes place June 22-23 all day. Call 250-754-8141.

has several camping opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. Whether by the ocean, the Nanaimo River, one of the many local lakes or near the mountains.

29

77

SUMMERTIME BLUES FESTIVAL – The Nanaimo

Blues Society hosts a talented lineup of local, national and international blues artists at Maffeo ff Sutton Park Aug. 24-26 in 2012.

78 79

WINDSURF – With

dozens of places to put in, the Harbour City has great opportunities to get out on Georgia Strait and enjoy the breeze.

76

of Nanaimo, the rural communities of Cedar and Yellow Point offer ff stunning countryside vistas.

DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL – The 2012 Save-

On-Foods Nanaimo Dragonboat Festival July 6-8 promises to be the best and biggest ever for the 10th annual event. The festival attracts some 30,000 people and more than 80 teams, all to help the Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation. www.nanaimodragonboat.com.

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NANAIMO DISTRICT HOSPITAL FOUNDATION to purchase life saving equipment... the #1 thing to do in Nanaimo!

Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation ... still equipping for life.

102-1801 Bowen Rd. Nanaimo, BC V9S 1H1

250-755-7690

Donate Securely online at www.nanaimohospitalfoundation.com w

SNORKEL WITH THE SEALS – Spend a few

hours swimming with the harbour seals at Snake Island. Call Sundown Diving at 1-888-773-3483 or Diver’s Choice Charters at 1-866-716-8867.

Make a Donation to the

30

YELLOW POINT SCENIC DRIVE – Just south

We are committed to making every experience with us an enjoyable one.

Our 18-hole championship course promises a challenging and rewarding golf experience for players of all skill levels. ➠ Tee times ➠ Golf events ➠ Golf lessons

➠ Meetings ➠ Banquets ➠ Weddings

Whether you golf or not, the Cotton Club is open to everyone for lunch, dinner, meetings, weddings and celebrations.

1975 HASLAM ROAD, NANAIMO Located behind the Nanaimo Airport

250.245.5157 250 245 5157

www.cottonwoodgolfcourse.com Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

81

IN-LINE SKATING –

82

VANCOUVER ISLAND EXHIBITION

Th are plenty of There smooth, paved trails to get out for an in-line skate. Try the E&N Trail, the Parkway Trail or along the popular waterfront walkway.

– Nanaimo’s annual agricultural celebration and fair takes place Aug. 17-19 in 2012.

Crowds from around the Island come to see the livestock exhibition with live music, carnival rides, games and other events at Beban Park. Call 250-7583247 or visit www.viex.ca.

83

CUTTY SARK SIN REGATTA – Skippers and

crew of boats participating in the Nanaimo Yacht Club’s Cutty Sark SIN Regatta July 1-3 are kept smiling by the organizing committee, an army of yellow shirted volunteers and the fabulously generous sponsors. Friday’s dock party and Opti races are always a great hit.

Package Special

84

EMPIRE DAYS CELEBRATION WEEKEND –

May 18-21. The Th celebration starts off ff at the Port Theatre at 7 p.m. Friday with the historic May Queen crowning ceremony and accompanying multicultural entertainment, Saturday the queen and her royal party attend various city functions and activities, Sunday features the 1 p.m. parade and in the evening the 10 p.m. fireworks fi over the harbour. Full information is available at www.nanaimoempiredays.com.

- NEWLY RENOVATED -

5 PIN BOWLING GREAT FUN FOR ALL AGES!

Check GLOW BOWLING for Out! ON WEEKENDS Call details • Computerized Score Keeping S.V. LENSES & FRAMES

$249

FLAT TOP BIFOCALS & FRAMES

$299

PROGRESSIVES & FRAMES

$389

Enjoy your game, let the computer do the math

• Bumper Bowling - Takes the gutters out of the game. Great for little tots • Birthday Parties - Bowling Birthdays are a BIG HIT! Want a great social activity for your organization or staff? Give bowling a try! We can offer “Bingo Bowling,” and “Fun Games.”

5 Pin Bowling is a great family recreation.

Our regular (weekly) bowlers range from 6 years to 95 years.

BRECHIN LANES

1870 E. Wellington

Nanaimo North Town Centre

(250) 753-2341 250-758-3009

Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

www.brechinlanes.ca

31

85

CRABBING – Get a

86

RUNNING – There Th are

licence and compete with resident seals for supper at local crabbing hot spots. One of the most popular places in Nanaimo to catch crab is the crabbing dock on the Harbourfront Walkway.

five popular running fi routes in Nanaimo.

The Harbourside Walkway, Westwood Lake trail loop, Parkway Trail, E&N Trail and the Jack Point/Biggs Park route. Most of the local running clubs and specialty stores host drop-in groups, and some even run to raise money for charity.

87

ARTS ALIVE SUMMER SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS

91

– Featuring arts, drama, music and dance, Arts Alive is a low cost, high quality instruction for both beginners and intermediates of any age. Call 250-753-9423 or visit www.nanaimoartsalive.com.

88 89

NANAIMO ART GALLERY – With so many lo-

cal artists and exhibits the local art gallery has two locations at 900 Fift fth St. on the Vancouver Island University campus and downtown at 150 Commercial St. The campus gallery features exhibits by local and international artists while the downtown location has items from more than 100 local artists. Works are available for rental or purchase. Visit www.nanaimogallery.ca.

CONCERTS IN THE PARK K – Bring your

lawn chair to the Lions Pavilion at Maff ffeo Sutton Park Sundays in July and August.

90

NANAIMO THEATRE GROUP – In its 51st

year, the NTG owns the 175-seat Bailey Studio on Rosstown Road. Call 250-758-7246 or go to www.nanaimotheatregroup. com for a list of current performances.

EXPLORE THE ISLANDS – Gabriola Is-

land, Protection Island and Newcastle Island are all just a short ferry ride away.

Gabriola (check out page 33 for a full story) features parks, beaches and

galleries, as well as a popular outdoor craft exhibit on weekend mornings in the summer. Newcastle, a provincial marine park managed by the Snuneymuxw, features beaches and hiking trails as well as places to camp while Protection is a quiet residential community with several small parks.

• Do you want to see if the grass really is greener on our side of the fence?

• Are you interested in some gentle exercise?

www.rawmbas.ca

of Winnerrian Dish geta Best Veof Nanaimo” “Bite 2011

Introducing Nanaimo’s first GLUTEN FREE VEGAN restaurant Check out our menu on facebook 32

• Would you like to make some new friends?

• And participate in a low cost summer-long outdoor activity?

Come try Lawn Bowling! From child to elder, it’s a sport for everyone. JOIN US FOR FUN and EXERCISE!!

#101-572 Stewart Ave. Nanaimo

250-591-2114

500 Bowen Rd.

For more information, please contact Janet at 753-2435 or David at 245-5601, or check out our webpage at www.nanaimolawnbowling.com

Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

Getting G g to the heart of Gabriola Island

92

T

he island is a bedroom – make that recreation room – of Nanaimo, with a phenomenal variety of options for visitors: spectacular, secluded and safe parks, trails, and beaches, inspiring self-guided tours of dozens of well-established, year-round artist studios and a culture and community of friendly characters, hard at work and play.

Gabriolans (pronounced GAY-briolans) refer to visiting Nanaimo as “going to town,” Vancouver Island as “the Big Island” and home as “the Rock.”

As well, it is often referred to as “Isle of the Arts,” because of one of the highest per capita concentration of artists in Canada and “Petroglyph Island,” because of the large number of ancient and mysterious First Nations engravings.

Folklife Village

Blue Heron Beach House Bed and Breakfast Please come and stay at my beautiful waterfront home on False Narrows.

Enjoy the serenity, walk the beach, go for a swim or try a little canoeing. Two rooms available with private entrance – one with a garden view and one with an ocean view, both with private baths.

Children and well behaved pets welcome.

Spa Services Available

Downtown Nanaimo Market every Friday 10-2 May - October 2012

Office: 604-828-6843 Home: 250-247-7939 Fax: 250-247-7938 E-mail: lthomas4@telus.net

KAYAK

FISH

www.tiedupanddyed@gmail.com

SAIL

HIKE

DIVE

RELAX

Page’s Resort & Marina 3350 COAST RD, GABRIOLA

H]dee^c\ Sho Sh op pp piing ng 8ZcigZ Ce C en ntttre re e

Scott Shane Gabriola Island, B.C., 250-247-9803

1945 South Road, Gabriola, BC V0R 1X5

EXPLORE

BY BRUCE MASON

250.247.8931

WWW.PAGESRESORT.COM

Gabriola Island

~ Shops & Services ~ ★ Coast Realty (Gabriola Village Ltd.) ★ Gabriola Artworks ★ Gabriola Law Office ★ Jay Friesen Home Design ★ Island Pharmacy ★ Raspberry’s Jazz Café ★ Vancouver Island Regional Library ★ Village Food Market ★ Village Liquor Store ★ Wooden Hanger Clothing

250-247-2088 250-247-7412 250-247-7122 250-247-8455 250-247-8310 250-247-9959 250-247-7878 250-247-8755 250-247-7616 250-247-8599

★ Direct Cash ATM ★

MARINA

COTTAGES

CAMPING

Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

RENTALS

250-816-8070 / swohlleben@shaw.ca 33

For a sneak preview, visit www.gabriolageorgiastraitcam.com. The live camera overlooks Entrance Island, the Sunshine Coast, North Shore and Coastal Mountains, with light occasionally refl flecting off windows in Vancouver.

The next recommended stop – before you board one of the hourly sailings of the ferry, (MV Quinsam, behind Port Place Shopping Centre) – is www.gabriolaisland.org with lists of attractions and accommodation, photos and FAQs, business and pleasure.

The island is almost identical to the size of Manhattan: 14 kilometres long and 4.2 kilometres wide; its climate is Mediterranean; the population, 4,000-plus, doubles in summer.

If you quest for more on-water adventures after arriving at the Descanso Bay dock (or by fl float plane, at Silva Bay), tours, charters and kayak rentals are available.

“These waters have some of the best salmon fishing fi and most majestic scenery in the world,” says Captain Bob Meyer, of Silver Blue Charters, who has conducted more than 3,000 charters with the highest catch rate in the region.

Paddle-boarding – the world’s fastest growing water sport – is the specialty of Island SUP, which provides rentals, lessons (beginners to advanced) suggested locations and sales.

Gabriola Island Ferry Schedule

Depart Depart Nanaimo Gabriola 5:55 am 7:00 am 8:15 am 9:30 am 10:40 am DC 12:00 pm 1:15 pm 2:30 pm 3:45 pm 5:00 pm 6:10 pm 7:20 pm 8:20 pm 9:25 pm • 10:25 pm 11:30 pm

5:25 am 6:30 am 7:40 am 8:50 am 10:05 am 11:20 am 12:35 pm 1:50 pm 3:10 pm 4:25 pm DC 5:35 pm 6:45 pm 7:50 pm 8:50 pm 9:55 pm • 11:00 pm

DC Wednesday - Dangerous Cargo - NO PASSENGERS • Daily except Wednesdays

www.bcferries.ca • 1-888-223-3779

34

Hands-down the top family attraction and answer to the question “What do we do with kids?” is Paradise Island Alpaca Farm, on North Road. Here you can get up close with fascinating and friendly creatures, including recently acquired miniature horses.

Surveys show that visitors also enjoy: ◆ The largest number of beach accesses on the Gulf Islands, more than 30. ◆ Perennially popular Petroglyph Trail; but on the museum grounds you will find fi exact traceable replicas in one spot. ◆ Walking the Commons, with its colourful allotments, including a Poetry

DESCANSO BAY REGIONAL PARK GABRIOLA ISLAND

Yurt and more.

Nearby, at the top of Church Street, is the pride of Gabriola: a multimillion dollar health care and urgent treatment centre and helipad, built entirely by island donations and volunteer labour – an impressive and totally unique, must-see destination.

With more than its share of renowned Gulf Island scenery, Gabriola boasts four waterfront parks, endless trails, a golf course carved around tiny Hoggan Lake, and spectacular Berry Point, overlooking Entrance Island lighthouse, with the roar of the sea – and sea lions – at your feet.

JIM’S KAYAKING

Oceanfront Camping p g Year Round

32 sites / $17 per night Plan early for your spring camping adventures.

Family friendly! Bring your bicycles.

Launching site for kayakers & canoers.

Day use picnic, hiking trails, swimming.

1 km from Ferry Terminal

LESSONS • RENTALS • DAYTRIPS www.jimskayaking.com

Gabriola Island (250) 247-8255 www.rdn.bc.ca d bc ca

• •

Discover the Gulf Islands 250-247-8335 or 250-751-5887

breakfast • lunch dinner • catering

open 7 days a week 8am-8pm 250 247 2010 560 north road gabriola island, bc robertsplacegabriola.com Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

The new Gabriola Community Clinic is being built entirely with donations and volunteer labour.

Folklife Village, one of the world’s only recycled shopping malls – a pavilion during Expo 86 – featuring a realty office, fi food market, library and Artworks, a gallery displaying work by most island artists.

One of the newest studios of keen interest is Dogoda Wooden Creations specializ-

ing in hand carved spoons, chopping and cheese boards and jewelry from sustainable hardwoods, including the ubiquitous arbutus (dogodacreations@hotmail.com).

At the other end of the Island is Drumbeg Park, an easy walk beneath Garry Oaks, along fascinating sandstone formations, to

Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

a panoramic view of Flat Top Islands.

Page’s Resort and Marina is short hop away, with accommodation and a charming bookstore, specializing in island authors.

These include James Mitchell’s definitive fi new Master’s Guide to Timber Framing. g His Island School of Building Arts is midway between the park and Page’s Marina.

A new arts, entertainment and dining listing is at www.nowongabriola.com.

Check out Gabriola Theatre, where legendary 93 year-old actor Antony Holland stages popular performance readings.

Also, The Roxy Lounge and Culture Club, an intimate 50-vintage-seat theatre with superb acoustics, described by the CBC as, “a national treasure.”

Popular among residents is classically trained chef Chris Hooten’s Woodfire fi restaurant, Mad Rona’s Coffee Bar, Slow Rise Bakery goods, Good Earth Market Garden and the Saturday farmer’s market, May through October.

The Visitor Centre at Twin Beaches Mall, a few minutes from the fi first left turn on Ferry Hill, has all the information you need for a custom-made day trip or extended stay. Call 250-247-9332.

35

Nanaimo Bakery & CONFECTIONERY LIMITED

pean y o r u E aker B e l Sty #1-2025 Bowen Rd. 250-758-4260

GOING HIKING

ON VANCOUVER ISLAND? STAY IN TOUCH

STAY SAFE! SPOT gives consumers a vital line of communication, independently of cellular coverage, with emergency services, co-workers, friendsand family.

TM/MC

COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTS

• Industrial 2-way radio systems • Portable & Mobile • Repeater Services • Satellite Telephone Sales & Rentals

2540 Bowen Road Nanaimo

250-758-7301

93 94

BEACH VOLLEYBALL – The beach

courts at Bowen Park are a popular place throughout the summer, whether it’s for a fun pickup game with friends or as part of a league. For more information, go to www.nanaimosport.com.

NANAIMO BAR TRAIL

– Taste this town’s tinkerings with its iconic treat. Laid down

by Destination Nanaimo, it plays no favourites, luring pilgrims with a list of coffee houses, bakeries and restaurants that mint the bar from recipes clinging to convention and other establishments that trampled tradition and proudly boast the offspring of their work. Find out more

Explore

about the tasty trail on the city’s website at www.nanaimo.ca.

95

BREWERY TOUR – The

Longwood Brew Pub at Longwood Station offers tours of its unique in-house process. Call 250-729-8225 or visit www.longwoodbrewpub.com and be sure to leave enough time to try their food.

HORNE LAKE PROVINCIAL PARK

• NEW Cave Theatre • Spectacular Scenery • Family Camps • Lakeside & Wooded Campsites • Hourly Cave Tours - Mild to Wild!

• Canoe & Kayak Rentals • Pedal Boat & S.U.P Board • Teepee Camping

Ou “Be Vo td st te by oor Na d Att rac Sit tura tion e i l sC n B ana C da ”

1-877-341-HIKE (2283)

Info & Reservations: www.hornelake.com 36

Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

96

ROCK CLIMBING

– There’s Th a few great spots around Nanaimo, but the best place for year-round climbing is the indoor facility at the Romper Room, which has climbs for all skill levels. Call 250-751-7625 or go to www.climbromperroom.com.

97

FRESHWATER FISHING – People from all

over the world come to Nanaimo to fly fish some of the globe’s best streams and rivers, including the Nanaimo River. Fly fisherman are on the rivers year-round and many lakes are annually stocked.

Call a retailer for the best fishing holes, or try the Nanaimo and District Fish and Game Protective Association at 250-754-2846.

home medical equipment

closer to you

complete product selection ection walkers/rollators scooters wheelchairs t

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seating systems t canes/crutches t lift chairs stairlifts/porchlifts t braces/supports bedroom safety t aids to daily living adjustable beds t van conversions

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Nanaimo - 2517 Bowen Rd (USED/CONSIGN) - 2110 Northfield Rd Duncan - 2628 Beverly St Powell River - 4488 Marine Ave shop online at nanaimo.medichair.com Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

(250) 756-9875 (250) 756-9878 (250) 709-9939 (604) 485-9310 1-800-667-1406 37

NO SUGAR ADDED • GLUTEN FREE

Trust your vehicle to o the Professionals

98

tain biking can be found just minutes from downtown Nanaimo. Local riders challenge themselves on technical singletrack at the Abyss, near the top of Harewood Mines Road, where challenging climbs, rocket-fast downhills and switchbacks test rider skills.

The trails at Doumont Road (top of Weigles Road) offer a variety of terrain from fire fi roads to winding singletrack, as well as jumps and ladders. Your best bet is to tag along with the Nanaimo Mountain Bike Club, which goes on several rides a week to the best spots. For more information, check out www.nanaimomountainbikeclub.com.

REPAIRS & SERVICE TO ALL DOMESTIC & IMPORTED VEHICLES Dale Hoskin and his tea eam of licensed techniciaans will take care of all of your vehicle repairr needs, n from brakes, tun ne-ups, suspension to o engine repairs and electrical. el

99

OLIVER WOODS COMMUNITY CENTRE –

Nanaimo’s newest community centre features city programs and recreational facilities.

Call 250-756-5200 or check the Leisure Guide for programs.

friendly, professional service...everytime!

“Family Owned & Operated”

250-390-210 250-390-2100 (Next to Ricky’s Restaur urant)

applecrossautomotiv tive.ca

MOUNTAIN BIKING – World class moun-

#2-6430 Hammond Bay Rd Rd., Nanaimo

100

VANCOUVER ISLAND SHORT FILM FESTIVAL – Held at the Malaspina

Theatre on Vancouver Island University’s Nanaimo Campus April 13-14, with films up to 12 minutes.

101

SEE A MOVIE

– Nanaimo has several big-screen theatres with comfortable seating and surround sound.

Try the Galaxy Theatre Th at Nanaimo North Town Centre at 250-729-8000 and Avalon Cinema at Woodgrove Centre at 250-390-5021.

NANAIMO YACHT CLUB IS PROUD TO BE HOSTING THESE EXCITING PUBLIC EVENTS NANA Newcastle Island

EASTER EGG HUNT April 8th

New members welcome!

Free Ferry ride for children 12 & under

Departure Bay

Cutty Sark

FAMILY SAILING DAY

SNAKE ISLAND NANAIMO REGATTA

Kids & Parents Welcome

Register & Compete

May 27th

July 1st, 2nd & 3rd

400 Newcastle Avenue/www.nanaimoyc.ca / For more information call 38

CHRISTMAS LIGHT CRUISE December 8th Watch from Departure Bay

250.754.7011

Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

See Nanaimo From A Different Perspective

Scenic Flights of Nanaimo Harbour $

Up to 12 flights daily between Nanaimo Harbour and Downtown Vancouver

99 per person plus tax

30 minutes with a 20 minute flight Passengers may be combined with others on the same trip.

Up to 8 flights daily between Nanaimo Harbour and Sechelt

Downtown Vancouver in 20 Minutes!

Vancouver | Nanaimo | Sechelt | Tofino tofinoair.ca Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012

250.591.1810 39

The most

entertaining things to see & do in Nanaimo.

250.754.8550 porttheatre.com

40

125 Front Street Nanaimo, BC V9R 6Z4

Nanaimo News Bulletin - 101 Things to See and Do in Nanaimo 2012