Upon arrival, we received a tour of the area with very informative facts about the cabins, programs provided, and activities available. We were given a list of various recreational activities to participate in; canoeing, kayaking, hiking, rock climbing, zip lining and high ropes. We all decided to try out the zip lines, as well as the high ropes- both were a blast! The guides gave us a step by step demonstration and showed us proper techniques, and supervised us as we made our way through the course up in the trees. After a couple hours of fun, we cooked up some burgers and dogs on the BBQ down by the lake. Later that evening we enjoyed sitting outside on our patio (which overlooked the mountains and water) and also took advantage of the lovely sauna, and large fire-pit area down by the water!

Overall this trip was wonderful and I highly recommend it to anyone who has not been to the area and is seeking to take part in some outdoor adventure. This is a park that is suitable for all demographic groups of all ages (families with children, couples, group of friends etc.). Well done and thank you very much Strathcona Park Lodge!

To check out Strathcona Park Lodge online check out their website at www.strathcona.bc.ca

We sat at a cozy table overlooking the sailboats and the harbor, and were immediately welcomed by the new owners, Robert and Sandy.  A very well priced menu offered seafood, pastas, steaks and more. We opened the evening with a bottle of Italian wine to toast our wedded bliss, and then tucked into mussels in curry sauce that were perfectly spice – a little Pernod to soften the heat of the curry, they were divine.

We followed the mussels with chicken breast and gnocchi for Mark, while I had a tender steak, medium rare. I hesitate to call the potatoes with my dish ‘fries’ – because they were so astoundingly delicious compared to the usual fast food fare – but they were stacked log-cabin style and a wonderful companion to the steak.

Our main dishes were priced less than $20 each, and the value and flavour packed in to our dinner was exceptional. We topped off a lovely evening celebration with a decadent mousse cake and chatted with the owner – who shared his secret of the fabulous mussels. You’ll have to ask him yourself though – I like to think I can hold one little secret to recreate for future dinner guests at my house.

We wandered the back way home – you can find dirt roads that connect the inn to Yellow Point- but I strongly recommend you have your GPS with you.  It’s out of the way, but well worth the trip.

On day two we had a lot of ground to cover. We started the day at Port Alberni’s brand new information centre. The highlight of Port Alberni was visiting the Coulson Flying Tankards on Sprout Lake and taking a tour of the inside of a waterbomber. The museum will open for the summer in the beginning of July. Another great tip we learned about Port Alberni is one of the Seven Wonders of the Alberni Valley; at low tide, head down to the harbour front and you are sure to see black bears across the river channel as they scrounge for mussels and other food. From Port Alberni we headed to the Comox Valley where we toured through the quaint town of Cumberland and learned about everything Mount Washington has to offer. As most of you will know already, Mount Washington received record snow falls this year and because of the large snow pack will be offering summertime skiing for Father’s Day weekend!  Comox Valley has so much to offer and we had so little time to take it all in. The last stop on our itinerary was Blue Moon Estates winery in Courtenay, who create the most delicious wines using berries and fruit from their own gardens and the island.

We encourage you to take a tour of the island see and what our local communities have to offer. People come from all over the world to visit Vancouver Island, so why not get out and enjoy the sights and activities for yourself! Stop by our information centres and we’ll be happy to set you up with a few day trips tailored to you and your family!

Get ready to Explore Nanaimo! Use your passport for discounts at more than 40 area attractions, local businesses, and special activities between February 28 and May 20, 2011. Keep your passport over the summer to use during the bonus week October 11-16, 2011.

Have your passport initialed by at least one business in each category, and you will be entered to win bi-weekly prizes and a $1,000 Nanaimo Staycation package. Please note there is one entry per person and you must have your passport present to claim your prize.

The Package includes:

• A West Coast Fishing Trip with Intrepid Charters
• Dinner for two at Acme Restaurant
• $50 Gift Certificate for A & W Restaurants
• Tea for Two at The Grand Hotel Nanaimo
• One Overnight Stay at Painted Turtle Guesthouse
• … And Many more!

Passports are just $5.00 and can be purchased at (cash only):

• Beban Park Recreation Centre
• Nanaimo Aquatic Centre
• Oliver Woods Recreation Centre
• Bowen Park Social Centre
• Nanaimo Ice Rink
• All Serious Coffee locations ~ Commercial Street, Hammond Bay Rd, Southgate Plaza, Pipers location, and Beaufort Centre
• Tourism Nanaimo Visitor Centre ~ Beban House, on Bowen Road.

Visit the official 2011 Passport to your City website to view the participating businesses and to sign up to win prizes

For more information please contact Tourism Nanaimo at 250-756-0106.

I’ll admit it. I’m excited.

Why?

The 2011 Nanaimo Passport to your City will be here by the end of the month! Last year, with the help of five amazing people from Leadership BC, Tourism Nanaimo created Explore Nanaimo – Passport to Your City. The program was designed to get residents of Nanaimo out of their house to enjoy all the great attractions that the Harbour City has to offer — because, really, there are endless things to do in and around Nanaimo.

Passport to Your City was a great success; so this year, we’ve decided to extend the length of the program to three months! My goal is to have Nanaimoites spend the whole of Spring 2011 enjoying what their wonderful city has to offer, from local fairs and featured restaurants, to outdoor adventures by boat or learning about our city’s colourful history and everyday cultural experiences.

As I mentioned earlier, the Passport to your City program has been extend from three weeks to three months. Starting February 28th and ending May 20th, Nanaimo businesses will be offering special discounts for those residents and visitors who have purchased a Nanaimo Passport to your City. Just a sample of some included discounts:

• free admission for swimming or skating
• 2 for 1 on all Wild Play activities
• 10-30% off boating and fishing tours
• 2 for 1 coffee and lattes
• 2 for 1 appies at your favourite restaurants
• the list goes on and on…

So, are you ready to get your passport yet? Me too! A 2011 Nanaimo Passport to your City is only $5! Really, when you see all the discounts and promotions inside, you’ll realize that it’s an absolute steal of deal. Discounts range in value from $2 to all the way to $30.

Getting out and exploring your city can be so much fun, and if you’re lucky enough you could be the winner of a truly deluxe Nanaimo visitor experience. Once you have your passport and are ready to take advantage of all the great discounts, you can enter in for some awesome prizes and the ultimate Nanaimo Staycation Grand Prize. I am so excited to be able to offer such a great prize. We have had some amazing businesses donate prizes to this year’s grand prize. Here’s how you can qualify for the prizes:

Purchase a passport for $5 at one of the following locations:

• Participating Serious Coffee locations
• Nanaimo Aquatic Centre
• Beban Park Recreation Centre
• Tourism Nanaimo Visitor Centre on Bowen Road

Visit businesses within the passport and take advantage of the great discounts. Make sure to have your passport initialled by a staff person when you use a discount.

Once you have at least 5 initials, just register your Passport to your City on the official passport website. You will need the password found in your passport to register.

Once registered, you will be eligible to win biweekly prizes and the Nanaimo Staycation Grand Prize. To claim the prize, you must bring in your passport with initials from at least five locations!

So, spread the word. Don’t keep these great discounts a secret! Tell all your friends and family. This is going to be fun. I can’t wait to see everyone out exploring Nanaimo. If you have any questions about the passport please send me an email at amanda@tourismnanaimo.com or visit the official passport website!

Cheers,

Amanda Evoy

Manager, Marketing & Communications
Tourism Nanaimo

Every year, we produce two publications that serve as your guide to Nanaimo. Whether you’re looking for a place to eat, a bed to lay your head on, a hike through nature or a tour of Nanaimo’s history, these two guides have you absolutely covered.

Map and Attractions Guide 2011

• Why to choose Nanaimo
• Recreational activities
• Arts and cultural amenities
• Beautiful photographic imagery
• Where to stay
• How to get here
• Relocation information

Travel Planner and Accommodation Guide 2011

• Activities and attractions
• Dining
• Shopping
• Parks & trails
• Helpful maps

You can find them all over town, or, if you want to say “hi!”, you can also drop into one of our two visitor centres and we’d be happy to look through the guide with you and point out some of the great experiences available in Nanaimo!

Even better? You can check them out right now. Seriously. Both the 2011 Nanaimo Map and Attractions Guide and the 2011 Nanaimo Travel Planner and Accommodation Guide are available on our website.

Hiking

• Extension Ridge Trail
  This challenging trail has a huge crevasse/earthquake fissure as a main feature. Arbutus trees perched on rocky bluffs adorn the hike, and it is also a favourite with mountain bikers. Access from Colliery Dam; head south towards the village of Extension.
• Sugarloaf Mountain
  This is a shorter trail – a ten minute climb takes you to a spectacular view of Departure Bay, Mt. Benson and the coastal mountains. Access from Marion Way, off of Sherwood Drive.

Walking

• Westwood Lake
  An enjoyable 5 km walking trail surrounds Westwood Lake. Fairly flat and populated with ducks and salmonberry bushes. Access from JinglePot and Westwood Road.
• Buttertubs Marsh
  If you haven’t been – put this one on your must do list. Gorgeous bird sanctuary, easy walk or scooter ride on gravel surface. Access from Bowen Road and Buttertubs Drive.

Dog Friendly

For off-leash fun, visit these parks: (Don’t forget to renew your licenses…)

• Beban Park (entrance off Labieux Road)
• Cable Bay Trail (R.O.W. Nicola Road)
• Westwood Lake (designated area is located at the back of the park by the power lines only)

Three dog off-leash areas were opened in 2010 as one year pilot projects. The new locations include:

• Colliery Dam Park (upper dam)-The upper dam trail will be off-leash between 6AM-10AM starting May 1st, 2010
• Beaufort Park- A grassy portion of Beaufort Park accessed off the Chelsea Road parking and tennis area will be off-leash all day start May 1st, 2010
• Diver Lake Park- A grassy portion of Diver Lake Park will be off-leash between October 1st, 2010 and May 1st, 2011. During the summer, this area will be utilized as a sports field.

Home for the Holidays — Holiday ideas in Nanaimo!

“Bah Humbug,” muttered Mark. He shovelled the last bit of snow off the porch steps of Beban House, and watched a bunny hop across the powdery white blanket that covered the Tourism front garden. “We better not have to cancel the party again!” He grumbled and knocked the snow off his boots, then brushed a layer of snowflakes from his toque. “Why can’t the snow wait until after our annual membership party?” He said, shaking his fist upwards towards the United Way in particular and the heavens in general.

Volunteer Bill peered out of the main floor window, and wiggled his finger in condemnation. He opened the window, and leaned out to call. “It’s bad luck to curse the weather – we’ll look even more like the North Pole if you do!”

Of course Bill was always right, so Mark stopped grumbling about the weather and stepped inside the warm foyer. The colourful brochure racks resembled a display of Christmas cards, which set Mark to wondering… What WAS he going to get his dear wife for Christmas? He flipped his frost-nipped fingers through the racks, and listening carefully to Amanda’s suggestions, came up with a wonderful plan.

“A Harbour City Holiday.” They quickly called around to all the best establishments, and came up with a variety of vacation treats. Two beautiful B&Bs were booked – one on the waterfront, and one in a rural paradise. An afternoon browsing the art galleries followed by a tea-leaf reading and a massage at the spa ought to both inspire and relax. They thoughtfully booked a limousine service for a Christmas Light Tour followed by a rousing New Year’s Eve party at a poshy downtown restaurant.

Cathy peered over their shoulders at the list of vacation events. “You really know how to keep everyone happy, don’t you Mark? I see you even booked a bungee jump for the kids.”

“You think she’ll like this better than a Tourism Nanaimo T-shirt and sweatpants?” he asked, pointing at the clothing racks behind the reception desk.

“Very sure,” said Cathy.

Courtenay chimed in. “Aidan took me to the Salvation Army fundraiser at the Queens last year – that was really fun. You’d have to get your buns in gear though, it’s before Christmas. December 15th.”

Mark knew how much Lesley loved dancing. “Who’s playing?

“David Gogo, Big Twang Theory and Captain Howdy, plus a whole bunch more live bands. And you just donate a non-perishable to get in.”

Mark winced. “I better get my dancing boots on, and practice my dipping…” He glanced out the window, and was relieved to see the snow was already melting, and just in time for the Tourism party on the 16th. Nanaimo is a lively place during the holidays, he thought, and began to whistle Jingle Bell Rock. Slater put his ears back and curled up tighter in his kitty bed.

Eating your way through Nanaimo! Photo © Kiera-Anne

As someone who loves to eat, cook, discover, sample and savour any and all food, Nanaimo wouldn’t normally be the first city that comes to mind as a culinary mecca. What I was recently very pleased to discover is that the downtown core of the Harbour City is a virtual smörgåsbord of food options paying homage to all corners of the globe.

While Rebecca and I had only 24 hours to explore Nanaimo on our recent visit, it’s safe to say that we made the most of our time and visited a solid handful of these delightful dining establishments. Here’s a quick round-up of some of our stops.

Check out her blog for a ton of tasty photos from downtown Nanaimo!

Operation Red Nose will be guiding us safely through the holidays again this year, thanks to the volunteers who give their time and energy to a wonderful cause.

Not only do the dedicated drivers get you AND your car home after indulging in holiday cheer, they also raise funds for PacificSport, an organization tasked with helping young athletes win medals for Canada. So think of it as a work out – training for the cause – when you choose to get home safely with Operation Red Nose.

Each team consists of a driver, a navigator and the escort driver. Holiday revelers are driven home in their own vehicle by the volunteer driver and navigator, who are then picked up by the escort driver in an Operation Red Nose vehicle. Don’t worry if you and your friends need to be scattered through the neighbourhood at various drop-off locations – the volunteers are happy to take the full tour and get you all home safe.

Suggested donation is comparable taxi fare plus a tip for getting your car home too.

“Volunteers are still needed – and it’s actually a fun night out,” says Amanda Evoy of Tourism Nanaimo, who is a working with the Red Nose campaign. “Santa’s helpers come in many forms, and it’s an excellent way to keep our roads safe for everyone. Whether you’re off to a party – or organizing one, give us a call.”

This year, Operation Red Nose runs on Nov. 26 and 27 and Dec. 3. 4. 10. 11, 17, 18, 23 and New Year’s Eve. Pickup and drop-off services run 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. anywhere from Lantzville to Ladysmith.

To book a ride, please call 250-755-6969. (Enter the number in your phone contacts now!)

To volunteer, please call 250-740-6572.

To find out more about please visit the Operation Red Nose website or the PacificSport website.

Kiera-Anne and Miss 604 visit Nanaimo! Photo © Kiera-Anne 2010

Kiera-Anne and Miss 604 recently joined Chelsea Barr of Destination Nanaimo for a fun-filled tour of our Harbour City! Not surprisingly, they loved it!

Here’s a bit of what Kiera-Anne had to say of her visit:

For far too long, Nanaimo has been a “drive through/drive thru” city for me: I would only ever “drive through” Nanaimo to get to the Comox Valley while hitting up a “drive thru” for some nosh on my way. As part of our escape, Rebecca and I took some well overdue time to explore the aptly-named Harbour City.

[...]

The final leg of our tour through downtown Nanaimo was spent weaving in and out of specialty shops, boutiques and artisan galleries. Gone are the days when Nanaimo’s shopping destination is only the mall; the city’s quarters are filled with rare finds and covet-worthy items any girl would gush over.

[...]

Downtown Nanaimo should undoubtedly be a key stop on your next drive up or down Vancouver Island.

You can read more about their Nanaimo adventure, and see many more photos, over at Kiera-Anne’s article called A Walking Tour Of Downtown Nanaimo.

Nanaimo's First snowfall of the season! — Photo © Aidan Moher, 2010

We might live in Canada, but snow is an uncommon site in sunny Nanaimo! To celebrate, I went to my backyard and took a photo of lovely Mount Benson all blanketed in snow.

And, on my way into work, a shot of Beban Park!

Beban Park in the snow — Photo © Aidan Moher, 2010

What’s your favourite thing about a Vancouver Island winter?

Just shy of 90,000 friendly residents, Nanaimo sits on an edge of Vancouver Island, just a mere hour and a half drive from Victoria. As a city girl like myself would expect, life here is quieter and slower (despite new highrises like the Pacifica Development), but I was pleasantly surprised to find it not only quaint — after all, the downtown strip is just three blocks long — but also full of history (fun facts: Coast Salish natives were its first inhabitants, the city itself sits on a massive coal resource and, yes, it’s where the nanaimo bar was born).

It only took me two days and two nights to love this little town, and here are some reasons why you just might, too.

Read more…

We all know why Nanaimo and Vancouver Island are so great, and its wonderful to read about visitors discovering the charms of our Harbour City. May Globus has nothing but great things to say about Nanaimo over at Sweetlife. So what are you waiting for? Head on over and find out why she fell in love with Nanaimo and ‘Island Time’!

Inukshuks in Maffeo Sutton Park — © Aidan Moher

The City of Nanaimo is seeking large and small-scale public art for Maffeo Sutton Park.

Artists interested in creating a piece for the downtown park are asked to submit proposals to the City of Nanaimo by 2 p.m. on Jan. 7.

The successful artists, chosen by a jury selected by the cultural committee, will be asked to donate the piece in exchange for an honorarium.

The pieces will be installed at the beginning of May and removed a year later when they are auctioned off to raise money for the Nanaimo Art Gallery.

An information session for interested artists is set for Nov. 25, 5-6 p.m., at the downtown art gallery.

For more information, please call gallery manager Ed Poli at 250-754-1750 or e-mail edp@nanaimogallery.ca.

Are you an artist living in-or-around Nanaimo? If so, now is your chance to be a part of Nanaimo’s historical Downtown. So get going and work on those proposals, Maffeo Sutton Park is waiting for you!

Christmas comes early at Vancouver Island University

From the Nanaimo News Bulletin:

The 16th annual event, which raises money for student scholarships, awards and bursaries, begins Friday (Nov. 19) with a luncheon and ends Nov. 27.

The university cafeteria has turned into a winter wonderland, with more than 50 expertly decorated trees, wreaths and other decorations, while a light display illuminates the campus grounds.

[...]

From an inukshuk tree with hand-painted glass ornaments to a ‘green’ tree with ornaments made out of recycled materials, there is a tree to appeal to every person’s taste and style.

[...]

The main fundraising event is the gala dinner, and with a four-course dinner prepared by VIU’s culinary arts students, live and silent auctions, music and dancing, it is one of the city’s most anticipated events of the year.

Tickets are $175 and are just about sold out.

The Festival of Trees is an absolutely wonderful event! Even if you can’t make it to the Gala Dinner, make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Vancouver Island University cafeteria to check out the decorated trees and soak in the Christmas spirit on November 20, 21 or 27.

Central Vancouver Island’s favourite holiday tradition, “The Festival of Trees”, truly captures the holiday spirit. Immerse yourself in the magic of Christmas at the 16th annual Festival of Trees. The University is alive with festive trees and decorations that will delight visitors of all ages. Everyone can enjoy the spectacular Christmas displays, live entertainment, holiday treats, and children’s activities. There is something for everyone at the Festival of Trees.

To learn more about the Festival of Trees visit the Official Website or our Calendar of Events!