As a city, Nanaimo has excellent infrastructure (especially our enviable municipal water works) that aims to sustain the high quality of life residents enjoy as the community continues to evolve. While hydro-electricity powers most of the Island, a third of Nanaimo households are powered by another clean-power alternative: biomass and recaptured steam.

Did you know that fibre optic cables run their way through over 90% of Nanaimo, Lantzville, and Snuneymuxw and Snaw-Naw-As First Nations? This web of connectivity is for a lot more than just emailing and browsing linkedin but has increased bandwidth capable for high-speed data transfer, involving large-scale file sharing, cloud computing, and video conferencing essential for the software and IT industry.

Immediate highway access stretches south to Victoria, north to Port Hardy and west to Tofino/Ucluelet. BC Ferries connect to North Vancouver, Tswassen and Gabriola Island. Hullo Passenger Ferry connects to downtown Vancouver. Float plane and Helijet offer scheduled services to downtown Vancouver, YVR, Sunshine Coast and Tofino. Nanaimo Airport provides scheduled services with Air Canada, WestJet and Pacific Coastal Air to Vancouver, Calgary, Kelowa and Prince George with seasonal services to Toronto.

Essentially, Nanaimo has everything you need, including significant unrealized potential – a perfect setting for your new idea to take root.

Median household income, employment rates, building permits, and other positive indicators continue trending upwards as residents enjoy their West Coast lifestyles. (See stats page)

The discovery of coal thrust the community into prominence in the 1850s and coal mining along with forestry and fisheries drove development for 100 years. Nanaimo later emerged as the business and service centre for central Vancouver Island and has continued to expand and diversify. Now, Nanaimo is home to Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, one of only two tertiary hospitals on the Island, and the Pacific Biological Station which is part of a network of nine major scientific facilities operated by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Nanaimo, though one of the oldest communities in British Columbia, is still in the process of becoming. There is room for you here in this still-to-be-defined space. While Vancouver is internationally known and Victoria, the BC Capital, has an iconic identity, Nanaimo is unfinished, full of contrasts, and undefined. Nanaimo is urban, rural, and suburban. It’s industrial and surrounded by natural beauty. It’s close to Vancouver, and yet far away. It’s unapologetically itself—informal, non-conforming, and unpretentious.

Nestled between the Salish Sea and Vancouver Island Mountains, the urban and natural setting of Nanaimo gives you access to myriad activities. From exhilarating bungee jumping and mountain biking to serene hikes, ocean kayaking, sailing, and scuba diving. In fact, Jacques Cousteau considered these waters “the best temperate diving in the world, second to only the Red Sea.”

Nanaimo is home to a diverse community of nature-goers. Residents embrace immense recreational opportunities with 180 kilometers of trails, 1000 hectares of city parks, numerous public beaches and playgrounds, and 5km of walkable waterfront. The City also promotes active living activities like ice skating, swimming and more that can be found on City’s Activity Guide! Or to search for all Nanaimo facilities, click here.

And centrally positioned on the east coast of Vancouver Island, you’re a 90-minute drive to alpine and nordic skiing at Mount Washington, within 60 minutes of a dozen golf courses, 45 minutes to Cowichan Valley wineries, 90 minutes to Comox Valley wineries, and a 20-minute float plane or helijet to downtown Vancouver.

As a participant or spectator, young or advanced (older), teams, leagues, and facilities abound in Nanaimo. At the top end: VI Raiders (football), Nanaimo Clippers (hockey), Night Owls (baseball), VIU (basketball, soccer, volleyball). Recreational and developmental opportunities for youth and adults are extensive and referenced for the Island region by PacificSport.

Nanaimo boasts a ‘sports zone’ adjacent to the VIU campus featuring an Olympic swimming pool, two hockey arenas, an artificial turf field for football, soccer, and la crosse, a track and field racing oval, a park for soccer and baseball, and Serauxmen Stadium, one of the best amateur baseball stadiums in Canada.

Additional gymnasia, skating rinks, curling facility, cricket pitch, swimming pools, lawn bowling, tennis and volleyball courts, a BMX track, skateboard parks and playing fields are available throughout the community.

From local sports teams to hockey arenas, swimming pools, BMX track, and skating rinks, there is plenty of Nanaimo sports activities to enjoy.

You’ll find local and traveling exhibitions at the Nanaimo Art Gallery; performances by the Vancouver Island Symphony and a regular schedule of local and traveling performances at the 600-seat Port Theatre. Local companies include TheatreOne and Crimson Coast Dance. Aspiring dancers will find tap, jazz, modern, hip hop, and ballet instruction at several academies, etc.

After a theatrical or musical performance at Nanaimo’s intimate Port Theatre or a tour through the historic Indigenous, fishing and mining displays in the Nanaimo Museum, you can explore the local food and beverage scene and niché boutique stores. Departing from the popular Matteo Suffon Park along the downtown waterfront walkway, ferries provide short voyages to Gabriola, Protection, and Saysutshun Islands. At Saysutshun (Newcastle Island) Marine Provincial Park, visitors can enjoy interpretive walking tours rooted in the rich history and culture of the local Snuneymuxw First Nation or simply hang out on the beach or wander the numerous forested pathways.

Whether a donor, volunteer or both, opportunity abounds to get involved and share your human and/or financial resources for the betterment of our community. According to Nanaimo’s Vital Signs Report produced by the Nanaimo Foundation, there were 271 registered charities in 2023 and $25.92 million in charitable donations in 2021. From Hospital, University, Community Foundations and United Way to smaller charities such as Hospice, FoodShare, Child Development, Haven Society, and environmental organizations such as Georgia Strait Alliance, Nanaimo Area Land Trust, and Rugged Coast Research Society, we have room for your contributions toward the social and environmental vitality of our community. Find a home for your charitable interest and passions here.

Your children’s educational success is important and Nanaimo has an excellent environment to see your children thrive from kindergarten to post-secondary education. The Province and the City of Nanaimo are equally invested in your children’s success with initiatives like the School Enhancement Program (SEP) increasing programs and opportunities for local and international students. If you prefer private schools, several options are available for your consideration (link to private school urls). Nanaimo has three branches of the Vancouver Island Regional Library with over one million books, magazines, videos, cassettes, newspapers and other materials!

For more information on the practicalities of enrollment or specific schools or programs, please visit our Relocation Guide!

Shopping in Nanaimo ranges from major brand retailers to one-of-a-kind shops and boutiques. Nanaimo features several indoor and outdoor malls such as Woodgrove Centre, Port Place Shopping Centre, Country Club Centre and Nanaimo North Town Centre. In Downtown Nanaimo you will find three distinct shopping districts: Arts District, Old City Quarter, and Waterfront District each offering distinctive shops and services.

As for dining, it is said that ‘variety is the spice of life.’ You’ll find French-inspired, Vietnamese, Italian, Japanese, Greek, Canadian, and Mexican cuisine along with cafes and specialty foods within two blocks of each other in the Old City Quarter. On the waterfront and in the downtown core you’ll find Burgers, Steaks, Seafood, Thai, Mexican, Fusion, French, and Organic along with cafes, bars and clubs. Exploring the many nooks and crannies throughout the City, you will find brewpubs and breweries, distilleries offering cocktails on-site, chain and local restaurants, food trucks and cafes of every description.

Nanaimo is known as the home of the Nanaimo Bar, a Canadian classic with rich chocolate, filling and a nut and coconut base. Our iconic dessert can be sampled in traditional form, with variation and even as cocktails and coffees.(Link to tourism nanaimo nanaimo bar trail)

Stay local or venture along the Nanaimo & Comox BC Ale Trail or the Cowichan, Nanaimo & Parksville Qualicum trail to sample brews at three breweries in Nanaimo as well as at their neighbours on Vancouver Island. (in general throughout site, provide links when possible.)

Nanaimo is famous for its love of quirky fun – perhaps initiated when, in 1967, a former mayor of Nanaimo famously donned a pirate costume, raised his sword and launched Nanaimo’s first annual Bathtub Race. “Tubbers” and visitors from around the world have been coming to Nanaimo for more than 40 years to take part in this now world famous festival and race.

The Bathtub Race is just one of many festivals and events in Nanaimo. Check the Tourism Nanaimo calendar of events for everything from wine and food festivals to the Diwali Festival of Lights, Pumpkin Festival, Summertime Blues Festival, Jazz Festival, Silly Boat Regatta, and other such unique events.

Just steps away from the scenic Nanaimo Harbour, in the heart of Nanaimo’s walkable downtown, is the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. Since opening in 2008, this venue has been recognized for exceptional service, building design, sustainability and high-tech innovation. This 38,000-sq.ft. conference space is a venue of choice for small and mid-sized meetings, conferences, tradeshows and weddings for up to 1,300.

A Courtyard Marriott Hotel opened next to the conference centre in 2023 adding 172 four-star hotel rooms to the existing hotel inventory of rooms supporting people traveling to Nanaimo.

The Pacific Biological Station (PBS) is globally recognized for its notable contributions to fisheries, aquaculture, marine mammals, and marine ecosystems research. It plays a vital role in Nanaimo’s economy, providing employment opportunities for skilled professionals, attracting research funding, and supporting educational and training programs that contribute to the development of a skilled workforce. The waters surrounding Vancouver Island represent one of the most diverse marine ecosystems on the planet. As a result, the station acts as a nucleus for marine research in western Canada, playing a fundamental role in shaping modern fisheries science. Employing a large staff of over 180 members, including nearly 50 individuals with PhDs, the PBS stands as one of Canada’s most impressive marine research facilities.