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Home , Nanaimo, Vancouver Island

Nanaimo , BRITISH COLUMBIA

THE HARBOUR CITY anaimo, British Columbia, known as The Harbour City, is a picturesque community of 90,504 along the east coast of Vancou- ver Island, . The indigenous people Nof the area, the Snuneymuxw, were the first to make the area’s uneven shoreline, sheltered islands, and sandy beaches their home, subsisting on the food, fresh water, and AT A GLANCE natural abundance of its bays and forests. Island was first explored by NANAIMO, Nanaimo Europeans when of Spain BRITISH COLUMBIA sailed north, up the ’s western WHAT: A city of 92,000 in 1592. The English, represent- ed by Captain , first arrived WHERE: On the east coast of in 1778, as the Spanish continued to , Canada explore the island’s inlets, waterways, WEBSITE: www.nanaimo.ca and eastern coast. Commodore Alejan- dro Malaspina, an Italian explorer in the service of Spain, led an expedition into the sheltered bays around Nanaimo in 1791 and named them Boca de Winthuysen or Winthuysen Inlet - a name that was used until 1794, when Captain negotiated the final that gave the British possession of the island. Nanaimo began as a trading post in the early 19th century. In 1849, the Snuneymuxw Chief, Ki-et-sa- kun (“Coal Tyee”), informed the Hudson’s Bay Compa- ny of coal in the area, and Nanaimo became a min- ing town for the next hundred years. By the 1940s, the mines were shutting down - the last one closed in 1953 - and lumber supplanted coal as the main driver of its economy; the Harmac pulp mill (origi- nally named H.A.R. MacMillan, one of the principals

Ron Kirk Photography NANAIMO, BRITISH COLUMBIA

pable of moving more than 500 trailers a day. adopted a strategic plan, which included an “Another recent development that’s quite investment in our waterfront. Last year, it ad- exciting is the Nanaimo Port Authority, which opted a fairly aggressive ten-year plan to see is associated with the federal government, the creation of a 15-kilometer walkway, con- and has just announced a large processing necting many parts of our community along facility for European automobiles,” reports the waterfront. Our downtown is right in the Director of Engineering & Public Works, Bill edge of our natural harbor, but we have lim- Sims. “Vancouver’s port has become very ited portions of the walkway that have been congested, and so, it’s logistically attractive to completed in the downtown. The walkway bring those automobiles into Nanaimo, pro- will connect up with the cess them here, and then ship them over to terminal, which is a major point for the mainland.” coming in from Horseshoe Bay. So, there’ll be “Nanaimo is a harbor city, which is an asset benefits in terms of encouraging active trans- we’ve taken advantage of,” reminds Lindsay. portation, tourism, connecting communities, “When this city council first got elected, it and bringing people back to the waterfront.” of the forestry company, MacMillan Bloedel) was built east of downtown in 1950, giving the town, once again, a major industrial employer. Today, service, retail, tourism, shipping, health- We’re specifically looking at infilling in our town centers, such as our down- care, and education are its main industries. town, encouraging growth and investment. In the last few years, we’ve seen Nanaimo Regional General Hospital employs approximately 1,700. “We also have Vancouver a number of transformative projects in terms of multi-family, mid-rise invest- Island University,” says Mayor Bill McKay. “They’ve ment in our downtown and our other growth nodes. At this point, there’s no strong got a very aggressive leadership team that has push to expand our boundaries, but rather take advantage of the infrastructure been doing some wonderful things to attract new that we have available and using it in the most efficient way possible. students, including international students. They have about 12,000 full-time and 5,000 part-time DALE LINDSAY DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT students – it’s a huge economic generator.” Nanaimo, and as a result, we’ve seen some major But perhaps most important is Nanaimo’s des- investments in the last couple of years in terms of ignation as the logistics and transportation hub moving those goods.” of Vancouver Island. “We’re serviced by two ferry One of those recent investments was made by routes to Vancouver,” McKay explains, “one to the Seaspan Ferries, a -based parent south end and the other to . They of a group of companies that include shipyards, carry about five million passengers a year.” “We tugs, barges, and ship-docking services. It delivers have an active harbor,” adds Director of Communi- more than half of the island’s consumer goods, ty Development, Dale Lindsay. “A good portion of and in 2017, it opened a new, 18-acre, $44-million all the goods coming to the island come through ferry freight terminal at Nanaimo’s Duke Point, ca- NANAIMO, BRITISH COLUMBIA

“We’re also hoping that the proponents of a to Vancouver the night before, to make their flight. high-speed passenger ferry service will com- Now, they don’t have to worry about that. So, our mence service this summer,” says McKay. “They’re airport, from 2009, has gone from less than 150,000 just going through the final environmental reviews passengers a year to 358,000 in 2017. And they’re in Vancouver for their terminal there – that could expecting this year, because they’ll now be having easily be a million passengers a year. And I’m hearing direct flights from Nanaimo to for a six- rumblings of some other transportation options to month period during the summer, we’re going to be Nanaimo, as well. So transportation is one of the big going over 400,000.” activities we have here.” Nanaimo is a growing community – its popula- Air travel is another transportation activity that is tion has been increasing 1.5 to 2 percent a year, becoming increasingly important in Nanaimo. “We over the past decade. “In 2017, there was over also have two airports,” McKay continues. “One’s a $200 million in construction in the community,” water-based aerodrome, where we have frequent states Lindsay. “That’s the fourth year in a row flights of seaplanes and helicopters running scheduled that we were over that $200 million mark.” And flights; those carry about 150,000 a year. In 2009, our with all the economic activity, people are moving regional airport went in an aggressive, new direction to Nanaimo from other parts of Canada. “Last year to improve reliability. They put in a new navigation there were 309 new, single family homes built system, and they’ve increased their reliability up to in the community, which is above our ten-year about 98 percent up-time, with only a two percent average of 275 per year,” Lindsay reports. “The down-time due to weather. It used to be when peo- community currently has a fairly low vacancy rate ple wanted to make a cross-country trip, they’d go – 1.6 percent. We’ve seen a number of projects

Linking a History of Shipping to New Opportunity. Together, Nanaimo’s 150 year history of shipping commodi- ample, and a surprising reach this eastern facing ties to global connections prepared this Vancouver Vancouver Island port currently ships 18 different Island port for diverse opportunities in its future. products from the Island to 25 ports in 14 countries. Linking You to a World of Opportunity. Thriving for 100 years since 1852 as a coal town Ports include the UK, Netherlands, Germany, , gave way to forestry for 70 years and the designa- China, North and South Korean, Thailand, Taiwan, tion of Nanaimo as one of 18 federal ports. Shipping 18 different products from Vancouver Island to 25 ports in 14 countries. Hong Kong, South and , the USA Recent changes in the forestry sector broadened and Russia. When you add the imports transferred Nanaimo’s focus to a more diverse and economically from Nanaimo to Vancouver via short-sea shipping, Vancouver Island’s Logistic and Transport Hub offers the following services: flexible heading to meet with continuous global de- a mere 30 miles to the east, a vast array of oppor- mands. A skilled labour force once again embraced tunities within Canada and for many parts of North l Short-sea shipping change to build on the Port of Nanaimo’s success- America are realized. l Project cargo ful experience with two well-developed deep sea terminals. Nanaimo’s deep shipping history - served many cli- l Cruise ships ents for over 150 years – a link to a world of service l Break Bulk A port with key global partners, DP World for ex- and to new opportunity. dpworld.ca npa.ca NANAIMO, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Using gravity as an advantage was in mind in mo, on gravity alone,” he posits. “So why not take 2014, when the city replaced its open reservoir advantage of that gravity-fed system if we can, on Nanaimo Lakes Road. “It had reached the end and start building a whole bank of hydro-elec- of its life and could not continue to function as a tricity producing power generating stations all result of changes in water quality regulations,” Sims along the line, over a number of years? So, we’ve notes. “So, we constructed a new enclosed reservoir, got a lot of work to do to determine the costs versus including a control building that, as we fill the res- the returns to see if we’re ready for that. But you’ve ervoir, we generate electricity. This uses our drinking got to look at alternative funding sources; we can’t water system to generate electricity for sale into constantly go to the taxpayer for funding.” the BC Hydro grid. The facility is generating close An old and beautiful city, steeped in tradition,

Ron Kirk Photography to $100,000 a year in revenue that helps offset the today’s Nanaimo offers its residents not only a costs of operating the water system.” booming economy and enlightened governance, coming forward for purpose-built rental. It’s been McKay believes that the city’s gravity-fed water but a wealth of open and protected green spaces, a large component of our applications for the last system can be expanded to produce even more a rich and diverse culture, many outdoor recre- few years. We have over 500 units that are making electricity, as well as more revenue for its coffers. ational activities, and a host of modern amenities, their way through the permitting and approvals “We can get from our reservoir, which is about 15 as well, providing a lifestyle second to none for process. So, we’ve seen some strong investment miles outside of town, to the north end of Nanai- living, working, and playing. in multi-family, with particular attention to pur- pose-built rental, which is something that has not PREFERRED VENDORS been built here for a number of decades.” n Nanaimo Port Authority With meager room to expand, Lindsay says that www.portauthority.npa.ca city policy is to promote alternative housing solu- The Nanaimo Port Authority administers, controls, and man- tions and the infill of its neighborhoods. “We’re ages the harbour, waters, and foreshore adjacent to Nanaimo, specifically looking at infilling in our town centers, British Columbia. Its vision is to be the Vancouver Island such as our downtown, encouraging growth and condition to support community life. For example, port connecting the island to the world via the , providing the safe and sustainable movement of people and investment,” he remarks. “In the last few years, in 2016, the city completed its water treatment Gather. Connect. Grow. goods while delivering economic growth that benefits Canada, we’ve seen a number of transformative projects plant. “It’s a state-of-the-art membrane water British Columbia, and the Island. The Vancouver Island Conference Centre is in terms of multi-family, mid-rise investment in treatment plant, only one of two in Canada that an ideal environment for reflection, networking Its purpose is to build and maintain port resources, while our downtown and our other growth nodes. At uses gravity to filter drinking water,” says Sims. and decision making. stimulating projects and initiatives in cooperation with com- munity partners and businesses, in order to create new jobs this point, there’s no strong push to expand our “It has capacity to provide about 125,000 people Meetings and increase economic development and opportunities. The boundaries, but rather take advantage of the with fresh drinking water. We have improved the Conferences/Conventions Nanaimo Port Authority was created in 1998 by the Canada Trade/Consumer Shows Marine Act, which created port authorities to manage the infrastructure that we have available and using it quality of our drinking water significantly with Special Events/Festivals operation of 19 of Canada’s 20 most economically important in the most efficient way possible.” that project. On the wastewater side, Nanaimo is seaports. Another item on the city’s agenda is upgrading upgrading its wastewater treatment plant, so that Let us help you plan your next event: 250.244.4050 that infrastructure to catch up to new regulatory will help keep the waters off the coast of Nanai- n Vancouver Island Conference Centre requirements while making sure that Nanaimo’s mo clean. Those two projects are in the $180 www.viconference.com municipal facilities and assets are in their best million range, between the two of them.” AS FEATURED IN BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE

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