News & Initiatives
2012 Heritage Summit: Energy in BC - A Powerful Past, a Sustainable Future
On 2012-FEB-22, the Nanaimo Community Heritage Commission hosted their annual Heritage Summit at the Nanaimo Museum. The purpose of the Summit was to heighten heritage awareness in the community during National Heritage Week (February 20-26), as well as network with other local organizations interested in heritage issues.
2011 Heritage Paint Out/Shoot Out
On 2011-SEP-10, the Nanaimo Community Heritage Commission, in partnership with the Nanaimo Arts Council, held their annual Paint/Photo Shoot-Out. The purpose of the event was to showcase the talents of local artists and photographers and raise awareness about Nanaimo's heritage buildings. The event began with the random assignment of a downtown heritage building to each artist and photographer participating. Those buildings became the subject of their painting or photography, and the artists had the day to create an original piece of art featuring the building. That afternoon, the work was reviewed by an Arts Council appointed judge and cash prizes were awarded to the top submissions in both painting and photography.
Commercial Street Recognized as "Great Street" by the Canadian Institute of Planners
Commercial Street is the primary historic street in Nanaimo's downtown core. A commercial hub since the City's establishment in the early 1850s, Commercial Street was the City's "main street" up until the 1960s, at which time new commercial centres started to be constructed outside the City core, and the street began to lose its commercial pre-eminence. However, its role as a focus for entertainment, special events and culture has remained, and been reinforced over the past two decades as a result of revitalization initiatives. These initiatives have resulted in a renaissance of commercial activity through significant investments by both the City and downtown businesses, creating the interesting mix of businesses, offices, residential and cultural uses that characterizes the street today.
"It's terrific that Nanaimo's historic Commercial Street has been recognized as the stand-out in the Streets category. Rich in heritage, it struggled to stay alive in the face of rapid suburban development. The City and the downtown business community, working together, have catalyzed growth, revitalized heritage buildings and welcomed year-round cultural activity." Linda Allen, President of CitySpaces Consulting and Fellow of Canadian Institute of Planners.
Heritage BC Awards the City of Nanaimo an "Outstanding Achievement Award" for the Bastion Restoration Project
A unique piece of Hudson's Bay Company history, the Nanaimo Bastion was built to serve as an office, arsenal and storage facility for coal mining in 1853. One of the oldest buildings in B.C., the Bastion is a familiar landmark, community symbol, and must-see tourist attraction.
As a wooden structure overlooking Nanaimo Harbour, the Bastion has done remarkably well after a century and a half of pummeling by west coast weather. However, the City of Nanaimo decided in 2009 to undertake a major restoration project after the discovery of significant wood rot and a six degree lean to the south.
The City contracted local engineering firm Read Jones Christoffersen, Knappet Projects, and Macdonald Lawrence Timber Framing of Cobble Hill to take the lead on the wood conservation and repair. The Nanaimo Museum played the role of fundraiser and facilitator.
The community was behind the project from the beginning. The Hudson's Bay Company started the fund raising ball rolling with a donation of $80,000, plus a summer campaign in local stores which raised another $5,000. Mr. Sidney Sharman soon followed with a personal donation of $50,000. Business owners on Church, Chapel and Front Streets in downtown Nanaimo had a block party. The Nanaimo Lions Club contributed $10,000.
The Bastion restoration was a textbook example that proved what can be achieved when a community cares about its heritage and is determined to conserve it.
Heritage Canada Foundation Awards the City of Nanaimo with the "Prince of Wales (Honorable Mention) for Exemplary Stewardship of Heritage Architecture"
Created in 1999 with the support of His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales whose commitment to architecture, the environment, and inner-city renewal is well known, the prize is awarded annually to municipalities which have demonstrated a strong and sustained commitment to the conservation of its historic places, and have a record of supporting heritage preservation through such means as regulations, policies, funding and exemplary stewardship. As noted by Mayor John Ruttan, -"the award is a testament to the support and leadership provided by numerous Nanaimo City Councils over the past couple of decades with respect to built heritage conservation, and in particular to the building rehabilitation work that has been completed over the past 10 years of the downtown revitalization initiative."
Previous recipients of the Prince of Wales Prize in both its primary and honourable mention forms include Victoria, B.C., Saint John, New Brunswick, Quebec City, Quebec, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Markham, Ontario, and Calgary, Alberta.
2011 Heritage Summit: A Century of Conservation - Parks and Cultural Landscapes
On Wednesday, 2011-MAR-16, the City of Nanaimo's Heritage Commission hosted a Heritage Summit at the Nanaimo Museum. The purpose of the summit was to heighten heritage awareness in the community during National Heritage Week (Feb. 21-27), as well as network with other organizations interested in heritage issues.
"Nanaimo's Fire Department" Interpretive Sign Unveiled
Erected in 2010, the Nanaimo Fire Department interpretive sign is located near the original site of Nanaimo's first fire hall. The sign provides a concise history of the evolution of Nanaimo's fire department from its early days as the Black Diamond Engine Company, to its absorption into the City of Nanaimo in 1901. The sign is also dedicated to the hundreds of firefighters who have served the community of Nanaimo.
2010 Heritage Summit: Heritage of Sport & Recreation, Community Pride, Active Living
On Wednesday, 2010-FEB-17, the City of Nanaimo's Heritage Commission hosted a Heritage Summit at the Nanaimo Museum. The purpose of the summit was to heighten heritage awareness in the community during National Heritage Week (Feb. 15-21), as well as network with other organizations interested in heritage issues.
2009 Heritage Summit: A Legacy of Learning - The Heritage of Education
On Thursday, 2009-FEB-19, the City of Nanaimo's Heritage Commission hosted a Heritage Summit at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. The purpose of the Summit was to heighten heritage awareness in the community during National Heritage Week (Feb. 16-22), as well as network with other local organizations interested in heritage issues. "Ships That Built Nanaimo" Interpretive Signs Unveiled On Thursday, 2008-DEC-04, the Nanaimo Historical Society, in partnership with the City of Nanaimo, unveiled two new interpretive signs containing the stories of nine ships associated with the history of Nanaimo's harbour and the City's development as a community. Featured ships include the Sutil, Mexicana, Beaver, Maude, Nanaimo, Rainbow, Oscar, Princess Elaine, and Atrevida. The sign unveiling took place on the downtown waterfront next to the "Pacific Sails" sculpture just north of the seaplane terminal. This project was made possibly by the generous financial assistance of the Provincial Government's BC 150/Spirit of BC funding initiative and the Nanaimo Port Authority. "Snuneymuxw Settlement at Departure Bay" Interpretive Sign Unveiled In 2008, this interpretive sign was erected at the traditional location of the Snuneymuxw First Nation winter village site. The sign forms part of the Departure Bay "Portal To Our Heritage" project, which is a legacy project of Nanaimo's designation as a Cultural Capital of Canada by Canadian Heritage. The City of Nanaimo and Snuneymuxw First Nation worked together to create the portal which represents the significance of this traditional site of the Snuneymuxw people. Snuneymuxw Settlement at Departure Bay "Chase River Pioneers" Interpretive Sign and Stark Monument Unveiled The plaque and monument focus on the unique history of Chase River over the past 100 years and features the story of Louis Stark, an early black settler in this region. "Wellington Coal Mining" Interpretive Sign Unveiled The City of Nanaimo formally unveiled a "Wellington Coal Mine Interpretive Plaque" at Diver Lake Park on Tuesday, 2006-MAY-02. The plaque provides historical information on the No. 5 Mine of the Wellington Colliery, owned and operated by Robert Dunsmuir from the 1870s until 1900, when the mine was closed and the nearby mine settlement of Wellington was dismantled and its buildings relocated to Extension and Ladysmith. The plaque also serves as a memorial for 77 miners killed by a methane gas explosion in the mine on January 24, 1888. Photo Left to Right: John Hofman (Chair, Nanaimo Community Heritage Commission, Mayor Gary Korpan, and Norm Godfrey (related to Ezra Godfrey, a miner killed in the 1888 methane gas explosion). Mark Bate Memorial Tree Plaza Busts Unveiled On Saturday, 2002-JUN-29, the City of Nanaimo officially unveiled two bronze busts of Mark Bate and Ki-et-sa-kun (Coal Tyee). The busts were sculpted by the late Dorothea E. Kennedy. Both men played significant roles in the early settlement of Nanaimo. Mark Bate was the City's first mayor in 1875. Coal Tyee brought Nanaimo's coal deposits to the attential of the Hudson's Bay Company in 1849. The busts are located in the Mark Bate Memorial Tree Plaza (next to the Lighthouse Bistro/Pub on the downtown waterfront). This public art project was made possible by the generous financial assistance of the Gyro Club, Women of the Moose, Kiwanis Club, Knights of Columbus, Order of the Royal Purple Lodge No. 16, Fraternal Order of the Eagles Aerie No. 15 (Ladies Auxiliary), Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 10, and Ladies Auxiliary. Downtown Residential Conversion - Affordability and Choice Today (ACT) Project In 2001, with the assistance of an ACT grant from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Nanaimo created a regulatory environment and financial incentives to facilitate residential conversion in the city's downtown commercial core by: For more information about the project, please see the following attachments: Heritage Building Available for Rental To book the building please contact the City's Parks, Recreation and Culture Department at 250-756-5200.
On behalf of the Nanaimo African Heritage Society and the Chase River Neighbourhood Association, with assistance from the City's Heritage Commission and Parks, Recreation & Culture, an unveiling ceremony for the Chase River Pioneer Plaque and Stark Monument took place 2008-FEB-22. 
The Brick Cottage located at 1904 Jingle Pot Road, abutting Buttertubs Marsh, is available for rental by the public. The building can be used as a meeting space for up to 10 persons. Please note, there is water service to the building, but no in-building washroom (there is a portable washroom on the site).
