Westwood Lake Beach - open for the long weekend!

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed May 16, 2025 10:00 AM

Summary

Just in time for May long weekend, the City of Nanaimo is excited to announce the newly upgraded First Beach at Westwood Lake Park is reopening to the public. The popular destination now features significant improvements to accessibility, comfort and environmental integration.

Upgrades to the beach include:

An expanded and accessible beach area
Additional seating and picnic areas
New accessible decking down to the sand
New Trees, native plantings and perching boulders
Enhanced and accessible pedestrian and bike connections
An upgraded boat launch.

Some elements of the project are still in progress and will be completed later this summer, including:

Universal accessible washrooms and lockers
Wayfinding signage
More seating areas
Public art
Waste receptacles

The City thanks park users for their patience during construction and encourages the community to explore and enjoy the revitalized space. For more information on Nanaimo's parks, visit the Parks and Trails page on www.nanaimo.ca.

Link to Strategic Plan: The new Westwood Lake Beach improvements supports the City's commitment to accessibility, wellness and recreation and delivers upon some key actions from City Plan.

Key Points

The total budget for the project is $3.8 million. Work on this project began in September 2024 and is due to be complete by late July 2025.
The boat launch will be open Friday afternoon and park users are asked to be mindful of the new layout and driving pattern.
When complete, the new accessible washroom facility will have universal washrooms also serving as changing spaces.
A new playground at second beach will also open later this month and will feature swings and a fun mud-pie kitchen.

Quotes

"We are proud to see this high-quality outdoor recreation space taking shape in our city. The redesigned beach offers something for everyone and showcases what’s possible when thoughtful design is paired with Nanaimo’s natural beauty. We're excited to see the final touches completed later this summer and encourage everyone to visit and enjoy Westwood Lake Park this May long weekend."

Charlotte Davis

Deputy Director, Parks and Natural Areas

City of Nanaimo

Quick Facts

$3.6 million budget for beach enhancements and universal washrooms.
$99,000 budget for the new playground
$150,000 budget to re-purpose the original washrooms to a lifeguard and first aid and storage space.

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Contact:

For media enquiries, please contact

Communications

City of Nanaimo

250 754 4251

Media.Requests@nanaimo.ca

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