City of Nanaimo expands Westwood Lake Park with new land acquisition

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed September 16, 2026 11:01 AM

Summary

The City of Nanaimo is pleased to announce the purchase of 2367 Arbot Road, adding 2.85 acres (1.15 hectares) of land to Westwood Lake Park and creating new opportunities for recreation, public access and future community amenities.

The property directly adjoins Westwood Lake Park in Nanaimo's South Jingle Pot area. The site is fronted by the popular Westwood Lake Loop Trail providing easy access to the lake, swimming areas, local trail systems and the broader Mount Benson trail network. The acquisition represents a significant investment in one of Nanaimo's most well-loved park destinations and supports future opportunities to enhance recreational experiences for residents and visitors alike.

The property was the location of the Westwood Lake Tennis Club. The Club will cease operations on Nov. 1, 2026 after which the tennis bubble will be removed. The City will assume ownership of the property on Dec. 18 and anticipates opening the site to the public shortly thereafter. The City will not operate the space as a tennis club. Once opened, it is anticipated that the outdoor tennis courts will be open for public use.

The site currently features landscaped grounds, outdoor tennis courts, walkways and gravel parking areas. It also features buildings that have the potential to be re-purposed for community use. As part of the park expansion, the City sees opportunities to improve access to Westwood Lake park while providing additional active and passive recreation amenities, bookable community gathering space, recreation programming opportunities and expanded parking.

In the near term, the City plans to make several immediate improvements, including new signage, enhanced entrance features and access upgrades. Longer term, a comprehensive planning process will be undertaken to determine how the site can best be integrated into Westwood Lake Park and serve the needs of the community. Community engagement will be a key component of the planning process helping to shape future uses of the property and explore opportunities for community access to existing facilities.

Link to Strategic Plan: Improving and increasing access to waterfront areas is a community priority identified in Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plans and is supported by several goals within City Plan, including "A Green Nanaimo: Resilient and Regenerative Ecosystems", "Connected Nanaimo: Equitable Access and Mobility", "Health Nanaimo: Community Well-Being and Livability", "Empowered Nanaimo: Reconciliation, Representation and Inclusion".

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