Celebrate the BC Cultural Crawl

BC Cultural Crawl Logo

Your self-guided exploration of super-cultural British Columbia begins here! Browse August-long events, such as music, theatre and dance performances, visual arts, festivals, museum and heritage exhibitions, culinary arts, community art walks and more. A self-guided tour of community-initiated events, Nanaimo’s contribution to the BC Cultural Crawl includes local farm tours, musical entertainment, festivals and fairs, and cultural experience tours. For more information on everything Nanaimo has to offer in August You can visit the Official BC Cultural Crawl Website and download a PDF specific to Nanaimo!

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Tourism Nanaimo goes Grizzy Bear Watching with Tide Rip Tours!

Tide Rip Grizzly Bear Tours

Thanks to Tide Rip Tours, Tourism Nanaimo was invited up to the small community of Telegraph Cove to experience a one-of-a-kind opportunity: Grizzy Bear Watching. Like Whale Watching, Grizzly Bear Watching is one of the most exciting tourist attractions on Vancouver Island. So, comfortably aboard a two of Tide Rip Tours‘ boats, we left Telegraph Cove at 7:00am and spent the next nine hours enjoying the beauty of Vancouver Island. Along the way, we ran into dolphins, deer, cormorants, orca whales and, of course, grizzly bears!

Wanting to share a glimpse of what we saw, we brought along a camera and took a whole bunch of photos!

Tourism Nanaimo goes Grizzly Bear watching in Telegraph Cover, Vancouver Island 2010

Courtenay, Amy, Heather and Amanda were more than happy to drive up the island and take in the sights at Telegraph Cover.

Tourism Nanaimo goes Grizzly Bear watching in Telegraph Cover, Vancouver Island 2010

Telegraph Cove. It was quiet in the morning, but when we arrived back in the afternoon, it was an absolutely bustling little village, full of locals and travellers, alike!

Tourism Nanaimo goes Grizzly Bear watching in Telegraph Cover, Vancouver Island 2010

After a two hour boat ride, we arrived at a floating dock and transferred into two separate herring skiffs. They’re the perfect way to travel through the many estuaries of Knight Inlet.

Tourism Nanaimo goes Grizzly Bear watching in Telegraph Cover, Vancouver Island 2010

Tourism Nanaimo goes Grizzly Bear watching in Telegraph Cover, Vancouver Island 2010

Baby animals everywhere!

Tourism Nanaimo goes Grizzly Bear watching in Telegraph Cover, Vancouver Island 2010

Our awesome guide, Lindsey, took us into water so shallow that he was able to pull the skiff himself! On the shoreline we found grizzly bear prints, left behind when one of the bears came down to the shore to look for salmon!

Tourism Nanaimo goes Grizzly Bear watching in Telegraph Cover, Vancouver Island 2010

Mama Bear and her three cubs.

Tourism Nanaimo goes Grizzly Bear watching in Telegraph Cover, Vancouver Island 2010

On the way home we were met by a pod of 40 or 50 dolphins. They trailed along beside us for about ten minutes, playing in our boats wake and jumping high out of the water!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4822268714_7c20cc8d16_b.jpg

Fed by glaciers, the water in Knight Inlet is an amazing turquoise colour.

Tourism Nanaimo goes Grizzly Bear watching in Telegraph Cover, Vancouver Island 2010

Courtenay, our Manager of Visitor Services, gives Tide Rip Tours a big thumbs up!

Tide Rip Tours also has a great video about their service:

It was a wonderful adventure, and we’re very grateful that our hosts invited us to experience the grizzly bears and other animals of Telegraph Cove and Knight Inlet! For more information on Tide Rip Tours you can visit their website or find them on Facebook.

All photos © Aidan Moher, 2010.

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Photos from Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta 2010!

2010 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta - Photo © Aidan Moher

For over two decades, the Nanaimo Silly Boat Regata has been one of the most fun-filled and highly anticipated events of the year. This year was no different. Teams from all over the Nanaimo area gathered together, built the silliest boats they could think of and ran hilarious races for a wonderful cause. The 26th Annual Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta raised over $80,000 for the Childhood Development Centre. Way to go Nanaimo!

Not wanting to miss out on the fun, we headed down to Swy-a-lana Lagoon and joined the thousands of other locals and visitors who watched the race. We brought a camera along.

2010 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta - Photo © Aidan Moher

Teams preparing for the race

2010 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta - Photo © Aidan Moher

The first heat is about to begin!

2010 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta - Photo © Aidan Moher

Eager fans, waiting for the races to begin

2010 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta - Photo © Aidan Moher

*Bang* And they're off!

2010 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta - Photo © Aidan Moher

Traffic Jam!

2010 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta - Photo © Aidan Moher

The Mid-Island Co-Op Boat, winner of Super Silliest Boat!

2010 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta - Photo © Aidan Moher

Some were more functional than others!

2010 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta - Photo © Aidan Moher

A lot of people came out to watch the races!

2010 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta - Photo © Aidan Moher

The famous Nanaimo Pickle Boats!

2010 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta - Photo © Aidan Moher

At the finish line!

2010 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta - Photo © Aidan Moher

First to ring the bell wins!

2010 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta - Photo © Aidan Moher

Even if you weren't enjoying the races, there was sunshine, food and activities galore

The results:

In all, it was another extremely successful year for the Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta. We already can’t wait for next year!

Do you have any photos of the 26th Annual Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta? If you do, email them to aidan@tourismnanaimo.com and we’ll post them here!

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2010 Dragon Boat Festival a huge success, Silly Boat Regatta right around the corner!

2010 Nanaimo Dragonboat FestivalMaffeo-Suttan Park was packed this weekend (July 9th-11th, 2010) with a ton of locals and visitors enjoying the 2010 Save-on-Foods Dragon Boat Festival. This year’s Dragon Boat Festival drew a record breaking 81 teams from Alberta down to Oregon. The weather was just perfect, not too hot and definitely not too cool, with a spattering of clouds in the sky, making for a perfect weekend Festival.

So what’s up next for Nanaimo? This weekend, again at Maffeo-Suttan Park on Sunday, July 18th, is the 26th Annual Silly Boat Regatta. Teams made up from different businesses and families have just a few of hours to build their boats (using only recycled material!) and then the race begins! The creative designs that some people come up with will blow you away, someone always gets wet and laughs are guaranteed. During the boat building there are interactive games and activities for children, including the opportunity for them to build their own Silly Boat.

Last year, Team Tourism Nanaimo had an absolute blast in the race!

The Tourism Nanaimo team in the 2009 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta

The Tourism Nanaimo team in the 2009 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta

The Tourism Nanaimo team in the 2009 Nanaimo Silly Boat Regatta

All proceeds from this event go to the Child Development Centre here in Nanaimo. The CDC is a wonderful organization that provides child development services to families all over Vancouver Island. It is a great cause and is always a fun event. For more information on this year’s Silly Boat Regatta out their website: http://www.sillyboat.com/home.php.

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Prepare to be Amazed, a great video about Nanaimo

Whether you’re a visitor or a resident, Nanaimo’s an easy city to love. This video showcases some of the best aspects of our great city, and shows why it’s one of Vancouver Island’s most exciting and diverse travel destinations!

Posted in About Nanaimo, Arts, Driving Adventures, Entertainment, Festivals & Events, Golf, Health & Wellness, History & Culture, Indoor Activities, Outdoor Recreation, Shopping, The Nanaimo Bar, Things to Do, Tourist Attractions, Tours & Charters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | View Comments

2010 Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival – July 9th-11th, 2010

2010 Nanaimo Dragonboat Festival

Looking for something to do this weekend? Why not head downtown on July 9th, 10th and 11th to take in the Dragon Boat Festival. Recognized as Nanaimo’s most spectacular summer festival, the 8th annual Save On Foods Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival will be a true celebration of our diverse and beautiful city, attracting over 50,000 people and more than 80 dragon boat teams from across North America.

Beginning on Friday afternoon with the colourful Awakening of the Dragon Ceremony and Chinese Lion Dance, the Festival will continue with two more days of non-stop entertainment on the Main Stage, fabulous food and shopping, and of course, Dragon Boat racing of the highest calibre. Admission is free to the general public so what’s stopping you? Come on down to the waters of Nanaimo Harbour and celebrate with us!

2010 Nanaimo Dragonboat Festival

  • 3 Days of Unique Culture & Sport with Something for Everyone!
  • Thrilling Dragon Boat Races
  • Live Main Stage Entertainment Friday, Saturday and Sunday
  • Mini Show ‘n Shine with members of the Smokin’ Oldies and Nanaimo T-Bird Club
  • Shriner’s Pancake Breakfast
  • Labatt’s Beer Garden
  • Activities for the little ones in the Little Dragon’s Fun Zone

This is truly one of Nanaimo’s finest festivals, paddlers united in the fight to beat cancer. For details, visit: www.nanaimodragonboat.com/.

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Tourism Nanaimo + Members Invade Newcastle Island!

Every month, Tourism Nanaimo hosts Tourism Tuesdays, a great event that invites all of our members to get together and enjoy everything our great city has to offer! This month, it was held on beautiful Newcastle Island, which lies just a short ferry ride across Nanaimo Harbour. The afternoon was a lot of fun and the big canoe tours and heritage walks were very popular.

Tourism Tuesday on Newcastle Island

Tourism Tuesday on Newcastle Island

Tourism Tuesday on Newcastle Island

Tourism Tuesday on Newcastle Island

Tourism Tuesday on Newcastle Island

Thank you to the event sponsors: Alberni Outpost, Snuneymuxw First Nation and Nanaimo Harbour Ferries.

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Kayaking around Newcastle Island!

Looking to take advantage of the beautiful summer weather, Amanda Evoy, Tourism Nanaimo’s Marketing and Communication Manager, seized the day and went kayaking around Newcastle Island, located right in Nanaimo Harbour!

Kayaking around Newcastle Island - Tourism Nanaimo

Kayaking around Newcastle Island - Tourism Nanaimo

While kayaking, Amanda saw several Eagles, an endless array of Jellyfish and Starfish, and even a pair of Blonde Raccoons!

Kayaking around Newcastle Island - Tourism Nanaimo

This is just the beginning of another wonderful Vancouver Island summer!

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Nanaimo is ‘Extremely Friendly’ say visitors!

Visitors find Nanaimo extremely friendlyThanks to a Letter to the Editor, from Robert and Joan Bath of Schertz, Texas, featured in the June 17th edition of the Nanaimo News Bulletin, we can get a taste of just what visitors think of our lovely city!

My spouse and I finally discovered Nanaimo and we are truly glad we did as it was a wonderful experience.

We have visited many cities throughout the world and met many friendly people in those cities but none as friendly as those in Nanaimo.

And, even cooler, they had great things to say about their encounter with our Beban Visitor Centre and Gayle, one of our volunteers:

Prior to departing home, we contacted the Nanaimo Visitor Centre and spoke with Gayle. We appreciate the information she provided us and we were impressed with the enthusiasm she displayed when telling us about her city.

We have found in the past that when someone loves her city as much as Gayle, it is definitely the place to visit. After that telephone conversation, we [...] knew we had to visit Nanaimo.

Way to go, Gayle!

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Winner of the 2010 ‘Passport to your City’ Staycation Package!

Congratulations to Lindsay Widsten, winner of the 2010 Tourism Nanaimo ‘Passport to your City’ Staycation!

The Package includes:

We’ll be back in 2011 with an even bigger and better Passport to your City promotion, and you’ll have another great opportunity to explore the great Harbour City of Nanaimo!

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Nanaimo Featured on Two Great Blogs!

Traveling Mama's Top 10 Things to do in Nanaimo!

Nanaimo was recently mentioned on a travel blog called Travelling Mamas.

This group travel blog concept was created by travel writer Shannon Hurst Lane to inspire women to get out there and explore the world — whether that means vacations with the kids, “soul-oh” trips, girlfriend getaways or romantic escapes. The blog is syndicated in national online outlets and has won numerous awards, but our overall goal is to assist consumers in making educated travel planning decisions. Traveling Mamas is on the 2009 Nielsen Power Moms list of the 50 most influential mom blogs.

Read the Traveling Mama’s Article on Nanaimo!

getawaybc.com - Discover The Summer Side of Nanaimo, British Columbia

The second blog is getawaybc.com, a terrific resource run by Editor, Cheryl MacKinnon. It’s home to more than 3,000 articles about British Columbia and offers weekly features on best British Columbia getaways and plenty of information on British Columbia’s best fishing, hiking, SCUBA diving, dining and so much more!

Read Discover The Summer Side of Nanaimo, British Columbia!

Posted in About Nanaimo, Accommodations, Arts, Dining, Driving Adventures, Entertainment, Festivals & Events, Golf, Health & Wellness, History & Culture, Indoor Activities, Location & Geography, Outdoor Recreation, Shopping, The Nanaimo Bar, Things to Do, Tourist Attractions, Tours & Charters, Visitor Centres | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | View Comments

Tourism Nanaimo visits the 6th Annual Floating Boat & Marine Show!

Tourism Nanaimo visists the 6th Annual Floating Boat & Marine Show

Morgan, one of our summer students, was on hand at the Tourism Nanaimo booth!

Tourism Nanaimo visists the 6th Annual Floating Boat & Marine Show

Tourism Nanaimo visists the 6th Annual Floating Boat & Marine Show

What a beautiful day!

Tourism Nanaimo visists the 6th Annual Floating Boat & Marine Show

Tourism Nanaimo visists the 6th Annual Floating Boat & Marine Show

Tourism Nanaimo visists the 6th Annual Floating Boat & Marine Show

The Vancouver Island Floating Boat & Marine Show is always a fun event, and this year was no different. You couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day to head downtown, grab a bite to eat and view some of the most impressive boats on Vancouver Island!

We’re already looking forward to the 7th Annual Floating Boat & Marine Show!

All photos © Aidan Moher, 2010.

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Join Tourism Nanaimo for FREE Nanaimo Bars!

The Legendary Nanaimo Bar!Join Tourism Nanaimo n Thursday, June 3rd from 10am – 4pm, for our second annual “Nanaimo Bar Open House” at the Port of Nanaimo Centre Kiosk (located in the bottom floor of the Vancouver Island Conference Centre). If haven’t yet come down to see our newest location, or if you haven’t met Jon Nicholson and our summer staff, now is your chance! We’ll have FREE NANAIMO BARS on hand, and would love to meet you!

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Have you got your Passport?

Tourism Nanaimo's 'Passport to your City'!

Have you picked up a Passport to your City yet? If so, you’re already enjoying all the great discounts and deals offered by over 40 Nanaimo-area businesses and attractions! If you haven’t, what are you waiting for! You’ve got just 5 more days to enjoy Nanaimo, save a bunch of money and enter to win the Grand Prize, a $1000 Nanaimo Staycation!

Visit Tourism Nanaimo’s official Passport to your City website for more information!

Posted in About Nanaimo, Arts, Dining, Driving Adventures, Entertainment, Festivals & Events, Golf, Health & Wellness, History & Culture, Indoor Activities, Outdoor Recreation, Shopping, The Nanaimo Bar, Things to Do, Tourism Nanaimo, Tourist Attractions, Tours & Charters | Tagged , , | View Comments

A Beautiful Day at Nanaimo Harbour

We love Nanaimo for many reasons, photos like this are just one of those:

Nanaimo Harbour, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

© Aidan Moher, 2010

Do you have any great photos of Nanaimo? If so, send them to aidan@tourismnanaimo.com and it might appear on the Harbour City Howler!

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