Get ready to Explore Nanaimo! Use your passport for discounts at more than 40 area attractions, local businesses, and special activities between February 28 and May 20, 2011. Keep your passport over the summer to use during the bonus week October 11-16, 2011.

Have your passport initialed by at least one business in each category, and you will be entered to win bi-weekly prizes and a $1,000 Nanaimo Staycation package. Please note there is one entry per person and you must have your passport present to claim your prize.

The Package includes:

• A West Coast Fishing Trip with Intrepid Charters
• Dinner for two at Acme Restaurant
• $50 Gift Certificate for A & W Restaurants
• Tea for Two at The Grand Hotel Nanaimo
• One Overnight Stay at Painted Turtle Guesthouse
• … And Many more!

Passports are just $5.00 and can be purchased at (cash only):

• Beban Park Recreation Centre
• Nanaimo Aquatic Centre
• Oliver Woods Recreation Centre
• Bowen Park Social Centre
• Nanaimo Ice Rink
• All Serious Coffee locations ~ Commercial Street, Hammond Bay Rd, Southgate Plaza, Pipers location, and Beaufort Centre
• Tourism Nanaimo Visitor Centre ~ Beban House, on Bowen Road.

Visit the official 2011 Passport to your City website to view the participating businesses and to sign up to win prizes

For more information please contact Tourism Nanaimo at 250-756-0106.

I’ll admit it. I’m excited.

Why?

The 2011 Nanaimo Passport to your City will be here by the end of the month! Last year, with the help of five amazing people from Leadership BC, Tourism Nanaimo created Explore Nanaimo – Passport to Your City. The program was designed to get residents of Nanaimo out of their house to enjoy all the great attractions that the Harbour City has to offer — because, really, there are endless things to do in and around Nanaimo.

Passport to Your City was a great success; so this year, we’ve decided to extend the length of the program to three months! My goal is to have Nanaimoites spend the whole of Spring 2011 enjoying what their wonderful city has to offer, from local fairs and featured restaurants, to outdoor adventures by boat or learning about our city’s colourful history and everyday cultural experiences.

As I mentioned earlier, the Passport to your City program has been extend from three weeks to three months. Starting February 28th and ending May 20th, Nanaimo businesses will be offering special discounts for those residents and visitors who have purchased a Nanaimo Passport to your City. Just a sample of some included discounts:

• free admission for swimming or skating
• 2 for 1 on all Wild Play activities
• 10-30% off boating and fishing tours
• 2 for 1 coffee and lattes
• 2 for 1 appies at your favourite restaurants
• the list goes on and on…

So, are you ready to get your passport yet? Me too! A 2011 Nanaimo Passport to your City is only $5! Really, when you see all the discounts and promotions inside, you’ll realize that it’s an absolute steal of deal. Discounts range in value from $2 to all the way to $30.

Getting out and exploring your city can be so much fun, and if you’re lucky enough you could be the winner of a truly deluxe Nanaimo visitor experience. Once you have your passport and are ready to take advantage of all the great discounts, you can enter in for some awesome prizes and the ultimate Nanaimo Staycation Grand Prize. I am so excited to be able to offer such a great prize. We have had some amazing businesses donate prizes to this year’s grand prize. Here’s how you can qualify for the prizes:

Purchase a passport for $5 at one of the following locations:

• Participating Serious Coffee locations
• Nanaimo Aquatic Centre
• Beban Park Recreation Centre
• Tourism Nanaimo Visitor Centre on Bowen Road

Visit businesses within the passport and take advantage of the great discounts. Make sure to have your passport initialled by a staff person when you use a discount.

Once you have at least 5 initials, just register your Passport to your City on the official passport website. You will need the password found in your passport to register.

Once registered, you will be eligible to win biweekly prizes and the Nanaimo Staycation Grand Prize. To claim the prize, you must bring in your passport with initials from at least five locations!

So, spread the word. Don’t keep these great discounts a secret! Tell all your friends and family. This is going to be fun. I can’t wait to see everyone out exploring Nanaimo. If you have any questions about the passport please send me an email at amanda@tourismnanaimo.com or visit the official passport website!

Cheers,

Amanda Evoy

Manager, Marketing & Communications
Tourism Nanaimo

Every year, we produce two publications that serve as your guide to Nanaimo. Whether you’re looking for a place to eat, a bed to lay your head on, a hike through nature or a tour of Nanaimo’s history, these two guides have you absolutely covered.

Map and Attractions Guide 2011

• Why to choose Nanaimo
• Recreational activities
• Arts and cultural amenities
• Beautiful photographic imagery
• Where to stay
• How to get here
• Relocation information

Travel Planner and Accommodation Guide 2011

• Activities and attractions
• Dining
• Shopping
• Parks & trails
• Helpful maps

You can find them all over town, or, if you want to say “hi!”, you can also drop into one of our two visitor centres and we’d be happy to look through the guide with you and point out some of the great experiences available in Nanaimo!

Even better? You can check them out right now. Seriously. Both the 2011 Nanaimo Map and Attractions Guide and the 2011 Nanaimo Travel Planner and Accommodation Guide are available on our website.

Home for the Holidays — Holiday ideas in Nanaimo!

“Bah Humbug,” muttered Mark. He shovelled the last bit of snow off the porch steps of Beban House, and watched a bunny hop across the powdery white blanket that covered the Tourism front garden. “We better not have to cancel the party again!” He grumbled and knocked the snow off his boots, then brushed a layer of snowflakes from his toque. “Why can’t the snow wait until after our annual membership party?” He said, shaking his fist upwards towards the United Way in particular and the heavens in general.

Volunteer Bill peered out of the main floor window, and wiggled his finger in condemnation. He opened the window, and leaned out to call. “It’s bad luck to curse the weather – we’ll look even more like the North Pole if you do!”

Of course Bill was always right, so Mark stopped grumbling about the weather and stepped inside the warm foyer. The colourful brochure racks resembled a display of Christmas cards, which set Mark to wondering… What WAS he going to get his dear wife for Christmas? He flipped his frost-nipped fingers through the racks, and listening carefully to Amanda’s suggestions, came up with a wonderful plan.

“A Harbour City Holiday.” They quickly called around to all the best establishments, and came up with a variety of vacation treats. Two beautiful B&Bs were booked – one on the waterfront, and one in a rural paradise. An afternoon browsing the art galleries followed by a tea-leaf reading and a massage at the spa ought to both inspire and relax. They thoughtfully booked a limousine service for a Christmas Light Tour followed by a rousing New Year’s Eve party at a poshy downtown restaurant.

Cathy peered over their shoulders at the list of vacation events. “You really know how to keep everyone happy, don’t you Mark? I see you even booked a bungee jump for the kids.”

“You think she’ll like this better than a Tourism Nanaimo T-shirt and sweatpants?” he asked, pointing at the clothing racks behind the reception desk.

“Very sure,” said Cathy.

Courtenay chimed in. “Aidan took me to the Salvation Army fundraiser at the Queens last year – that was really fun. You’d have to get your buns in gear though, it’s before Christmas. December 15th.”

Mark knew how much Lesley loved dancing. “Who’s playing?

“David Gogo, Big Twang Theory and Captain Howdy, plus a whole bunch more live bands. And you just donate a non-perishable to get in.”

Mark winced. “I better get my dancing boots on, and practice my dipping…” He glanced out the window, and was relieved to see the snow was already melting, and just in time for the Tourism party on the 16th. Nanaimo is a lively place during the holidays, he thought, and began to whistle Jingle Bell Rock. Slater put his ears back and curled up tighter in his kitty bed.

Operation Red Nose will be guiding us safely through the holidays again this year, thanks to the volunteers who give their time and energy to a wonderful cause.

Not only do the dedicated drivers get you AND your car home after indulging in holiday cheer, they also raise funds for PacificSport, an organization tasked with helping young athletes win medals for Canada. So think of it as a work out – training for the cause – when you choose to get home safely with Operation Red Nose.

Each team consists of a driver, a navigator and the escort driver. Holiday revelers are driven home in their own vehicle by the volunteer driver and navigator, who are then picked up by the escort driver in an Operation Red Nose vehicle. Don’t worry if you and your friends need to be scattered through the neighbourhood at various drop-off locations – the volunteers are happy to take the full tour and get you all home safe.

Suggested donation is comparable taxi fare plus a tip for getting your car home too.

“Volunteers are still needed – and it’s actually a fun night out,” says Amanda Evoy of Tourism Nanaimo, who is a working with the Red Nose campaign. “Santa’s helpers come in many forms, and it’s an excellent way to keep our roads safe for everyone. Whether you’re off to a party – or organizing one, give us a call.”

This year, Operation Red Nose runs on Nov. 26 and 27 and Dec. 3. 4. 10. 11, 17, 18, 23 and New Year’s Eve. Pickup and drop-off services run 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. anywhere from Lantzville to Ladysmith.

To book a ride, please call 250-755-6969. (Enter the number in your phone contacts now!)

To volunteer, please call 250-740-6572.

To find out more about please visit the Operation Red Nose website or the PacificSport website.

Kiera-Anne and Miss 604 visit Nanaimo! Photo © Kiera-Anne 2010

Kiera-Anne and Miss 604 recently joined Chelsea Barr of Destination Nanaimo for a fun-filled tour of our Harbour City! Not surprisingly, they loved it!

Here’s a bit of what Kiera-Anne had to say of her visit:

For far too long, Nanaimo has been a “drive through/drive thru” city for me: I would only ever “drive through” Nanaimo to get to the Comox Valley while hitting up a “drive thru” for some nosh on my way. As part of our escape, Rebecca and I took some well overdue time to explore the aptly-named Harbour City.

[...]

The final leg of our tour through downtown Nanaimo was spent weaving in and out of specialty shops, boutiques and artisan galleries. Gone are the days when Nanaimo’s shopping destination is only the mall; the city’s quarters are filled with rare finds and covet-worthy items any girl would gush over.

[...]

Downtown Nanaimo should undoubtedly be a key stop on your next drive up or down Vancouver Island.

You can read more about their Nanaimo adventure, and see many more photos, over at Kiera-Anne’s article called A Walking Tour Of Downtown Nanaimo.

Just shy of 90,000 friendly residents, Nanaimo sits on an edge of Vancouver Island, just a mere hour and a half drive from Victoria. As a city girl like myself would expect, life here is quieter and slower (despite new highrises like the Pacifica Development), but I was pleasantly surprised to find it not only quaint — after all, the downtown strip is just three blocks long — but also full of history (fun facts: Coast Salish natives were its first inhabitants, the city itself sits on a massive coal resource and, yes, it’s where the nanaimo bar was born).

It only took me two days and two nights to love this little town, and here are some reasons why you just might, too.

Read more…

We all know why Nanaimo and Vancouver Island are so great, and its wonderful to read about visitors discovering the charms of our Harbour City. May Globus has nothing but great things to say about Nanaimo over at Sweetlife. So what are you waiting for? Head on over and find out why she fell in love with Nanaimo and ‘Island Time’!

Christmas comes early at Vancouver Island University

From the Nanaimo News Bulletin:

The 16th annual event, which raises money for student scholarships, awards and bursaries, begins Friday (Nov. 19) with a luncheon and ends Nov. 27.

The university cafeteria has turned into a winter wonderland, with more than 50 expertly decorated trees, wreaths and other decorations, while a light display illuminates the campus grounds.

[...]

From an inukshuk tree with hand-painted glass ornaments to a ‘green’ tree with ornaments made out of recycled materials, there is a tree to appeal to every person’s taste and style.

[...]

The main fundraising event is the gala dinner, and with a four-course dinner prepared by VIU’s culinary arts students, live and silent auctions, music and dancing, it is one of the city’s most anticipated events of the year.

Tickets are $175 and are just about sold out.

The Festival of Trees is an absolutely wonderful event! Even if you can’t make it to the Gala Dinner, make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Vancouver Island University cafeteria to check out the decorated trees and soak in the Christmas spirit on November 20, 21 or 27.

Central Vancouver Island’s favourite holiday tradition, “The Festival of Trees”, truly captures the holiday spirit. Immerse yourself in the magic of Christmas at the 16th annual Festival of Trees. The University is alive with festive trees and decorations that will delight visitors of all ages. Everyone can enjoy the spectacular Christmas displays, live entertainment, holiday treats, and children’s activities. There is something for everyone at the Festival of Trees.

To learn more about the Festival of Trees visit the Official Website or our Calendar of Events!

Photo credit: Nicole Vaugeois

November is the perfect time to traipse amongst fallen leaves, take a Sunday drive through a beautiful pastoral scene, and hunt for unique gifts for the coming holidays. The Yellow Point and Cedar Country Christmas Tour offers a delight-filled trip for visitors and locals alike.

The artisans who live and work in this rural area open their doors at 10 am each day and invite the public to browse their wares and poke amongst the artwork until 5 pm. Run your fingers through the softest wool you’ve ever felt at the Yellow Point Alpaca Farm or book a country portrait session with Nicole at the Broody Rooster Guest Houseand Gift Shop. Pick up honey, cranberries or dried herbs at one of the working farms – the produce couldn’t be fresher or more local! View artisans working in their own creative environment, displaying their work, discussing and demonstrating techniques and serving light refreshments. This scenic road trip encompasses native art, jewellery, original paintings, stained glass mosaics, pottery, quilts, woodwork, photography and hand-forged iron work.

Spend the whole day, bring a friend or two, and enjoy a country adventure. You won’t want to miss the world famous Barton-Leier Gallery or the Old England ambiance of the Crow and Gate Pub. Maps and brochures available at tourism information centres. Company’s coming and we’ve opened our doors – please come in and enjoy our hospitality!

A Map of the Yellow Point and Cedar Country Christmas Tour — Click to View a Larger Image

For more information on the tour please visit the Cedar Yellow Point Artisans Association website.

Dinner Murder Mystery at Acme Restaurant on Saturday at 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm). It’s the Hallowe’en event of the season as luminaries from the arts community gather for the wake of their devoted patron. But the ghoulish gathering takes on even greater significance when it raises the dead, and sends another to a similar fate. More importantly, can the worlds of ballet, opera and household cleaning all co-exist in the same room? An interactive evening of murder mystery fun that will test your skills as a detective while enjoying the hilarity. Dress theme is “Ghoulishly Black”. For ticket info check out www.englishentertainment.ca

Downtown Nanaimo is hosting Halloween activities for the little ones. Bring your little ghost, goblin, or spider man downtown for trick or treating from 12pm-3pm and look for the merchants with displaying black and orange balloons to find the candy loot. Trick or Treat maps can be found at the participating merchant. In addition, just outside Bocca in the Old City Quarter you will find Halloween crafting from noon-3pm and Halloween stories will be told at 2pm at the Harbour front Library. For more info check out www.dnbia.ca/events/downtown-trick-or-treat

Island Haunt presents its annual haunted house, the “Labyrinth of Darkness” at the Beban Park fairgrounds on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 7pm-11pm and admission is $8 per person. Enter into the world of evil darkness and come experience the ongoings that no-one talks about behind closed doors. ‘Labyrinth of Darkness’ is certain to have an impact on everyone who enters it. The International Association of Haunted Attractions identifies the ‘Labyrinth of Darkness’ as a High Startle, Low Gore attraction, signifying that the attraction will contain many startling scares using hidden corridors and misdirection. There will be little, if any, blood, guts or gore. For more information check out www.islandhaunt.com

Shmooze Productions presents The Rocky Horror Show LIVE at the Nanaimo Centre Stage. On a dark and stormy night, an unsuspecting couple “accidentally” are drawn into an unusual world. Come join Brad and Janet as they meet Riff Raff, Magenta, Columbia, Rocky, Eddie, Dr. Scott, Narrator and, of course, FrankNFurter! This musical extravaganza includes all the hits from the movie, including Science Fiction Double Feature, Dammit Janet and The Time Warp. Come on out Saturday or Sunday night and participate! For more info check out www.schmoozeproductions.com

Halloween Trick or Treat at Country Club Mall on Sunday from 4pm-5pm. This event is happening all throughout the centre and all of the merchants at Country Club Centre are looking forward to seeing you and have goodies for your treat bag. Have a safe and fun Halloween at Country Club Centre. Volunteers from “Crimestoppers” will be at the JYSK and Save on Foods entrances. Help support this organization by making a small donation.

Sink or Swim Scuba is hosting its 2nd Annual Costume Contest and Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest at Madrona Beach in Nanoose. We’re celebrating Halloween in three different ways, dress up with Halloween flair and go for a dive, or carve a pumpkin under water wearing traditional dive gear or, do both, dress up and carve your pumpkin. Add some fun. Enter your underwater pumpkin masterpiece for a chance to win prizes. Join us for eats, treats! Register today by contacting us at Sink or Swim Scuba. Family and Friends welcome. For more info check out their website www.sosscuba.ca

Dive Outfitters is hosting an Underwater Pumpkin Carving Contest and Costume Party on Sunday from 12pm-3pm. A fun filled scuba diving event where the public plays an important role. We need you to come down and help judge the pumpkins that the divers so artfully carve under water. Divers work their way through an underwater challenge course on their way to the pumpkin patch to pick their pumpkin. They then carve their pumpkin under water and return to shore for judging. Hot chocolate is available along with hot dogs, cookies and other goodies. This event is a fundraiser for the BC Kidney Foundation to raise awareness of kidney disease and the need for organ donation to help those on the extensive organ transplant list. For more info check out www.nanaimodiveoutfitters.ca

/A\ Channel News has all the details:

Want to know the best spots to land a huge salmon or watch thousands spawn? Need help navigating the island’s wine trail? Looking for fun kid-friendly activities? It’s all here in the palm of your hand: The best of the island and its hidden gems – from Victoria to Port Hardy – with tips on peak times to see wildlife, which trails to avoid if you’re not hard-core, easy ways to save money and more.

Vancouver Island Exploration Guide is the island’s most complete app guide out there. And it keeps getting bigger. Download it and you get free updates for life. Here’s what else:

•130 entries & 742 colour photos
•Photo slideshows to help you decide where to go
•All-new insider hints, tips and descriptions from an islander
•Google maps with directions and pushpins for each entry
•GPS tracking so you know what’s nearby
•50+ FREE attractions and activities
•One-click website links and phone calls
•Offline content you can access anywhere
•Entries sorted by name, distance, price and region
•The ability to post interactive comments, save favourites, share photos

Make the most of your time on the island that readers of Conde Nast Traveller magazine consistently rank the “Best North American Island.” This easy-to-use app will take you to the best spots and give you practical advice along the way. Start traveling like a local today.

The Vancouver Island Exploration Guide for the iPhone and iPod Touch

Many of Tourism Nanaimo's wonderful Members are featured in the App!

You can download the Vancouver Island Exploration Guide for $2.99 on iTunes.

Sunset on Gabriola Island - Image © Aidan Moher

Nanaimo is full of wonderful day trip opportunities and Gabriola Island is one of absolute best. Just a quick ferry ride from Nanaimo Harbour, Gabriola Island is home to laid-back artists, beautiful beaches, bustling cafes and friendly people. Kiera-Anne, a popular Vancouver-based blogger, recently gushed about our little Gulf Island secret.

She says:

What makes Gabriola Island so incredible is the varied topography. Forests, beaches, rock cliffs, arbutus trees and brightly coloured floral splashes everywhere you look only add to the natural charm. Gabriola Island is home to three provincial parks, the most notable being Descanso Bay Regional Park. It’s where you will find the Malaspina Galleries – a display of breathtaking natural sandstone formations that seem more likely to be found on the planet Mars than coastal BC.

We couldn’t agree more! If you’re looking for a fun, easy day trip, Gabriola Island has everything you could ask of from one of the world famous Gulf Islands. So, whether it’s a sunny, spring morning, or a blustery fall afternoon, why not hop on the ferry and check out Gabriola Island, one of Nanaimo’s true gems!

About Kiera-Anne:

Born in the small fishing town of Port Hardy and raised in the Comox Valley, Keira-Anne uses her lust for the lost art of language to provide hyper-local Vancouver Island content with a healthy dose of life in the city. Though she escapes back to the Comox Valley at every chance she gets, Keira-Anne has called downtown Vancouver home for more than half a decade.

Head on over to Kiera-Anne’s blog to read more about her experience on Gabriola Island and see some wonderful photos.

The Celebrity Millennium sits in Nanaimo Harbour

Downtown Nanaimo pulled out all the stops and made a very good impression. From the Downtown Farmer’s Market with musical entertainment provided by Wellington Secondary School and John Barsby Community School band students, to an RCMP officer dressed to impress in full regalia, and many of the downtown restaurants serving up Nanaimo Bars like they were going out of style, there was never a dull moment, that’s for sure.

Busy, busy, busy!

Tourism Nanaimo & DNBIA team up to help visitors!

The passengers were from all over the world; we met people off the ship from Europe (Britain, Germany, the Netherlands), North America (as close as Seattle and as far away as Virginia, Maryland and Mexico) just to name a few. For some it was their first time to Nanaimo, and for others it was a second or third return trip to the Harbour City.

Courtenay & Zoe, ready to welcome you to Nanaimo, the Harbour City!

Some passengers took tours to nearby attractions like Cowichan Valley, the “Wine Valley of the North”; others headed west to Coombs and Port Alberni to see the goats on the roof and the McLean Saw Mill. Wherever they ended up the feedback was great, especially from those who stayed in Downtown. According to many of the passengers, Nanaimo is the most welcoming port they have ever been to, and with so many services set up specifically for the cruise ship passengers – like a free shuttle provided by DNBIA and Tourism Nanaimo from the harbour to the Old City Quarter and a DNBIA volunteer to greet every passenger that disembarked, and help them to plan out their day – it’s no wonder they felt welcomed!

This fair isn’t just about agriculture, check out their website (www.viex.ca) for a complete listing of events from August 20-22. Event highlights include the all new family friendly Midway by Shooting Stars Amusement, musical talents including Steve Palmer, Johnny Inappropriate, and Aaron Prichett, tractor pulls, horse shows, skateboard demos, and the spookiest haunted house in town!

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!