Nanaimo Overview

Nanaimo, known as the Harbour City, with a population of 80,000+ is located in the centre of the east coast of Vancouver Island. Its name is derived from the Coast Salish word “Sne-ney-mous” which means "a great and mighty people".

Nanaimo boasts both a vibrant business community and exceptional quality of life. The city is now a regional centre for technology, manufacturing, tourism, retail, healthcare, and government services.

More than two million people live within a 100-mile radius. Downtown Vancouver is just a 15-minute harbour-to-harbour plane ride away. From Nanaimo you can link to all major Canadian and U.S. destinations. Industry has also long valued Nanaimo; its harbour is a doorway to global commerce.

The harbour is a hub of activity year-round with ocean going freighters, ferries, fishing boats, barges, cruise ships, pleasure craft, float plane traffic and bathtubs. A state of the art Cruise ship terminal was opened in 2011. Scenic cruises, kayaking and fishing charters are only some of the activities available to experience our spectacular coast.

The site of a major BC Ferry terminal, the upgraded Nanaimo Airport and easy access to the Island Highway system makes getting to Nanaimo easy…it’s leaving that’s difficult.