Have kids and want to know where the best place to live as a family is in Nanaimo? Keep reading as I cover schools and family-friendly Nanaimo neighbourhoods!

So many families, like ours, have been deciding to relocate to Nanaimo in recent years. If that’s you, amazing! I’m so glad you found my blog as that’s exactly what I help people do. My name is Rita and I’m a local realtor in Nanaimo and the surrounding areas on Vancouver Island. Today I’m going to share my top picks for family-friendly neighbourhoods and schools! 

You’ll see some numbers when I mention schools as I’ll be using the Fraser Institute school rankings website to give scores for each neighbourhood school. The website ranks schools between 1-10 using academic markers like reading, writing and numeracy. It also ranks them compared to all other schools in the province of British Columbia. 

As helpful as this is I would still strongly suggest that you do your own research when looking at which schools fit your child’s needs and please feel free to leave a question in the comment section for others to help!

So in no particular order, let’s get started

Departure Bay

Departure Bay is the area where the ferry terminal which leads into horseshoes bay is located. The median price for a home during the last 3 months was $684,900 and people really love this area due to the family-friendly vibe it gives off. Driving down many of these residential streets you’ll spot “slow down kids playing” signs but this is also a popular spot for retirees as residents who’ve lived here for years have stuck around this well-established neighbourhood. You’re far enough from the downtown area to feel much safer, but close enough if you want to visit some museums and theatres.

In Departure Bay you are within walking distance of many beautiful parks such as Sugarloaf Mountain and Kinsmen Park which is right off the beach. 

The Sherwood Forest area of Departure Bay is a really neat little spot with all the street names coming from Robin Hood. I really love the uniqueness of the homes here and some of them have killer ocean views. Living here, I’m sure kids, and big kids, would love seeing the ferries returning and leaving Departure Bay each day.

The catchment for Departure Bay gives you the option of Departure Bay Elementary (Score 5.5/ Ranking 521/870), Rock City Elementary (Score 4/Ranking 750/870) and Wellington Elementary (score 4.7/Ranking 201/252)

Diver Lake

This neighbourhood is full of young families with small children for your kids to play with and also lots of teenagers around. As the name suggests the neighbourhood surrounds a small lake which hosts fishing, small trails and even a bike park with jumps.

Most of the homes here were built between 1961 and 1990, with the median sale price at around $770K. A new development at 2229 Boxwood Road is underway with a proposed 31-unit Townhouse complex as well. I’ll be following this closely!

This centrally located neighbourhood is close to Country Club Mall and restaurants and you’re right in between both highways making commuting that much easier. You also have Beban Park which has a public pool and driving range.

The elementary school here is Coal Tyee Elementary, but actually, it was recently renamed Syuẁén'ct Elementary School which means “our traditions” in the language of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. (Score 2.9/Rank 832/870)

North Nanaimo

What can I say? I love North Nanaimo! I love it so much that I dedicated an entire blog post to my neighbourhood which you should definitely watch next! 

The neighbourhood is very safe, safe enough that I don’t worry about my son walking to the store with friends or to and from school. And speaking of walkability, this area is great for that. Nearby you have beach access, Woodgrove Center, and plenty of restaurants to choose from for a night out with the fam! There’s also a really great skatepark for kids to enjoy.

If you have a family, you know your best bet with shopping is always Costco which is located here as well!

Homes sold at a median price of $866,500 these last 3 months and people continue to move to this area of Nanaimo. I think one reason for this is the schools here are really great.

You have Mcgirr Elementary (Score 6.1/Ranking 399/870), Dover Bay Secondary (Score 7, Ranking 63/252) and Randerson Ridge Elementary (Score 6/Rank 417/870).

I can speak from experience here when I say that the sense of community at these schools is excellent and my son has flourished since his transition from his previous school.

I hate to cut this list short as I do strongly believe there are other wonderful family neighbourhoods here in Nanaimo. If you’re from here and I missed one, and want to let us know what you love about your neighbourhood, share it with us in the comments! 

If you’re thinking of relocating here and have questions about what spots can fulfill your family’s wish list, be sure to get in contact with me! As always if you liked this video don’t forget to give it a thumbs up and subscribe so you never miss one of my weekly updates!

Today I had the pleasure of visiting a new development that has gotten so much buzz, Sitka Landing in Campbell River. 3 styles of west-coast contemporary rancher homes are being installed beginning this summer. You’ll have the option of:

The Estero

featuring 950 sq ft of living space with 2 beds and 2 full bathrooms. Currently priced at $472,303 +GST

The Sonora

featuring 1,070 sq ft of living space with 2 beds, 2 baths and a flex room. Currently priced at $489,900+GST

The Cortez

featuring 1,200 sq ft of living space with 3 beds, 2 baths and is currently priced at $509,975+GST

Besides affordability, the open floor plans and design of these homes are super thoughtful and work for everyone. There is more to learn about Sitka landing that I can’t cover entirely in this post alone but please feel free to contact me directly if you’re interested in knowing more about this new Campbell River community!

These brand-new modular homes are built by a Vancouver Island-based company called Supermod. But don’t let the word modular scare you into thinking this is your average pre-fab home. 

Pre-fab simply means pre-fabricated. What Supermod does is this, but better. 

Using a highly specialized technology, called CNC Manufacturing (which stands for Computer Numerical Control) to produce perfectly sized 3D-printed steel frames for their modular homes, the result is a sleek home design, in a shorter time. We’re talking from months to weeks, as the components of the home are assembled in the factory, then installed on-site. 

Because of their building method and by using galvanized steel, Supermod homes are much more sustainable. They are produced with such accuracy that there is much less wasted building material, and steel is 100% recyclable! Not to mention it’s stronger and more durable. Compare steel to wood. With wood, you have the potential for rot due to moisture absorption, pests, mould, and warping. All of this can compromise the structure of your home over time, costing you money and even your health. 

Not only does building with steel prevent these issues but steel is also non-combustible, preventing fire spread. The lighter material also cuts back on shipping costs, again saving you money!

But enough from me! Supermod was gracious enough to open its doors to its factory to give you a glimpse of how the process works, so check out the footage from this visit in the video above!

Located in the Chase River neighbourhood or Harewood, depending on who you ask, Colliery Dam Park is located at 635 Wakesiah (wake-Sayah) Avenue and is just a short distance from Vancouver Island Univeristy.

The Dam was built in 1910-1911 and is a reminder of how much the coal industry played a part in the early settlement of Nanaimo. The Dam was built by the Western Fuel Company to supply water for coal washing and for use by miners and their mules and horses. It soon also became a source of water for the neighbourhood of South Harewood as residents nearby were allowed to use the water for domestic purposes.

It’s now located in a municipal park and is a leisure destination for locals and tourists alike for swimming, hiking and fishing. 

Swimming

Colliery Dam is a popular spot for freshwater swimming. Just keep in mind that it is not patrolled by a lifeguard. Nearby there are picnic tables and public washrooms to use. 

The lake is also used for fishing so I’d say to be mindful of anyone that you do see fishing, Both to allow them to enjoy their activities and also to protect yourself from being tagged by a sharp hook :(

Fishing

Several times a year Freshwater Fisheries Society stocks the made-made lakes with catchable-sized Rainbow Trout from the hatchery in nearby Duncan. The best time to fish here is early spring and late summer when the water is cooler and swimmers don’t disturb the fishing. 

On Mother’s Day this year which is May 14th, there will be a “Live Bucket Brigade Trout Release” event at the lower lake. The trout will be released at 12pm but there will be live music and interactive exhibits from 10am-2pm. If you are planning on fishing during the event, good news! You won’t need a fishing license. 

If you’re interested in fishing events I would highly recommend you follow “Vancouver Island Fishing for Fun Society” whose founder, Mike Lawrence has made a mission to provide year-round fishing opportunities with fishing release days and derbies throughout the area.

Camping

Unlike Westwood Lake, Colliery Dam does not have on-site camping, with an exception. I covered this in my “5 things I wish I knew Before moving to Nanaimo” blog, which is the by-law that people who are experiencing homelessness may camp at public parks overnight. Colliery dam park was one of the parks that eased restrictions back in 2019, stating Colliery Dam, as well as Bowen and Beban Parks are “broader parks that can balance the rights of all members of the community for usage and access.”

I was pleased to find a Facebook group named “We <3 The Colliery Dams” with members taking a collective approach to keeping the park safe and enjoyable for our community!

Hiking

If you’re looking for an easier hike, then check out the network of trails here. Colliery Dam loop is 2.25km with partially paved trails and takes under an hour to complete, so it’s great for the family. And speaking of fun for the family, check out Granny Falls when you’re hiking. I’ll be doing an entire blog post on Nanaimo waterfalls soon which I’m very excited about!

Part of the park includes off-leash dog trails which are located at the upper lake or “Middle Colliery Dam”. If you haven’t figured it out by now, this is something I immediately needed to explore with my two dogs, Tika and Scout! I found out just before departing, that the area is only designated as off-leash between the hours of 6am-10am and 4pm-dusk. I rushed over just after 9am and was still able to do a nice 25-minute loop with my dogs. I accidentally parked at the lower lake, but next time will park at 703 Nanaimo Lakes Road, which is the entrance to the off-leash area! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!