There are so many ways to get around in Nanaimo! Don’t have a car? No problem.

Today’s topic is something I get asked a fair bit and that is, Do I need a car in Nanaimo and what is the transit system like? I’ll go beyond this and explain some other methods of transportation you’ll want to know if you’re going to be living in Nanaimo.

Driving

Let’s start with the first question and that is do you need a vehicle here? My answer to this question is always… if you can afford one these days (gas prices) then yes, I highly recommend one. This is due to the fact that it provides you the ability to get to other destinations Vancouver Island has to offer much easily. Once you move here, you’ll want to explore and you can be in beautiful destinations in a matter of hours, like in this video of my trip to Hornby Island. 

If you’re in the city, having a car makes it so you’re no more than 20-25 minutes from most points. Nanaimo is a long city North to South, with two highways that run in this direction so you can get anywhere fairly quickly. Nanaimo is great at providing lots of shopping opportunities in all segments of this city though, so if you’re fine with sticking to your neighbourhood then transit or biking is probably fine.

By car, according to Google Maps, from central Nanaimo you are 1h36mins to Victoria.

2h57 mins to Tofino

1h34 mins to Campbell River

32 mins to Parksville

2 hours to Port Renfrew

1h10 mins to Port Alberni

And 1h14 minutes to the Comox Valley

If you have an electric vehicle, Nanaimo currently has 81 charging stations around the city! If not, gas prices in Nanaimo today hover around 1.58…

As far as ride sharing is concerned, Nanaimo is lucky to have U-ride which started last November! Simply download the app and request a pick-up. It functions just like Uber and Lyft in bigger cities and is an excellent alternative to Taxis. I recently used this service to get from the Departure Bay ferry terminal to the Nanaimo Airport and it was a $45 fare.

Public Parking

Parking in Nanaimo is also very affordable compared to big cities and finding parking is usually pretty easy! There are a number of parking apps to make payment and extending your parking hastle-free.

Public Transit

Now onto Bus Transit. Nanaimo does have a very thorough bus route network throughout the city which covers down to Cassidy where the airport is located and up to Lantzville in the North, as well as the intercity bus route 91 which goes to Parksville and QB. The three large exchanges are located at Woodgrove Center, Country Club Mall and at VIU.

Cycling

On top of the bus transit system in Nanaimo, the city also has a healthy network of bike lanes. Active transportation is something Nanaimo is working on, as the population grows and people need more and more cost-effective ways to get around town. There have been major bike lane improvements along Metral Drive and Bowen road, however there has been some resistance with seeing improvements downtown on Front street with the major argument being congestion issues for cars and according to one article on Nanaimo News Now “ A lengthy project to include bike lanes on Wakesiah Ave. between Bowen Rd. and Colliery Dam Park is awaiting funding and direction from council.”

There’s also a Nanaimo Cycling App, but I didn’t find this very useful other than providing a map of the city with coloured routes. 

Extended Travel

Now besides ways to get around within the city, what about ways to get off the island, to and from Nanaimo?

Most people’s immediate plan of action here is BC Ferries. After this video is done, check this one out where I describe my experience using BC ferries to commute to and from West Vancouver for a year for work. As travel to and from Vancouver Island has increased, particularly during the summer months, it’s recommended you always reserve a sailing if you’re travelling with your car! Otherwise, you will risk having to wait for a sailing or more. Nanaimo has two large BC ferry terminals, one in Departure Bay which connects you to West Vancouver and one in Duke Point which brings you into Twawassen. There’s also a 20-minute sailing from the Nanaimo Harbour to Gabriola island. These smaller ferry services will take you to all the smaller islands off the coast of Vancouver Island called the Gulf Islands, like Salt Spring, Denman and Hornby. They’re well worth exploring

Of course, if you’re looking for a direct and easy way to get from downtown Nanaimo to downtown Vancouver, Nanaimo’s new high-speed passenger ferry called Hullo began service this summer. I’ve taken it twice so far and it’s been super easy, albeit a little pricier than walking on with BC ferries. A base fare for Hullo is $39, compared to $19 with BC ferries.

If you’re not into travelling by boat, then one of the smaller seaplanes from Nanaimo Harbour could be the answer. Seair offers service from downtown Nanaimo to downtown Vancouver for around $116(when booked online**) and Harbour Air, which I found fares this week for as low as $79.

Located in the same area as Hullo Ferries, Helijet offers flights to downtown Vancouver on their twin-engine 12-seater helicopter and will get you there in just 18 minutes! Flights this week were as low as $129.

Then if you really have places to go, Nanaimo’s Airport offers service to connect you to international airports through airlines such as Air Canada, West Jet and Pacific Coastal. 

I hope this has answered your questions about how to get around the city of Nanaimo! If there’s something you’d like to know that I did not cover, get in touch! ritafraserrealty@gmail.com

Today’s neighbourhood feature is Pleasant Valley. I’ll let you know why I think this is a great location for families relocating to Nanaimo and all the other features that make this community great.

Pleasant Valley is a neighbourhood located in the north end of Nanaimo, mostly on the West Side of the Nanaimo Parkway which is the new highway. It surrounds Brannen Lake and the area is known for its natural beauty and recreational opportunities. 

As I’ve mentioned in past videos, one of the first things you will want to consider when moving to a new city is the location. What is your lifestyle and what matters most in terms of where you will be living? Pleasant Valley is ranked highest for a quiet place to live, as well as schools and daycares, which makes it an ideal spot for families. Walkability is ranked a little lower, however, this is due to the fact that most amenities nearby are across the highway in North Nanaimo, such as Woodgrove Mall and all the other shops and restaurants I mentioned in this video. This also isn’t entirely true, however, as along Metral Drive there are excellent bike paths and sidewalks which will take you along the shops and grocery store in that area. In my opinion, the balance of having everything situated so close by but that you are tucked away from the busier side of town is a huge bonus.

Circling back to schools, Pleasant Valley Elementary is the school here located at 6201 Dunbar Road. The families I know who have kids attend school here report that they’re very happy and the school is very safe with a lovely community feel.

Another great part of this community is the Pleasant Valley Hall, which is a social center where you can rent space for different events. Looking at the calendar for the month, they offer a range of activities from Martial arts, Yoga and different dance classes! 

If you’re looking for a local escape not far from home, the Black Bear Pub serves homemade Canadian cuisine with a relaxed atmosphere.

I mentioned earlier that in Pleasant Valley you will find Brennan Lake, which is a recreational lake known for its RV park and campsite. It also has a boat launch and fishing dock. So if you’re looking for a fun stay-cation with the family this is a really great option! There’s lots of wildlife to check out while you’re here as well including deer and birds of prey like owls and hawks. 

Besides Brennan Lake, you are very close to the Dumont Mountain biking trails with border Pleasant Valley and North Jingle Pot. You can also hike through these trails but be mindful of the bike paths! If you want a hike with an amazing waterfall at the end, check out nearby Ammonite Falls which you can see for yourself in this video.

Pleasant Valley is a fairly new community with most builds here occurring in the 1980’s. The median sale price here for a single-family detached home over the last 90 days is $880,250 but there is also a good amount of condo buildings and townhome complexes. These sold for a median price of $530k over the last 90 days. If you’re looking at a move to Nanaimo in the near future I wouldn’t hesitate to check out the neighbourhood of Pleasent Valley and I’m always here to answer any questions you may have about this community and others!