One of my favorite activities is dining out! I tried out one of Nanaimo's Dine Out Festival restaurants, Beefeaters Seafood and Steakhouse.

This is Nanaimo's first annual Dine Out Festival which ran this year from January 20th to February 5th, so I made it in just under the wire if you're from Vancouver you'll be familiar with the concept as they've had their dine out experience for 21 years and in Toronto, they have what's called “Dine TOgether”. The idea is simple, to promote local restaurants for tourists and locals to enjoy their menus at a discounted price. Usually, this consists of a set menu and a three-course meal but other variations exist such as take out only options. In Nanaimo this year the price range is $20 to $65 per person. We went out with two other couples so for this reason we chose Beefeaters Seafood and Steakhouse as it had the most variety for more people. From chicken to beef to fish, at only $49 a person for a three-course meal-you can't go wrong with that! The location is also ideal for our visiting friends, as it's located on Nanaimo's Waterfront walkway next to Newcastle Island and has amazing mountainscape and waterfront views. This is the waterfront dining experience I've been waiting for!

Beefeaters was recently acquired by two new owners, Josh and Erralyn Joseph, who have a genuine desire to run the restaurant with the same Integrity as its original owners of 35 years, Petros and Helen Mihilatoes. You can read their full and thoughtful bio on their website where they also give thanks to the legacy of everyone who's made the restaurant a success over the years. What I was most excited about was trying their new menu, which is an integration of Josh and Erralyn’s First Nations culinary background with the original Mediterranean and Canadian-style cuisine that the restaurant is known for. 

When we arrived at the restaurant I realized it’s located very near the Departure Bay Ferry terminal. In fact, you drive just past it and can walk to Beefeaters from the terminal if you had a delayed sailing. Unfortunately it was also dark, so the views I was anticipating weren’t visible. From a short stroll around though you can still tell this would be a beautiful spot on a sunny day!

To begin, the menu had cocktail options that they don’t normally offer and I was immediately drawn to their “Beefeater’s Martini” featuring blue cheese stuffed olives. This isn’t my typical choice however I was craving something a bit more savory and this definitely hit the spot!

The Dine Out menu consisted of quite a few options for appetizers and I had a hard time choosing between the french onion soups or the seared scallops with the citrus pork belly. In the end my decision to choose the scallops was a sound one and was the perfect starter to my main choice- The Bison short ribs. 

Our food arrived quickly and everyone’s dishes looked amazing. Those of us who had mashed potatoes with our meals found out quickly that they weren’t served as hot as the rest of the food but without missing a beat our server brought a fresh bowl of steaming hot potatoes. Delish!

The final course was a Vanilla creme brulee served with the perfect hard shell and was an amazing way to end the meal. I walked away with a VERY full belly!

Everyone was super attentive which is good, because the restaurant wasn’t very busy. In fact by 8:30pm we were the only diners left. Turns out it’s been a slow return back to normal for this lovely restaurant after Covid - both staffing-wise and patron-wise. If you’re in Nanaimo I would highly recommend you come here for a bite- I’ll certainly be back!

It's one of Nanaimo's most loved and visited parks, and I'd never been… until today! The sun was out so I decided to take my first stroll around Westwood Lake Park.

My first experience with Westwood Lake Park was during our home search. We absolutely loved this neighbourhood and found ourselves comparing so many others to it! The homes near the lake are beautiful and what a cool spot to come home to. Westwood Lake Park is located in the South Jinglepot neighbourhood, near Mount Benson. Considering so many Nanaimo residents come here for outdoor activities, I figured it was about time for me to check it out for myself! 

The main reason I have yet to explore this area is that it's about a 15-minute drive from my house… my purpose for today was to explore with my dogs which usually for me means a walk to Pioneer Park or to Invermere Beach. Westwood Lake offers an almost 6km loop trail around it, with many others to explore! These trails are on-leash only until you reach the off-leash area if you're with your dog. Today was an absolutely beautiful day and I'm so disappointed I was short on time because I didn't even make it to the off-leash area! it's located on the opposite side of the parking lots, halfway around the trail and I just didn't have time. Regardless, we did enjoy our time walking around. 

Many people use the trails here for running which I quickly learned when trying to wrangle my leashed dogs out of the way of passing runners! 

Speaking of Runners!

The park has hosted the Westwood Lake Triathlon for coming up on 6 years, with the next one taking place on May 14, 2023. The triathlon begins with a swim on the lake, followed by a cycle around the rural neighbourhoods of Jinglepot, Brennan Lake and Dumont Road. The run to the finish line is through the trails surrounding Westwood Lake! 

Family Recreation

I mentioned in my Blog “Things to do in Nanaimo” that Westwood Lake is a popular swim destination in the summer, and I can see why! It's the city's only lifeguard-patrolled Freshwater Beach and is a great spot to hang out for the day, as there are washrooms and change rooms available on location. Their Campground is also open year-round for RV and tent camping, making it the perfect Vancouver Island staycation with the family. Rates are about ~$40 a night to tent, ~$50 a night for an RV and their cabins and cottage range from ~$90 to $170 a night.

Community Events

Westwood Lake hosts so many community activities! One of the more fun ones occurs at Halloween which is the Westwood Lake Witch Paddle! This is hosted by the VIU Student Union and is a free event which began in 2021, where people show up dressed as witches and paddle board around the lake. There are also extra activities like bouncy castles, a food truck and a bonfire to roast marshmallows! They've also set up fun treasure hunts on the trails. They do collect donations for this event but it always is for a good cause! 

Fishing on the Lake!

Westwood Lake is a very popular spot for fishermen in Nanaimo. Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. releases catchable-sized rainbow trout in the lake each year. You can also find cutthroat trout and smallmouth bass. One interesting article I found was from 2019, where Anglers actually caught piranhas in the lake!! The belief is that some locals thought it was a good place to release their aquarium fish… which obviously was a not-so-great idea! 

On Father's Day every year, the lake hosts a “Family Fishing Day” which coincides with B.C.'s Family Fishing Weekend. This is where the B.C. government waives the requirement for a fishing license for a three-day period. 

I have to admit my time spent here today was very minimal. But, the good news is I live here now! And you know what? I think you should too! so if you want to know more about relocating to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, contact me here! 

As much as I love living in Nanaimo, no city is perfect. I surveyed the neighbours to find out our top downsides to living in Nanaimo!

I took a spin around my North Nanaimo neighbourhood and asked my community what they disliked about living in Nanaimo. 

Where Are All of the Doctors?!

It's nearly impossible to find a doctor in Nanaimo! BC already has a shortage of physicians, but finding one on Vancouver Island, particularly North, can take years. A lot of people have added themselves to waitlists but even then it can take a really long time to be seen by a family doctor. Adding to this frustration, a lot of clinics have even closed their wait lists. Luckily, I was given a heads-up to this and I kept my family doctor on the mainland. I mostly do phone consultations with him and there's also the Telus Health app that a lot of Islanders use. There are only a few walk-in clinics in Nanaimo as well, so when I found myself severely ill, I had to drive up to Parksville to their urgent care. One of my neighbours also mentioned the difficulty of not having a cardiac unit in Nanaimo and having to drive about two hours to Victoria to be seen. Another neighbour mentioned that they received excellent care at the Nanaimo Regional hospital, so I don't want to discourage you completely! Just make sure that if you intend to move to Nanaimo you have a health care plan in place.

Litter Bugs

Even in some of the nicer areas in Nanaimo, it seems impossible to avoid litter. I'm convinced that a lot of this garbage is from people passing through, but I'd love to see more of a community effort to keep our parks and sidewalks clear of garbage. Sadly there's also been an increase in discarded needles. What's more concerning, is one of my neighbours shared with me that they found some of these needles in a school zone. I personally haven't experienced this. I did experience it a little bit in Vancouver, which is to be expected a little bit more in larger cities, I just didn't expect to hear of that happening in Nanaimo. 

Lack of Waterfront Dining

In contrast to nearby Parksville and Qualicum, Nanaimo is seriously lacking some good Oceanfront dining! Which is a shame- because it's something that I truly enjoy! I'm not sure if this has to do with maintaining the integrity of our beaches but I'd love to see more options for waterfront patios. If you're from Nanaimo and would like to leave your best patio recommendation please let me know at ritafraserrealty@gmail.com 

Stranded on the Island?

I've mentioned this one a few times… but when you live on an island, there's that extra obstacle of having to leave! It's not a total drag and I've covered a lot of the details in some of my previous blog posts. If you'd like to know more about my experience commuting using BC Ferries I'd recommend you check out that blog post next! My Experience Using BC Ferries!

More Hockey!

People in Nanaimo want more Hockey rinks! I actually received this feedback from two separate neighbours! As my family is no longer involved in this sport, I didn't even realize this was an issue!

This feedback came from one of my neighbours who is a women's hockey coach. He expressed difficulty competing with youth to find his player's ice time. 

As an aside (just keeping with the winter sports theme) If you’re a skier, you’re still in luck! I researched how many ski mountains there are on Vancouver Island and found three. The most popular one is Mount Washington which is in the Comox Valley. Further up in Port McNeil there's also Mount Cain and in Port Alberni there's Aerosmith Mountain. I wasn't able to find a ton of information on this mountain online, so that's something that you'd want to check out if you're planning to visit. 

I try to be as transparent as possible about my relocation to Nanaimo which is why I like discussing things that might help you decide if living in Nanaimo is the best move for you so if there's a topic you'd like for me to cover make sure you let me know! 

There are lots of benefits to buying a newly built home that extends beyond appearance! I’m going to share where you can find new builds in Nanaimo, right now!

There are a lot of new homes going up into Nanaimo in areas that I will list in a moment. 

Firstly, If you're thinking of buying a brand new home, here are some things that you'll want to consider:

Home Warranty Insurance 

New homes built in B.C. are required to have third-party home warranty insurance when built by a licensed residential Builder. As a minimum, you're covered by “2-5-10 home warranty insurance”. 

This means- two years for labor and materials. Five years for the building envelope, which includes all of your building components that separate the indoors from the outdoors and includes water penetration. Ten years on the structure of the home, which are things like your roof, plumbing and foundation. 

Check out information on Home Warranty Insurance for  New Homes BC (since some limits apply to these warranties):

https://www.bchousing.org/licensing-consumer-services/new-homes/home-warranty-insurance-new-homes

GST

When purchasing a new home you will encounter GST, which you cannot include it in your mortgage- so you'll need to be prepared to pay! 

Deposit

Something else to keep in mind is your deposit. If you don't have 20% to put down as a deposit you'll need to stick to under a  $1 million budget, so that you can obtain title insurance through CMHC (Canada Mortage and Housing Corporation).

Property Transfer Tax

Property Transfer Tax is still applicable unless you are exempt.

Property Transfer Tax Exemptions for new homes info:

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/property-taxes/property-transfer-tax/exemptions

You will see a new build option here, but this is for new homes built for under $750k, which let's be honest, isn't happening much these days! 

Hold Back!

With a newly built home, there's what's called a “hold back” of 10% of the purchase price, not including GST. This 10% holdback is released to the seller (home builder) once the deficiencies you have agreed upon are remedied. 

New Developments in Nanaimo 

I spoke about Hammond Bay in my last blog about North Nanaimo. As I mentioned, North Nanaimo is one of the top neighbourhoods and is seeing even more growth on Golden Oaks Crescent and Golden Oaks Drive. This spot was being developed when we were on our own home search here, and we loved the look of the (area albeit a little more cookie-cutter). With some homes still under construction, you're looking at over a $1 million budget. 

Golden Oaks is an area high up on a hill that overlooks Departure Bay. If the home itself that you choose does not come with a view of the ocean, you'll still be satisfied with what you can see strolling around your new neighbourhood! 

Jingle Pot Road is a long stretch of road that was the original Highway for miners in Nanaimo and runs from just below Long Lake, North to South-East, at the base of Mount Benson. 

As Jinglepot starts to run West to East, a small area below Westwood Lake would be considered “South Jingle Pot” and above that “North Jingle Pot” 

Just south of the number 19 Highway (or the new highway) is a subdivision with lots of new homes right on, or in the offshoots of Jingle Pot Road. North Jinglepot is so diverse in what kind of properties it offers. From more rural communities to areas like this that have a more “close-knit” community feel. Because Jingle Pot Road covers a huge section of the city it's super handy to have nearby! Having a quick way to get to South Nanaimo is great because that's where you'll find the Rec Center, Aquatic Center and Ice Arena! This is one reason why people love the South Jingle Pot Community as well. 

Speaking of South Nanaimo, there seems to be a lot of new homes popping up on Monga Road and the surrounding streets so f you like the charm and amenities of South Nanaimo, but want a home for under $1 million, this is an excellent area to consider! 

Upper Lantzville is an area to keep your eyes on! If you like the idea of being out of the city but close enough that it's still convenient, take a look at some of the new homes being built up on Aulds Road. I recently discovered this area while exploring the hiking trails at Copley Ridge with my dogs. You need to take a drive up there and explore the views for yourself! I'm sure this is one of the reasons prices hike upwards when exploring this spot, as prices here are over $1 million. I'm confident that development is going to continue and this place is going to be in high demand in no time. I'm excited to continue to update this list and look forward to keeping you all up-to-date! 

It's not always about the type of house you want but where it's located! Location is arguably the most important thing to consider when relocating to a new city which I'm sure is why you've landed on this particular post about North Nanaimo. 

North Nanaimo is highly sought after for people moving to the area for a few reasons. It's one of the newer areas of town, so homes you purchase here were usually built in the 90’s or 2000’s and are move-in ready in well-established communities. North Nanaimo is comprised of the Dover Bay, Uplands and Hammond Bay neighbourhoods. 

Shopping

I know I've said shopping isn't a top priority for me but it's so incredible to have things nearby when you need it, even within walking distance! The Dover Bay neighbourhood is at the most northern peak of Nanaimo, bordering Lantzville, and is home to Woodgrove Center, which is Nanaimo's largest shopping mall. Surrounding the mall are restaurants and other family-run businesses. And of course, it never hurts to live close to Costco! The Uplands neighbourhood isn't far from shopping either with both North Town Center (which has the largest movie theatre in Nanaimo) and Country Club Mall nearby. The Hammond Bay neighbourhood is unfortunately a “hop in your car and drive to shopping” sort of situation but you'll never have too far to go. Public transit also runs all along Hammond Bay Road, with Woodgrove Center being a large bus interchange. 

The Views!

It's hard to imagine moving to Nanaimo and not trying to get yourself a view while looking for your future home! While in Dover Bay you have shopping in close proximity to you on one side, you have the ocean almost as close on the other side with many access points to some of the best beaches in the city! If you're further away from the water, don't be surprised by some of the hilly streets leading down to the water. The beaches will make the hike back up worth your while! 

Likewise, some Hammond Bay Area homes are built on a cliff, giving you sweeping views of the Strait of Georgia. The Uplands neighbourhood has the benefit of some ocean views but also some amazing views of Long Lake, particularly in the Long Lake Heights Community. 

Off-leash Parks!

Two of my very favourite off-leash dog parks are located right here in North Nanaimo! I love May Richards Bennett Pioneer Park because it's a safely enclosed Trail in a small wooded area but you would never know you're right in the city! The terrain is an easy walk for any age but isn't boring, so you can easily lose track of how many Loops you've done and your dog is tuckered by the end! It's located near Woodgrove center right off Dover Road. 

My second favourite is Invermere Park, which is a designated off-leash area right on the water directly next to Blue Back Beach. It's very easy to find the access point, as the trailhead leading to the stairs that take you down to the water is at the base of Invermere Road. Be prepared for the hike back up as it's a lot of stairs- but it's a great workout for you and your pup! When the tide is low here it is Doggy Heaven… there's simply no better way to describe it! 

Schools

The public school system so far in North Nanaimo has been great for our family. While ideally, we would have liked to continue in French immersion, the school our son ended up in is a wonderful community and made the transition to a new school so much easier for him. 

While it might be pushing it to say this is still in North Nanaimo- I've heard that Hammond Bay Elementary has one of the best French immersion programs in the city. 

Of course, do your research if being in the right catchment for a certain school is important to you. With an influx of families moving to Nanaimo, it's important to make sure there's room for your child in the school that you want. 

It's Safe 

North Nanaimo is known as one of the safest neighbourhoods in Nanaimo. Without getting into the socioeconomic factors at play, it becomes more apparent when you're in this area that you aren't putting yourself in as much risk when you're walking alone at night, for example. My son often makes the trip to the corner store by himself during the day without me being concerned for his safety. 

I'm sure this isn't too different from other communities in Nanaimo in general but people really do look out for each other in North Nanaimo It's not unusual to see “found” signs in local parks from good samaritans wanting to return lost objects. Or, seeing neighbours trying to help each other out when someone else's dog is on the loose! 

There are my family's top five reasons for choosing North Nanaimo for our relocation to the city! I'll be covering other neighbourhoods in future blog posts, so you can decide for yourself which is best for you! 

Whether you've made the great decision to move to Nanaimo or you're just here for a quick visit, you might be wondering “What is there to do in Nanaimo?” Here are some of my favourite things to do in the area!

Shopping!

I thought I'd start out with this topic since it's not my favourite thing to do BUT I'm sure you might be wondering if there is some good shopping in Nanaimo. The answer to that is YES! I was super surprised when we moved here and I walked into our local shopping center called Woodgrove Center in North Nanaimo and saw all of the shopping that there was in the mall! I'd say that it's on par with some of the bigger shopping centers in Vancouver! There are stores inside Woodgrove Center like Lululemon, which began as a pop-up but I guess it was super popular and that one stuck around! In Nanaimo, you'll find all of your big box stores such as Canadian Tire, Lowe's, Home Depot as well as Walmart. Basically, anything that you would need is in the city. 

If you're like me and shopping at the mall is not your favourite, then I'd recommend maybe taking a trip downtown to Commercial Street. There, you can shop locally and explore some of the fun boutiques that downtown has to offer! I have found lots of unique gift ideas there and I would highly recommend it.

Kids Need to Have Fun Too!

My son has had no problems finding things to do in Nanaimo from indoor playgrounds like Jumping Jiminy’s to escape rooms like the Exit Room, there are so many things to do on the weekends! 

If you're a little more adventurous you can head out to Wild Play. It’s an outdoor adventure park, the type that's gained a lot of popularity in the last little while with zip lines and rope courses! It's something that the whole family can do together! 

There's also the Nanaimo Aquatic Center if your family likes to swim and the local skating arena where you can go and rent some skates and hang out for the afternoon. 

My kid LOVES Airhouse. It is an indoor trampoline park and the sessions that they offer are an hour and a half long. Spots fill up quickly, so I'd recommend looking ahead and booking your spot early so you can make sure you get in! If you're not into jumping on the trampolines with your kids, there are some really nice viewing areas where you can sit and have a good bird's eye view of what your kids up to in the park! Inside, they also have a mini skate ramp so you can book a skateboarding session. They often offer Pro D-Day or summer camps for your kids!

Enjoy the Harbourfront! 

One of my son's favourite activities that he took part in this summer was crab fishing! It's all he could talk about afterwards! Crab fishing takes place at Swy-A-Lana Lagoon Fishing Pier, downtown Nanaimo. While doing a little bit of research for this blog, I actually found out that Dungeness crab fishing is open all year round! This would make the perfect winter activity with Nanaimo's milder temperatures! While you're already downtown, you can explore the harbourfront and if you really want to make a day of it at that point, you could hop on one of the whale-watching tours that depart from the Nanaimo Harbour. 

Also departing from Nanaimo Harbour, you can hop on a 10-minute ferry ride to Newcastle Island. This island offers some really nice walking trails and a campsite in the summer; there's also a cafeteria if you get hungry! It's a really fun place to go beachcombing, check out some local Wildlife or even just take in the views of Nanaimo!

Nanaimo offers some really great museums. One of these is the Vancouver Island Military Museum. I had the chance to take some Cub Scouts recently for Remembrance Day. The guides at the Museum are very knowledgeable and do an amazing job of telling some of the stories of our local war heroes. 

So many lakes!

I know I talk about this a ton in my videos but you can always check out all of the amazing beaches in Nanaimo. If instead of the beach, you're looking for maybe a freshwater swim, Nanaimo has some really great weights that you can check out! I haven't had the chance to visit them all yet but we've been to Long Lake quite a few times as my son did a kayaking camp there! There's also Westwood Lake which is a popular swim spot and many more!

Leave the Kids at Home.

If you're craving some adult time there are a lot of local breweries to check out in Nanaimo! One of them that I recently had the chance to visit was Longwood Brewery. This isn't to be confused with “Longwood Brew Pub”... I did make the mistake of thinking I was meeting my friend there and had to turn around and go all the way down to the other location. It was such a nice little spot to sit outside and since they don't have food you can actually order food to be delivered to you, which is an added touch if you get hungry! I've got a long list of all the breweries I want to visit here in Nanaimo! 

Last but not least and I'm sure this list is going to grow but there are two movie theatres in Nanaimo. Both of them are located in North Nanaimo. One of them is “Landmark” which is a smaller movie theatre located in Woodgrove Center. The other bigger theatre is called Galaxy. That's your “big ticket” theatre with reclining seats - all the good stuff! 

I sincerely hope this has helped you come up with some fun activities to do if you're visiting Nanaimo or if you plan to relocate here!