Location & Community
Nanaimo’s first inhabitants were the Coast Salish "Snuneymuxw" meaning the gathering place. Here, the sheltered harbours, protected islands, rivers and lakes and accessible beaches all played an extremely important role in the gathering of food. This unique and almost unparalleled location on the coast made it a haven for the First Nations People who still live in this great area by the sea.
In 1850, miners started appearing in this area, mostly brought in by the Hudson’s Bay Company [HBC] in it’s quest for the fur trade. The HBC discovered some of the richest coal seams on the West Coast of America. This rich coal became the fuel for North America, Europe and China. The lure of this rich coal brought coal miners with different ethnic backgrounds to the area. As a result, Nanaimo became a multinational community over the next 100 years. Today, the miners' stories recorded in the museum are still told by survivors and continue to send shivers through us today.
The hard working labour scene brought with it a rich heritage, ethnic clubs, drama groups, and great architectural structures, where most of the world would deem them located in England. And in speaking of England, the women cooked, baked and sent their products overseas to Nanaimo. Many still disbelieve it, but the English women were responsible for the rich indulgence of the NANAIMO BAR, appropriately named as they were specially made for the English miners in Nanaimo.
When coal extraction became too costly, oil replaced it as the fuel for the world. Nanaimo then turned to the massive forest resources right in their own back yard in order to sustain its economy.
Nanaimo grew faster than all other communities on the Island (except Victoria) and soon became known as the Hub of the Island where most commodities were shipped and subsequently bought by other communities. From its position closest to Vancouver, Nanaimo became the gateway for residents and visitors alike.
Nanaimo recognized the abundance of culture within the community and used that gift to start putting life back into the downtown. Today, residents and visitors enjoy The Port live theatre and are watching the construction of a major conference centre together with commercial space and prominent hotels that anchor the city centre. The downtown will now offer great synergy to create one of the most fascinating cities perched on the Oceanside.
About 5 years ago, Nanaimo began experiencing growth from people seeking to semi-retire, where they could cash in on their higher priced homes in other major cities and live comfortably on the West Coast. The Nanaimo community offers the relaxed knowledge that arts & culture, recreation & shopping and a major state-of-the-art hospital is close at hand.
Strategic developments are being planned and soon Nanaimo will be building specific housing projects to accommodate all types of lifestyles. Now, Carrington Communities is launching one such project, just in the beginning stages of construction with unique condominium style homes offering Ocean and Coastal Mountain views.
Texada the Namesake
Georgia View Village, the comprehensive residential project now under construction in North Nanaimo, was named after Georgia Strait encompassing the Southern East Coast of Vancouver Island. Scattered throughout this large body of water are many small islands, Texada being the largest of them all.
Texada, along with many of the other islands, was named after the Spanish explorers. Mining took a high precedence from 1871 to 1898 and again in the mid 1950’s through to today.
"The Texada - the project" has views of this island at the south end where the island is still mostly in its natural form. It is utopia for some, offering the rugged terrain, with kayaking, diving, and hiking into virtually unchartered territory.
