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NANIAMO OFFERS INDIGENOUS ART & A STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY

View of  Afterglow going through the Dodd Narrows on a rainy day
View of Afterglow going through the Dodd Narrows on a rainy day

After a breezy sail through the lovely, swirling Dodd Narrows, our sail to Naniamo was filled with sights of logging, a huge pulp mill with huge mounds of ground wood, busy ferry traffic to and from Newcastle Island to the ferry dock in the center of downtown Nanaimo, and a lively waterfront. The Snuneymuxw (pronounced Snu-na-me) native peoples lived peacefully along these shores for almost 4,200 years ago before the Europeans realized that high quality coal was available for the taking and either put them to work in and around the mines or displaced them. A story is told of "Coal Tyee"-- the name the Hudson Bay Company gave to Ki-et-sa-kun, a Snuneymuxw First Nations individual who brought the area's coal resources to the attention of European industrialists in the mid-1800s, to the later chagrin of his fellow tribe members.

The lumber mill with mounds of wood chips and a tug tows a log boom to the mill. After the coal boom ended in the early 1900s, logging offered the community jobs.


We stayed at the Naniamo Yacht Club on the west side of this large, sprawling town that offered many local opportunities to eat well, shop for indigenous art, and find good books to read, both from the yacht club’s free exchange bookshelves and the local bookstores. The yacht club offers reciprocal dock space along one long pier, charges $5 Canadian dollars per night for a service fee and $1.00 per foot for subsequent nights. A laundry facility is available 24/7 with $3.00 for washing and $2.00 for drying on clean working machines.

Allen standing on the reciprocal dock beneath the Nanaimo Yacht Club’s sign
Allen standing on the reciprocal dock beneath the Nanaimo Yacht Club’s sign

For two days and nights, we enjoyed sunny days walking along the bay on the Queen Elizabeth II Promenade, taking pictures of the interesting events being offered when we were around, and soaking in local history at the Nanaimo Museum (Thursday) and Art Gallery (Wednesday).



Nanaimo Bars: The sweet treat of Nanaimo.


As is usual with us on our travels, we were just in time on Thursday for two special events, the summertime Night Market and a powerful one-person dance and multimedia show called “Kiss the Stormy Sky” offered at the Port Theater.  The Night Market was huge, crowed and offered something for everyone with lots of food trucks, musicians, open shops, spin-the-wheel opportunities to win pens, stickers and other itty-bitty prizes, and artisan jewelry, ceramics, clothing, games, and arts of all kinds. Prior to this, we had shared a local treat--a famous Nanaimo bar!

The night market on Thursdays in Nanaimo
The night market on Thursdays in Nanaimo

We ended our stay with an opportunity to take pictures of a full moon framed by a seagull atop a pole in the water and a large blue heron standing guard on a log.

Ending the night with seagull, full moon and heron.
Ending the night with seagull, full moon and heron.

 
 
 

S.V. Afterglow
Homeport: Annapolis MD, USA
Call Sign: WDN 7498
MMSI: 368309010

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