Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Events
On the third Sunday of every July the waters off Nanaimo come alive for the
World Cham-
pionship Bathtub Race
(250/753-7223,
www.bathtubbing.com
)
, the grand finale of the an-
nual Nanaimo Marine Festival. The idea for the race was conceived back in 1967, when
the chairman of the city's Canada Centennial Committee, Frank Ney, was asked to come
up with a special event for the occasion. Bathtub racing was born over a cup of coffee, and
Ney went on to be elected mayor of Nanaimo.
Originally, competitors raced across the Strait of Georgia between Nanaimo and Kitsil-
ano Beach, Vancouver. Today, they leave from downtown, racing around Entrance and
Winchelsea Islands to the finish line at Departure Bay in a modified bathtub fitted with a
7.5-horsepower outboard motor. The racers are escorted by hundreds of boats of the more
regular variety, loaded with people just waiting for the competitors to sink! Every bathtub-
ber wins a prize: a golden plug for entering, a small trophy for making it to the other side of
the strait, and a silver plunger for the first tub to sink! These days, the sport and the festiv-
ities around it have grown enormously, attracting tens of thousands of visitors to Nanaimo.
And “tubbing,” as the locals call it, has spread to other provincial communities, where pre-
liminary races qualify entrants for the big one.
Under $50
A few of Nanaimo's older motels offer rooms under $50 outside of summer, but only
Nanaimo International Hostel
(65 Nicol St., 250/753-1188,
www.nanaimohostel.com
,
dorms $20) falls into this price range year-round. In a converted house, this accommodation
enjoys a convenient location three blocks from the train station and seven blocks from the
bus depot. The hostel operates year-round, providing dormitory-style accommodations and
campsites, a kitchen, laundry facility, TV room, and bicycle rentals. Guests can get dis-
counts at many local restaurants and attractions. Check-in is after 4pm.
$50-100
On an island of overpriced accommodations, the two-story
M
Buccaneer Inn
(1577 Stew-
art Ave., 250/753-1246 or 877/282-6337,
www.buccaneerinn.com
,
$79-199 s or d) stands
out as being an excellent value. Across from the waterfront and within easy walking dis-
tance of downtown and the Departure Bay ferry terminal, the Buccaneer is bedecked by
a nautical-themed mural and colorful baskets of flowers, and surrounded by well-main-
tained grounds, a sundeck, picnic tables, and barbecue facility. The rooms are spacious and
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