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 We don’t call ourselves the Best Western "Northgate Inn" for nothing! Being the only hotel located at the popular north end of Nanaimo, we are the gateway for all of your vacation adventures on Vancouver Island. Just look at what you can do from here!
We have local attractions that will keep you enchanted with our fair city for days, if not for a lifetime! Our regional transit system allows you access to all of Central Vancouver Island from as fall south as Cedar, to as far north as Qualicum Beach. Buy a day pass and you’ll always find your way back to the Northgate! Woodgrove Shopping Centre located just steps away from our hotel, is the exchange for these buses as well as being the largest and most popular shopping destination on Vancouver Island.
If you need transportation to and from the Nanaimo airport or the BC Ferries, contact the Airporter Shuttle service at 1-800-209-7792 for information on service and fares.
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"Westwood Lake" – 6 km of wood chip trail circumference this scenic lake. A casual stroll would take about 1½ - 2 hours to complete the circle. The beach is popular for swimming and sun bathing. There are many trails accessible from here! Located at the base of Mt. Benson, the backdrop to Nanaimo that is visible from almost any vantage point north or south of our fair city, Westwood Lake is on the edge of wilderness. Use caution and avoid unmarked trails.
If you prefer a bustling waterfront scene, you must visit "Maffeo-Sutton" park and "Swy-A-Lana Lagoon." These are downtown Nanaimo’s harbourfront jewels. They can be accessed next to the Civic Arena (home to the Nanaimo Clippers hockey team) or take the walkway that connects these parks from the Nanaimo Port Authority marina, (where you can purchase fresh seafood right off the boats of local fishermen). Browse the waterfront shops and restaurants!
While you are down on the waterfront, why not take a quaint little passenger ferry across the channel to Newcastle Island? This captivating marine park is beautiful from the water as well as on land. Large enough to spend the day there exploring or having a picnic lunch, the island is an historical landmark and another of Nanaimo’s hidden jewels.
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A 1998 addition to Nanaimo, the Port Theatre is an 800-seat theatre located on the waterfront of downtown Nanaimo. Check out their up and coming events!
Did you know that Nanaimo even has a local vineyard? Chateau Wolff, located in the rural Jingle Pot area, and only 10 minutes from our hotel, offers Wine Tasting & Sales on Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00am – 5:00pm, and weekdays 11:00am – 3:00pm if you phone ahead. Tours are by appointment. Give them a call at (250)753-4613 to book yours today!
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Local Vineyard, Farm Markets, and Antique Shopping
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Did you know that Nanaimo even has a local vineyard? Chateau Wolff, located in the rural Jingle Pot area, and only 10 minutes from our hotel, offers Wine Tasting & Sales on Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00am – 5:00pm, and weekdays 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. if you phone ahead.
Tours are by appointment. Give them a call at (250)753-4613 to book yours today!
While you’re at it, why not take the scenic drive down Jingle Pot Road to get there? Stop in at the Shady Mile Farm Market and enjoy a leisurely coffee or an ice-cream cone while the kids spend time in the petting farm. Pick up some locally grown produce and browse their unique collection of country gift ware. Visitors will feel like they are truly in the country when they hear the roosters’ crowing!
Maybe you’d just like to spend a leisurely afternoon "antiquing." You’ll be certain to find a unique collectible when you visit one of Nanaimo’s antique shops. It’s as if you’ve taken a step into another time when you have a chat or a cup of tea with the proprietors of "Curiosity Cove," or browse through "Nothing New" – both of whom are located within the same block on Nichol St.
If you love a unique style, and just haven’t found what you’re looking for, check out "Hartmann & Brown" on Selby St. for antiques and custom made furniture. Nanaimo has the best of all worlds!
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Recreational Activities
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Want to spend a leisurely afternoon horseback riding? The R&W Ranch in Lantzville is only minutes away. It’s all right here, waiting for you!
If you are looking for different kind of guided wilderness experience, contact Tracks Outdoor Adventures for hiking and historical tours!
Interested in rock climbing? Nanaimo has one of the best indoor rock climbing centres in all of Western Canada. Romper Room is only five minutes away. The Junior Nationals competition was held here just this May!
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What about diving? Did you know that Jacques Cousteau proclaimed our local waters to be "the best temperate water diving in the world and second only to the Red Sea" and Rodale’s Readers’ Choice Awards have consistently ranked British Columbia as the best place to dive in North America?
Nanaimo proudly boasts of the largest upright wreck diving in the world! We have the world renowned, and the best of BC’s artificial reefs, right here in our coastal waters! The former HMCS Saskatchewan and HMCS Cape Breton provide a framework for the most fascinating of life forms, which we are certain that you will find are out of this world!
Get closer to the water’s edge! Experience the marine life up close with an unforgettable kayaking adventure. Sealegs Kayaking offers you rentals, lessons and guided tours. What more could you ask for?
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One thing that people find the most attractive about Nanaimo is that not only are we a beautiful city with all of the amenities of a metropolis, we are an oceanside community and an open door to all of the wilderness activities you could possibly imagine! Our many local parks offer free relaxation to all who venture outdoors.
"Piper’s Lagoon Park" – a popular ocean side park with rock outcroppings and wind blown trees on the point. At low tide, it is possible to walk the channel that separates the point from "Snake Island" where there are still remnants of old seaside shacks on the beaches.
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"Beban park" – the location of Nanaimo’s original recreation centre that offers a pool with a water slide, an ice skating rink, and forested trails where the local SPCA dog walkers walk the dogs who are up for adoption. The large, open area is also home to the "Vancouver Island Exhibition" or the "VIEX" that is held at the end of every summer. The VIEX is a community fair that showcases local products and talents and they also hold a Mid-way at this time.
"Bowen Park" – 90 acres of forested park land in the heart of Nanaimo! Enjoy the tranquil trails that meander through the park and alongside the Millstone River. Marvel at the beautiful, well-established Rhododendron gardens in springtime. Take the kids to the outdoor pool or petting zoo in the summertime.
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