Syndication & TOS
© Copyright Nanaimo Information
2005-2011, All Rights Reserved.
2005-2011, All Rights Reserved.
Development in Nanaimo exploded northward in recent decades (and now seems to be exploding southward as well). There has always been a lot of opposition to the sprawl, with critics citing the need to keep our community dense rather than outspread — for a variety of reasons.
What follows is a description of this northward development, written as a list of businesses whose operations ceased downtown and which re-opened in the north. It also includes businesses which closed downtown in the face of new competition in North Nanaimo. The article below is interesting not only as a nostalgic and historical list, but also as a reminder of why downtown Nanaimo has struggled since its erstwhile boom days.
To discuss this article, please join the dialogue on the Exodus from Downtown in our forum.
This data is taken from Appendix L in: Nanaimo between Past and Future: Critical Perspectives on Growth, Planning and the New Nanaimo Centre, edited by Eric Ricker with Associate Editor Frances Christopherson, and Published by the Friends of Plan Nanaimo Society in 2005. Horizontal lines were added for this web version.
by Lawrence Rieper
On January 1, 1976, Nanaimo amalgamated Chase River, Cinnabar, Harewood, Departure Bay/Morningside, Northfield, East Wellington and North Wellington into present day boundaries, transforming the former city of 3.7 square miles and 15,000 people into one of 48.5 square miles (including 13.5 square miles of water) and 40,000 people. In June 1978, downtown business space was 2 million square feet, and employed 4,882 people. There were some 44 acres of underutilized properties in the downtown ripe for development. Three new malls were being proposed: Woodgrove, Rutherford and Country Club, with a total approved floor space of almost 1.2 million square feet. Terminal Park had just expanded, and Harewood and Northbrook Malls were planning expansions too. At this time, Mayor Frank Ney said, "We want to make Nanaimo a great mercantile centre, but we want to do it responsibly ... and we don't want to hurt the downtown."
1980 - Eaton's, 13-23 Victoria Crescent. Since 1948. Previously David Spenser Ltd 1890 - 1948. Moved to Woodgrove Mall 1980.
1984 - Anderson's (Clothing Store), 4 Victoria Crescent. Downtown since 1928. Closed.
1984 - Metropolitan Store, Commercial Street. Since 1934. Closed 1984. 5000 sq. ft. Became Saan Store 1985 to 1992, then Red Apple Clearance Centre 1993 to 1996. Vacant until 2003 when Flying Fish moved in.
1988 - H.B.C. (Wholesale) 575 Fitzwilliam Street. Since 1979. Closed 1988.
1989 - Simpsons-Sears, 620 Terminal Avenue!Terminal Park Mall. Since 1953. Moved to Rutherford Mall 1990.
1994 - Woolworth's, 16, 26, 40 & 44 Commercial Street. Since about 1918. Closed.
1995 - Lindsay's Confectionery/Office Supplies & Furnishings, 575 Fitzwilliam Street Downtown since 1945. Sold to Monk's Office Supply, which left downtown in 1999.
1995 - Fletcher Brothers (Music/Home Furnishings), 22 Commercial Street. Since 1931. Downtown since 1894. Moved to 4300 Wellington Road 1996. Closed 1999.
1996 - Goodwill Enterprises For The Handicapped, 890 Crace Street. Since 1966. Closed after Value Village opened in 1995 at Harewood Mall with 20,000 sq. ft.
1999 - Scotch Bakery, 87 Commercial Street. Downtown since 1892. Closed and moved retail and manufacturing business to 5107 Somerset Drive and 2030 Boxwood Road.
1999 - Diners' Rendezvous, 489 Wallace Street. Since 1956. Closed.
1980 - Woodward's, Woodgrove Mall. Closed 1993. 110,000 sq. ft. Replaced by Bay.
1980 - Woolco, Country Club Mall, 3200 N. Island Highway. Became Walmart 1994.
1980 - Eaton's. Woodgrove Mall, 6631 N. Island Highway. 120,000 sq. ft. Closed and became Bay 1990.
1980 - Bay, Rutherford Mall, 4750 Rutherford Road. Moved to Woodgrove Mall 1993. Moved within mall 1999.
1981 - Canadian Tire Store, Northbrook Centre, 2159 Departure Bay Road. 24,000 sq. ft. Moved to Dickinson Crossing 1994. Big Box Store.
1988 - Zellers, Rutherford Mall, 5000 N. Island Highway.
1990 - Sears, Rutherford Mall. Replaced Bay Store.
1993 - Bay, Woodgrove Mall, 6631 N. Island Highway. Replaced Woodward's 1993. Moved within Mall and replaced Eaton's 1999.
1994 - Walmart Canada Inc, Country Club Mall. 3200 N. Island Highway. Moved to Woodgrove Mall 2003: Big Box Store.
1996 - Winners, Country Club Mall. 22,000 sq. ft. Moved to Woodgrove Mall 2000.
1996 - Fletcher Brothers, (Home Furnishing), 4300 Wellington Road. Closed 1999.
1998 - Staples, Brooks Landing, 2000 N. Island Highway.
2000 - Winners, Woodgrove Mall, 6531 N. Island Highway.
1992 - The Brick, 6361 Hammond Bay Road.
1993 - Costco Wholesale Canada Store, 6700 N. Island Highway. 117,000 sq. ft.
1994 - Canadian Tire Associates Store, 6900 N. Island Highway 55,000 sq.ft. plus 40,000 sq. ft. warehouse.
1994 - Future Shop, 6904 N. Island Highway.
1997 - Home Depot, 6555 Metral Drive 105,000 sq. ft.
1997 - Staples Office Superstore, Metral Place, 6581 Aulds Road.
2000 - Real Canadian Wholesale Club, 4900 Wellington Road.
2000 - Chapters Bookstore, 6650 Mary Ellen Drive. 20,000 sq. ft.
2003 - Real Canadian Wholesale Superstore, 6435 Metral Drive. 142,000 sq. ft.
2003 - Walmart Canada Inc, Woodgrove Mall, 6631 N. Island Highway. Moved from Country Club Mall 2003.
1938 - Central Wharf & Building Supplies, Foot of Wharf Street. Since 1929. Became Central Lumber and Kneens.
1961 - Turley Brothers Cement Products, 90 Campbell Street at Terminal Avenue. Became Garden Supplies then Florists.
1963 - Evans, Coleman & Evans, Gordon Street. Since 1958. Kneens from 1934; bought out by Ocean Cement Products/Construction Supplies 1963. Building and wharf destroyed when inner harbour filled 1964.
1967 - Wall & Bradshaw Hardware, Commercial Street. Since 1930. Closed 1967. Building razed.
1973 - Moore Whittington Lumber (VI) Ltd, 1 Prideaux Street. Since 1965. 1973 moved to 2555 Bowen Road and closed 1974. Until 1931 was location of Nanaimo Lumber. From then until 1934: Nanaimo Wood Products. From 1934 to 1941: Inkster & Thompson. From 1942 to 1964: Thompson Lumber. From 1975 to 1990, 2555 Bowen was home to West Fraser Building Materials, and from 1990 to 2002 Revelstoke Lumber.
1977 - Stewart & Hudson, Ravine/160-180 Terminal Avenue. Since 1946. Previously Valley Lumber Yards Ltd. Since 1937. Closed 1977. Building burnt down.
1980 - Canfor Building Products, 640 Pine Street. Since 1954. Moved to 4801 Wellington Road 1980.
1992 - Capt. Cooks Clearance Centre, 1809 Bowen Road near Townsite. Since 1970. Closed 1992.
1999 - Nash Paint/Hardware, 19 & 163 Commercial Street. Downtown since 1891. Moved to Brooks Landing 2000 (as Home Hardware).
2000 - Cedar Worksl Harvest Building Products, 140 Tenth Street. Since 1997. Moved to 1441 E. Island Highway, Nanoose 2001.
2001 - Beaver Lumber, 540 Milton Street. Since 1998. Closed 2001. Site was previously Sun Glo Lumber since 1969, and Inkster & Roberts Supplies from 1952 to 1968. Before that, Central Lumber from 1939 to 1951.
1957 - Strand, 20 Commercial Street. Since 1935. Previously Bijou since 1914, and Orpheum since 1912. 1957 building became Fletcher's furniture store with 28,000 sq. ft.
1971 - Capital, 200/210/220 Bastion Street. Since 1924. Previously Dominion since 1915. Site became municipal car park 1973.
2000 - Bay, 91 Chapel Street. Since 1994. Previously Capital 1972 to 1973 at #91. Fiesta Square at #99 Chapel from 1974 to 1978; Fiesta Twin at #91 from 1978 to 1991, and closed until 1994. Closed 2000. Since then has been a stage theatre with the occasional movie show.
2001 - Criterion Cinesave, 40/46 Nicol Street. Since 2000. Previously Caprice from 1983 to 2000. Closed.
1983 - Roxy, Long Lake Plaza, 4890 Rutherford Road. Closed 1999.
1985 - Woodgrove Triple, Woodgrove Mall. Became Avalon 1994.
1989 - Rutherford Playhouse, Rutherford Mall 4750 Rutherford Road. Closed 1996.
2000 - Caprice Showcase Grand Eight, Rutherford Mall. Became Galaxy 2003.
1998 - Bank of Montreal, 588 Terminal Avenue. Closed.
1998 - CIBC, 150 Commercial Street. Closed.
1998 - Royal Bank, 155 Skinner Street. Closed.
2001 - TD Bank, 140 Commercial Street. Closed.
2002 - Business Development Bank of Canada/FBDB, 235 Bastion Street. Moved to 6581 Aulds Road.
2004 - HSBC/HK Bank of Canada/Bank of BC, 70 Commercial Street. Moved to 6551 Aulds Road.
2005 - Bank of Montreal, Harewood Mall. Closed.
1938 - Kelly Douglas (3), 238 Franklyn Street at Wallace. Until about 1960. Johnston Drug Wholesale and others from 1964 on. Since 1978 City of Nanaimo - purchased 2000.
1956 - Federal Building (4), 60 Front Street at Dallas Square.
1957 - Nanaimo Court House Addition (4), 35 Front Street and Chapel.
1967 - (3) 321 Wallace Street, by Cappy Yates Park.
1974 - Bastion House (4), 235 Bastion Street at Skinner.
1975 - Nanaimo Centre One (5), 65 Front Street and Chapel. 50,000 sq. ft ..
1976 - Frontier Building Addition (6), 17 Church Street and Chapel.
1976 - Cliff Centre (3), Skinner Street, near Bastion, next to parking lot.
1979 - (3) 190 Wallace Street at Wentworth).
1980 - Commonwealth Centre (5), 495 Dunsmuir Street at Albert. Until about 1985. Now known as Dunsmuir Place. Site of Addison Building from 1959.
1990 - (4) 256 Wallace Street at Fitzwilliam.
1992 - Ministry of Transport & Highways (3), 6475 Metral Drive at Aulds.
1992 - Workers Compensation Board (2/3), 4980 Wills Road at Rutherford. 21,000 sq. ft. $3M.
1995 - Ministry of Forests (4),2100 Labieux Road opposite Beban Park 45,000 sq. ft. $9M.
1996 - Ministry of Environment (3), 2080 Labieux Road opposite Beban Park. 57,000 sq. ft. $9M.
2000 - Treesea Place (4), 345 Wallace Street ($6.5M).
Historically and until quite recent times, office buildings were one or two storeys, hotels no more than five storeys and apartment blocks usually two or three, and no more than four, storeys. In 1979 the Cumberland study on downtown growth recommended that the City commit to focus future office, hotel, entertainment, transport and high-density residential buildings in the downtown area. Since then, four provincial government office buildings, see three listed above, plus WCB, 4980 Wills Road, built 1992, 21,000 sq. ft. $3M; 3 hotels/motels: Northgate Inn, 1985, Long Lake Inn, 1992, Four Points Sheraton, 2000; 5 retirement/care homes; and about 20 apartments/condominiums have been built in the north end of Nanaimo.
1927 - Malaspina Hotel (7), 38 Front Street.
1964 - Sea Crest Towers (18), 1 Chapel Street at Front Street.
1964 - Royal Vista Apartments (7), 375 Newcastle Avenue.
1980 - Harbour City Apartments (8), 33 Mount Benson Street.
1984 - Coast Bastion Inn (15), 11 Bastion Street at Front Street. $15M.
1992 - Harbour City One (10), 220 Townsite Road at Vancouver Street.
1994 - Newcastle (7), 150 Promenade Drive.
1994 - Gabriola (7), 158 Promenade Drive.
1997 - Beacon (26), 154 Promenade Drive.
2006? - Marine Vista (8), 375 Vancouver Street at Rosehill Street. 2007? - Pacifica (20), 38 Front Street. $52M.
2007? - Marriott Hotel (23), Gordon Street at Museum Way. $47M. 2007? - Insight Tower (26), 10-20 Front Street at Chapel. $20M. 2009? - Triarc Towers 2 x (20+), Arena Street at Maffeo Sutton Park $100M.
1957 - Terminal Park Shopping Centre, 1533 Estevan. 40,000 sq. ft.
1958 - Harewood Shopping Centre, 530 5th Street and Bruce Avenue.
1967 - Harbour Park Mall, 620/650 Terminal Avenue at Gordon. $1M.
1968 - Northbrook Mall/Brooks Landing, 2159 Departure Bay Road/2000 N. Island Highway.
1977 - Harbour Park Mall Expansion. 45,000 sq. ft. added to total 160,000 sq. ft. $4M.
1977 - Northbrook Mall Improvements.
1978 - Terminal Park Expansion.
1980 - Country Club Mall, 3200 N. Island Highway at Norwell Drive. 24 acres, 250,000 sq. ft. $16M.
1980 - Rutherford Village Shopping Centre/Mall, 4750 Rutherford Road. 36 acres, 320,000 sq. ft. $29M.
1981 - Woodgrove Centre Mall, 6631 N. Island Highway. 62 acres, 470,000 sq. ft. $73M.
1995 - Woodgrove Mall Expansion.
1997 - Rutherford Mall Extension. 11,250 sq. m. $10M.
1968 - Townsite Plaza, Townsite Road and Millstone Avenue.
1976 - Wellington Shopping Plaza, 6404 Metral Drive.
1976 - Vics Country Club Centre/Country Club Plaza, 3200 Island Highway North at Norwell Drive. 62 acres.
1977 - Beban Plaza Shopping Centre, 2220 Bowen Road.
1977 - Beaufort Centre, 1588 Boundary Crescent.
1977 - Pine Tree Square, 1708 Bowen Road.
1977 - Shopping Centre, 2220 Bowen Road.
1977 - Terminal Park Plaza, 1150 Terminal Avenue North.
1981 - previously unnamed/Bowen Centre Shopping Centre, 1925 Bowen Road.
1982 - previously unnamed/ Long Lake Plaza, 4890 Rutherford Road.
1983 - Fiesta Square Shopping Centre, 91 Chapel Street.
1983 - previously unnamed/Northpark Plaza, 1559 Estevan Road.
1986 - Nanaimo Public Market/ Sealand Market, 1840 Stewart Avenue.
1987 - Shopping Plaza, 1451 Estevan Road.
1990 - previously unnamed/Rock City Plaza, 2980 N. Island Highway.
1992 - previously unnamed/Summerset Centre, 3179 Barons Road.
1992 - Heritage Mews, 321 Wesley Street.
1992 - Applecross Home Centre, 6421 Applecross Road.
1994 - Fitzwilliam Gate, 427 Fitzwilliam Street.
1994 - Lake Side Centre, 4800 N. Island Highway.
1996 - Metral Place Mall, 6581 Aulds Road. 4950 sq. m. $4M.
1996 - Dover Bay Centre, 6330 Dover Road.
1996 - Southgate Shopping Centre, 50 Tenth Street.
1996 - Nored Plaza, 6750 N. Island Highway.
1996 - Dickinson Crossing Shopping Plaza, 6800 N. Island Highway. From 1994 - previously unnamed.
1997 - Central Square, 2575 McCullough Road. 4500 sq. m. $1M. Formerly Kelly Douglas building.
1997 - Meredith Business Centre, 2025 Bowen Road.
1997 - Northridge Village Plaza, 5800 Turner Road.
1997 - Wellington Place, 4166 Departure Bay Road.
1997 - Westhill Centre, 1800 Bowen Road.
1998 - City Centre Square Plaza, 140 Terminal Avenue.2028 sq. m. $2M.
1998 - Longwood Station, 5771 Turner Road.
1998 - Old Quarter Square, 335 Wesley Street.
1998 - South Parkway Plaza, 1275 S. Island Highway.
2000 - Woodgrove Crossing Shopping Centre, 6681 Mary Ellen Drive.
This is not a complete account, and accuracy is not guaranteed. Some dates are approximate but should be accurate to within 12 months.
BC Directories.
Nanaimo Telephone Directories
Nanaimo Community Archives
Nanaimo (Daily) Free Press
Nanaimo Daily News.
Harbour City Star.
Nanaimo Times.
Nanaimo News Bulletin
(Victoria) Times/Colonist.
To discuss this article, please see the dialogue on the Exodus from Downtown in our forum.