Nanaimo Area Historical Photos

[tailtwister]

For anyone who likes the vintage postcard photos, there is a kiosk at Woodgrove Mall just out in front of Booster Juice (where Shoppers Drug Mart used to be) that has a number of vintage Nanaimo postcards restored, blown up and framed to an 25"x11" size... They were good enough to catch my eye and I was told that for this week, they're on sale for $68 --- BUT you can buy one and get the 2nd for $34. That's a really good price for a picture with frame!

Just thought I'd pass that on for anyone who's interested...

[Flugel Horn]

Here's a view down commercial street, courtesy of my father's Pentax camera.
- he took this photo from the roof parking-lot on the Eaton's building.

The view is of course up Commercial street, with the Terminal/Commercial intersection in the foreground.

The precise date of the photo is unknown to me, but here are some clues for the general era:
- The fact that my father took this means it was after 1949.
- The Seascrest tower in the background means it was after 1965.




The first zoom:


-------------------

Other zooms:

- showing the courthouse, Great National Land bldg and the Royal Bank at the top of the photo.



- showing the intersection of Skinner Street and Commercial Street. (I can't see or hear Tim Lander)



- zoom on the west side of Commercial St. The top near sign is Bapco Paint (above the Hardware sign).



- zoom of the east side, where the V.I. Conference Centre now stands.
The Diners Rendezvous sign is positioned so that traffic travelling north on Terminal Ave will see it and "turn left" to get to the Wong's restaurant.

[BigMac]

Nice pic, gotta be right around 65+. Looks like a 63 or 64 Pontiac in the photo on the left. Somebody had a new car!! Love the old stores, Fletchers, Nash hardware, Charlie Yorks , Royal Bank in the same spot!! That's the way I remember Commercial when I was a kid. Going to Eatons , where the shot was taken, with my Mom. Sam Lee grocery etc. We had a somewhat vibrant downtown back then. No more. Keep the old photos coming folks. I'll check my archives too!!

[GR74]

That is a great photo. Being born and raised in Nanaimo, my mind always wanders whenever I see an old photograph like this one. I always want to step back in time to visit our city for a day and look around. This was before my time although not by too many years. I'm sure you can still see the mine underneath the high rise!

[BigMac]

Far left in the first photo appears to be treetops, don't think they are there any more!! Right below the Bowling sign- Fiesta?

[BigMac]

Woolworths, Scotch Bakery which disappeared a few years ago...................

[yogi bear]

Copps Shoes, Dakins Cameras, aah the memories....great photo....

[tailtwister]

Actually, that photo would be 1965... Seacrest is actually under construction in this photo. On the left side of the building, you can see scaffolding and the balconies are still incomplete.

[Flugel Horn]

Actually, that photo would be 1965... Seacrest is actually under construction in this photo. On the left side of the building, you can see scaffolding and the balconies are still incomplete.

Tailtwister scores ! Good eye, sir.

[riverrat]

Far left in the first photo appears to be treetops, don't think they are there any more!! Right below the Bowling sign- Fiesta?

I think that forest is further in the background, like maybe the Vancouver Ave. area?