Aerial image showing a beautiful seaside neighbourhood across a narrow channel from a small forested island, with mountains behind

Brechin Hill / Newcastle

Brechin Hill: When you disembark from the ferries at Departure Bay, you're near the old Brechin coal mine site, and Brechin Road runs up the hill to your right. The east/west streets on this end are named for trees: Willow, Chestnut, Maple, etc. The lots in this area tend to be about 6000-9000 square feet, or larger for certain corner properties and lots near the water.

There are a lot of great homes in this area! From cute old wartime bungalows to mid-century-modern gems, to modern steel and glass homes built to take in the water views, homes in Brechin are some of the most affordable oceanview homes in Nanaimo.


Newcastle: As you head toward downtown, the homes get older - you're now in the "Newcastle" neighbourhood, though it's still "Brechin" according to the real estate board.

There are a number of low-rise apartment buildings in this area, with more being added over time.

This is also where you will find some very fine historic homes; this was the original Newcastle Townsite where many of the early 20th century elite built gorgeous craftsman homes on large lots. Those estates have since been subdivided, but some of the houses still sit on 10,000-19,000 sqft parcels. For lovers of old-town Nanaimo, this is the best real estate available, matched only by the Old City area.

Contact me if you want to be notified of any new listings showing up in Brechin and Newcastle. Or, see below for current properties for sale.

Properties for Sale in Brechin & Newcastle

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New
421 Juniper St, Nanaimo

$699,000

421 Juniper St, Nanaimo

7 Beds 2 Baths 2,349 SqFt 6,970 SqFt Lot Single Family Detached MLS® # 1028231

Sutton Group-West Coast Realty (Nan)

New Open House
249 Larch St, Nanaimo

$549,900

249 Larch St, Nanaimo

3 Beds 1 Bath 978 SqFt 7,406 SqFt Lot Single Family Detached MLS® # 1028142

Island Pacific Realty Ltd.

New
375 Newcastle Ave 700, Nanaimo

$799,900

375 Newcastle Ave 700, Nanaimo

2 Beds 3 Baths 2,826 SqFt 0 SqFt Lot Condo Apartment MLS® # 1027102

REMAX Professionals (NA)

225 Rosehill St 401, Nanaimo

$850,000

225 Rosehill St 401, Nanaimo

2 Beds 2 Baths 1,524 SqFt 0 SqFt Lot Condo Apartment MLS® # 1027614

REMAX Professionals (NA)

1986 Quadra Ave, Nanaimo

$665,000

1986 Quadra Ave, Nanaimo

3 Beds 2 Baths 1,566 SqFt 6,970 SqFt Lot Single Family Detached MLS® # 1026801

eXp Realty (NA)

Open House
225 Stewart Ave, Nanaimo

$889,900

225 Stewart Ave, Nanaimo

3 Beds 2 Baths 2,078 SqFt 7,841 SqFt Lot Single Family Detached MLS® # 1026502

eXp Realty (NA)

225 Rosehill St 201, Nanaimo

$849,900

↓ $30,000

225 Rosehill St 201, Nanaimo

2 Beds 2 Baths 1,524 SqFt 0 SqFt Lot Condo Apartment MLS® # 1025211

REMAX Professionals (NA)

1685 Estevan Rd 310, Nanaimo

$369,900

1685 Estevan Rd 310, Nanaimo

2 Beds 2 Baths 913 SqFt 0 SqFt Lot Condo Apartment MLS® # 1025787

460 Realty Inc. (NA)

Open House
375 Newcastle Ave 201, Nanaimo

$433,300

375 Newcastle Ave 201, Nanaimo

2 Beds 1 Bath 1,101 SqFt 0 SqFt Lot Condo Apartment MLS® # 1025724

460 Realty Inc. (NA)

679 Terminal Ave 202, Nanaimo

$679,000

679 Terminal Ave 202, Nanaimo

2 Beds 2 Baths 1,554 SqFt 0 SqFt Lot Condo Apartment MLS® # 1025487

eXp Realty (Nan)

510 Vancouver Ave, Nanaimo

$429,000

↓ $40,000

510 Vancouver Ave, Nanaimo

0 Beds 0 Baths 0 SqFt 4,356 SqFt Lot Land MLS® # 1025259

REMAX Professionals (NA)

220 Townsite Rd 202, Nanaimo

$399,000

↓ $30,000

220 Townsite Rd 202, Nanaimo

2 Beds 2 Baths 1,100 SqFt 1,307 SqFt Lot Condo Apartment MLS® # 1024534

REMAX Professionals (NA)

Brechin Hill Homes

This is a very central, desirable location - and yet much of it is quiet and cozy, disturbed only by float planes and the horns of the Departure Bay ferry terminal.

Homes in Brechin are typically built to enjoy the amazing views of Departure Bay, Newcastle Channel and Nanaimo Harbour; decks are large, windows are tall, roads are steep, and there's a sort of maritime feeling. The neighbourhood's streets slope down to the ocean, so that even if you don't have a view from your house, you can look down the road as you arrive at home, seeing boats backdropped by Newcastle Island across a narrow channel.

Condos & Townhomes in Brechin/Newcastle

I've compiled all of the building stratas in this neighbourhood and placed them onto the interactive map below. (The map is easier to use on screens larger than a phone.) You can click the pins to see a photo and a link to a page about each strata. The same list of stratas appears below the map, too.

Nearest Schools:

  • École Océane
  • Brechin Elementary
  • Cilaire Elementary

Seaglass - A higher-end build

UPDATE: This development has been canceled as of 2025 and will be removed from this page eventually.

These 17 units will be divided between 2 low-rise buildings; the lower one is near the Yacht Club, and directly across the road from the waterfront Queen Elizabeth II Promenade, which connects to downtown. The upper building fronts onto Stewart Ave, and will sit a little higher.

Location of upcoming Seaglass low rise condos on Stewart Ave and Newcastle Ave in Nanaimo BC

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