When locals talk about "Extension" they refer to a small area southwest of Chase River, hidden away in a little valley. This was the site of a bustling coal town at the beginning of the 20th century.
But the real estate board uses the name to refer to a much larger area running south and including South Wellington, across the Nanaimo River to Cassidy and the Nanaimo airport.
Many people choose Extension (and South Wellington, and Cassidy) for the quiet lifestyle and the ability to get more land for the price - all within close range of the city. Others are the born'n'raised type who have good roots and great memories in these little communities.
Homes & Land in Extension and Cassidy
A hundred years ago, residents of Extension might have laughed about the possibility of their town being considered merely a neighbourhood of the rival township of Nanaimo. But when the mines closed, Extension was virtually abandoned by the thousands of workers who had made it a bustling community.
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