Westwood is Nanaimo's most popular lake for running and walking, swimming, canoeing, fishing, and SUPing. The lake hangs high above the city, with Mt Benson looming higher still above the lake.
There are two south-facing beaches with great mountain views. The facilities include swimming platforms, public washrooms, and a boat launch for non-powered boats (electric to 7.5 kW is okay). Fishermen take smallmouth bass and cutthroat trout, as well as the rainbow trout that are stocked frequently.
The other highlight of Westwood Lake is the trail system. It's a 6km loop of dirt path around the shoreline, all connected to the larger trail networks of Mt Benson and the Westwood Ridges.
On the other side of the lake there is a cutblock with powerlines, and there is a big off-leash area for dogs.
If you walk or bike around the lake, you'll find the way is mostly flat (near water level) but there is a knoll at the northeast part of the lake which people factor into their workouts. This knoll has great views of the lake and the hills beyond.
The landscape here creates an illusion of being farther from the city, even though Westwood Lake is only 4 km west of downtown (a 7-8 minute drive).
Nearby Neighbourhoods
Location of Westwood Lake
You can reach the knoll (see below) at the northeast end of the lake quickly via a trailhead near the top of Calder Road. It's a great spot for a quick picnic or a romantic rendezvous!
Westwood Lake History
The lake was once a simple marsh, but a dam was built in 1907 to control the flow of water to the hydro-electric station WAY downstream at what is now Barsby Park. It is said that when they flooded the marsh, the water covered old farm buildings which are likely still preserved to some extent - I'm told they would be roughly across from the beaches, near the other side of the lake.
The photo shows an old WOODEN pipe that may have carried water from the manmade lake to an industrial application below, perhaps the Jingle Pot Mine.
The land had been farmed as early as the 1860s by William Joseph Westwood, whose grandson Earle Cathers Westwood (b.1909) was mayor in the 1950s - and was probably the namesake of Cathers Lake, also in the Westwood area.
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