Regional District of Nanaimo Regional District
The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is a regional district located on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It was incorporated on August 24, 1967, and has a population of over 155,000 people. The RDN is home to the city of Nanaimo, as well as several smaller communities, including Lantzville, Parksville, and Qualicum Beach. The Snuneymuxw First Nations people were the first to settle in the area that is now the RDN. They lived in the region for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. In 1791, the Spanish explorer Juan Carrasco became the first European to visit the area. He named the harbour Bocas de Winthuysen. In 1852, the Hudson's Bay Company established a coal mining settlement in the area. They named the settlement Colvile Town, after HBC governor Andrew Colvile. The coal mines quickly became a major economic driver for the region. In the early 20th century, the logging industry also began to develop in the RDN. The forests of Vancouver Island provided a valuable source of timber, and logging became a major source of employment for the region. Today, the RDN is a diverse and vibrant community. The coal mines and logging industry are no longer as important as they once were, but the region is still home to a number of businesses and industries. The RDN is also a popular tourist destination, with its beautiful beaches, forests, and mountains.
Mapped Location
Regional District of Nanaimo: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.
Information
General information on Regional District of Nanaimo
- Feature Type: Regional District
- Regional District Administrative Centre: City of Nanaimo
- Established: Thursday, August 24, 1967
Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for Regional District of Nanaimo
A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Regional District of Nanaimo | Official |
Related Catalog Titles
A Bibliography for Regional District of Nanaimo, Regional District
Secret beaches of southern Vancouver Island Qualicum to the Malahat by Theo Dombrowski
This is your guide to dozens of spectacular and often hidden beaches on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island between Qualicum and the Malahat. While some of them are well used by people living nearby, many are virtually impossible to find without combing through official maps and back-road guides. From tiny rocky coves to broad sandy beaches, these public-access spots are enormously diverse. Just as important as finding these spots is knowing what to expect. Thus each location is accompanied by detailed information that any beach explorer should know before setting out. Is the beach a few level steps from a vehicle or down a high, steep bank? Is the beach suitable for children? Large groups? Kayakers?
255 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), maps ; 22 cm
CIRC [ 0 ]
Nanaimo the harbour city by Goody Niosi, Terry Patterson
Published in 2004, Nanaimo: The Harbour City is an engaging travel guide and visual keepsake written by Goody Niosi with photography by Terry Patterson. The book chronicles the history and cultural evolution of this Vancouver Island community, tracing its growth from an early Aboriginal settlement into a thriving, modern port city. Alongside Patterson's vibrant images of the bustling harbour and local seascape, Niosi provides readers with detailed walking tours of historic neighborhoods and insights into the area's natural beauty. It serves as both a practical resource for travelers and a colorful celebration of Nanaimo's unique coastal heritage.
112 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), 1 color map, portraits ; 28 cm
CIRC [ 1 ]
Newcastle Island a place of discovery by Bill Merilees
Authored by naturalist and historian Bill Merilees, Newcastle Island: A Place of Discovery explores the rich natural and industrial heritage of the historic island park located off the coast of Nanaimo, British Columbia. The book traces the island's multifaceted past, from its early significance to the Snuneymuxw First Nation and its late 19th-century boom as a bustling coal-mining and sandstone-quarrying hub to its eventual transition into a beloved coastal recreation area. Through archival photographs, maps, and detailed natural history notes, the text captures how a small marine island became a microcasm of regional resource extraction and leisure. A keen insight drawn from the work is how industrial wastelands can be successfully reclaimed by nature and public memory; by documenting the physical transition from smoky coal pits to tranquil park trails, the narrative reveals that the landscape itself acts as a resilient archivist, quietly healing its extraction scars to offer new generations a sanctuary for ecological discovery.
128 pages : illustrations, facsimiles, maps, portraits ; 22 cm
CIRC [ 1 ]
Nanaimo retrospective the first century by E. Blanche Norcross, Nanaimo Historical Society
Edited by E. Blanche Norcross and published by the Nanaimo Historical Society, Nanaimo Retrospective: The First Century offers a scholarly yet accessible chronicle of the region's formative hundred years. The volume carefully examines the area's early industrial development, including coal mining and logging, alongside the intricate social dynamics between Indigenous communities and diverse waves of immigrants. Drawing upon archival materials and historical photographs, the text provides researchers and local history enthusiasts with a comprehensive foundational study of the municipality's evolution.
xxi, 169 p., [28] p. of plates : ill., map, ports. ; 23 cm.
CIRC [ 1 ]
Regional District of Nanaimo
- Boat Harbour
- Bowser
- Cassidy
- Cedar
- Chase River
- Cinnabar Valley
- Coombs
- Dashwood
- Deep Bay
- Departure Bay
- Dolphin Beach
- Dunsmuir
- East Wellington
- Errington
- Extension
- French Creek
- Gabriola
- Harmac
- Hilliers
- District of Lantzville
- City of Nanaimo
- Nanoose Bay
- Newcastle
- Northfield
- City of Parksville
- Qualicum Bay
- Town of Qualicum Beach
- South Wellington
- Wellington
- Whisky Creek
Political Boundaries
Last updated: 2025-09-23