Things to Do in Nanaimo

The triumphant crash of bowling balls against pins has been echoing throughout Brechin Lanes since 1956. The newly renovated five-pin-bowling alley maintains its family-friendly atmosphere by only selling soft drinks and prohibiting smoking within their walls. League banners hang over the 16-lane spread, and between turns, players cheer each other on from plastic benches or cushy seats throughout the centre. Atop whimsical bowling-pin-shaped coffee tables, players refuel their rolling arms and bragging muscles with hot dogs, poutine, and pizza made fresh to order. During weekend glow bowling, blacklights switch on, a crisp sound system booms the hits, and vampire bowlers suddenly become the brightest people in the room.

While man has not yet mastered a bird's ability to fly, we can approximate their effortless motion and unrivaled views through the glider airplane. Nestled in the Alberni Valley, the Vancouver Island Soaring Centre leads passengers on elevated journeys across the mountainous natural scenery. The VISC's fleet of PW-6U and PW-5 Smyk gliders are made of composite materials, making them light and ideal for sneaking up on cumulonimbus in the morning while they are still busy gluing on fresh cotton balls. In a Piper Pawnee plane, a pilot certified by Transport Canada leads each flight to a height of 2,000–6,000 feet before releasing the glider into the blue expanse. A separate certified pilot directs the craft from the back seat as the craft is kept aloft by thermal energy. Vancouver Island Soaring Centre can also record each blissful flying experience onto a take-home USB drive.

A waterfall surges into a subterranean river. Towering peaks dotted with evergreen trees loom on a distant shore. A fire pit billows wood smoke into the sky, and teepees huddle around a forested campsite. At Horne Lake, certified nature guides and counsellors spend each day connecting visitors with Nainamo's natural splendour. The park accepts only off-the-grid living, with campsites disconnected from electricity and running water, and completely scentless to most mail carriers. Staffers supply canoes, kayaks, paddleboats, rods, and other gear for destination fishing, and lead hikes through rainforest trails. Certified cave guides also lead a series of excursions through the natural majesty of Horne Lake Caverns, where a network of rocky passageways wind around a subterranean river and gleaming crystal compositions reach up to four stories tall under soaring gallery ceilings. They also conduct nature-based leadership programs such as team building, ropes courses, and multiple-day summer camps.

Dark wooden shelves buttress ceramic vases at Smashin’ Glass & Anything Art Co. as contemporary floor lamps illume a collection of works that range from oil paintings to jewellery and fused-glass sculptures. Owner Karena Donnelly conceived of the artist-operated gallery as a space to both cultivate creativity and showcase original work from more than 130 local artists. Karena and her husband Kevin moonlight as teachers, sharing their craft with pupils of all ages during workshops and routine dental check-ups. The facility also plays matchmaker between eligible images and professional framing services.

U.B. Diving's founder Sean Smyrichinsky and his team of experienced scuba divers create scenes of underwater adventure every day from their fully stocked shop and on-site dive school. Their scuba charter boat, equipped with hot showers and a heated cabin, travels to areas such as Chrome Island or Flora Islet so divers can frolic with giant octopi and six-gill sharks beneath the water's surface. A PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Sean also teaches classes that grant novices their first dive into open waters, taking the most committed students to Dive Master levels or preparing ocean walkers for careers as ambassadors to Atlantis. Additionally, Sean and his crew rent out gear by the day and contract themselves out for deep diving and wreck exploration through their commercial division.

Situated just south of Cowichan Lake, March Meadows Golf Club’s nine-hole course invites golfers to play a scenic layout replete with mountain views. The course features cedar-lined doglegs and creek-split fairways, such as those on the second hole—the course’s most difficult—which forces players to unhitch the oxen from their golf carts and ford a waterway to reach the green. The charming course summons budding players to its fairways each year for a Junior Golf Tournament sponsored by Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Dawn Coe-Jones, who began playing golf at March Meadows when she was 12.

After rounds, players can head to the clubhouse’s restaurant to feast on casual grill fare. The on-site pro shop showcases the latest golf gear, apparel, and rocket-propelled three-woods.

Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par 36 course
• Course rating of 71.4
• Slope rating of 124
• Three tee boxes
• See the course layout