Self Guided Historic Walking Tour of Nanaimo - Life in Early Nanaimo

Digital

History & heritage Photography Self-guided

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Date and time

This activity runs the duration of Culture Days.

Location

Nanaimo, BC

Access

Free.

Offered in English.

About

In this walking tour we will step into Nanaimo's early history, seeing what life was like for the people who lived here from the 1850s to the 1920s. It begins with the early pioneer days and the town that grew up around the tiny cluster of log cabins and warren of mine shafts that ran under downtown and the surrounding areas.

As more immigrants came and the community grew, people embarked on all sorts of efforts to improve the city. In the 1860s and 1870s libraries, schools and a fire department were set up. New businesses sprang into being along Commercial Street and Victoria Crescent to better serve Nanaimo's inhabitants—including a huge variety of pubs and saloons. At this time democratic self-government was set up, too (though to our eyes these halting early efforts might seem somewhat comical).

All along the way we will see the immense challenges these pioneers faced in laying the foundations for the city we know today.

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Organizer

On This Spot

On This Spot guides people on a tour back in time, showing & telling the history that surrounds them. On each spot, users will find themselves standing in the footsteps of a photographer who took a historic photo. On site tourists/users can use the built-in camera feature to create their own then-and-photos, which can be shared on social media and saved as a digital souvenir. Selections of these photos are chained together into walking tours that take a deep dive into local history.

On This Spot strives to make history engaging, educational, and accessible to all with a focus on easy to use features and a succinct writing style. The aim is to create an intuitive user experience that provides historical unparalleled depth without overwhelming or confusing users.