| Boomtown Nanaimo, British Columbia, is currently | | | | downtown Vancouver or Vancouver International |
| one of the hottest housing markets in Canada. | | | | Airport. Nanaimo also has a regular airport south |
| Baby boomers all across the country are casting | | | | of town and you can get a free extension to |
| their aging eyes west in their quest for a | | | | Nanaimo on many Air Canada tickets to |
| retirement haven, and the many advantages of | | | | Vancouver. |
| Nanaimo, BC, are becoming known. | | | | Another great attraction for snowbird retirees is |
| First off, there's the mild climate moderated by | | | | the fact that Nanaimo real estate is still affordable. |
| warm Pacific currents arriving from Japan. | | | | Housing prices have increased 50 percent in |
| Nanaimo only gets a couple of weeks of snow a | | | | recent years, but you can still purchase real |
| year, quite a contrast to central and eastern | | | | estate here for about half which comparable |
| Canada which can be snowed in from December | | | | properties would cost in Vancouver. Nanaimo |
| to April. There's enough rain to keep the city's | | | | Realty, Remax Nanaimo, and Coast Realty |
| gardens and parks lush and green, but plenty of | | | | Nanaimo can tell you more. |
| clear, dry days for outdoor enthusiasts | | | | However Nanaimo's greatest attraction is its |
| throughout the year. | | | | friendly, outgoing people. Nanaimo still has a certain |
| Nanaimo isn't a big city - under 100,000 - so | | | | "small town" air lost in go-go places like Toronto, |
| traffic jams are the exception, and there's still | | | | and it's easy for newcomers to plug into the local |
| free parking downtown. As the main service | | | | scene. There's always something happening in the |
| center for the upper two-thirds of Vancouver | | | | Harbour City. It's paradise found. |
| Island, the City of Nanaimo has all the services | | | | ### |
| you could ask for, from the big box stores of | | | | David Stanley's travel series "Unknown Sights of |
| North Nanaimo to intimate boutiques and cafes | | | | Canada" is exclusively available on Go Nanaimo. |
| downtown. | | | | You have permission to publish this article |
| Nanaimo is well connected. BC Ferries runs large | | | | electronically or in print, free of charge, so long as |
| car ferries from Nanaimo to Vancouver every | | | | the byline and resource box are included. Please |
| couple of hours, and seaplanes are constantly | | | | do not use this article without the byline and |
| coming and going on their way to/from | | | | resource box. Many thanks! |