PlaceDossier / BC places / Nanaimo
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Nanaimo Regional District
Lantzville, Nanaimo, Parksville and Qualicum Beach and 7 electoral areas, 2,069 km² in all. 169,331 people lived in them in 2021, up 9.5% from 2016, not counting First Nations reserves, which the census counts on their own. 9% of the land is in the farmland reserve, and 0.6% has burned in a mapped wildfire since 1996.
Its places
Each place's page has its land, hazards, wells, climate, tax and census facts. Listed by name, not ranked.
| Place | People, 2021 | Land | In the farmland reserve | Burned since 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lantzville district municipality | 3,817 | 28 km² | 5.2% | none |
| Nanaimo city | 99,863 | 93 km² | 5.4% | under 0.1% |
| Parksville city | 13,642 | 15 km² | 7.2% | none |
| Qualicum Beach town | 9,303 | 18 km² | 29% | none |
| Electoral Area A | 7,481 | 62 km² | 45% | 0.2% |
| Electoral Area B | 4,500 | 58 km² | 17% | none |
| Electoral Area C | 3,344 | 1,114 km² | 1.5% | 0.3% |
| Electoral Area E | 6,765 | 75 km² | 14% | none |
| Electoral Area F | 8,216 | 269 km² | 21% | 2.8% |
| Electoral Area G | 8,109 | 50 km² | 41% | none |
| Electoral Area H | 4,291 | 287 km² | 12% | 0.3% |
Land and shares measured by us from the provincial maps (farmland reserve, BC Wildfire Service perimeters) over Statistics Canada's 2021 census subdivisions; people from the 2021 census.
Zoning
Reports for rural lots in the Nanaimo Regional District name the zone from its open zoning map, where 2 bylaws are drawn. Each of its 4 municipalities zones its own land; its page says what we show there.
- Regional District of Nanaimo Zoning Bylaw No. 2500, 2024Drawn in Electoral Areas A, C, E, G and H. Its commonest zones are summarised in plain words.
- Electoral Area F Zoning and Subdivision Bylaw No. 1285, 2002Drawn in Electoral Area F. Its commonest zones are summarised in plain words.
A bylaw is listed for an area where at least 20 ha and 1% of it lies there, measured by us from the regional district's map. Confirm a lot's zone with the Nanaimo Regional District before you buy or build. Every zoning bylaw we cover.
Building permits
Where the Nanaimo Regional District's building inspection covers its electoral areas (Building Regulations Bylaw No. 1250, 2010): there a building permit is needed and the work is inspected.
| Electoral area | Covered by building inspection |
|---|---|
| Electoral Area A | All of the area |
| Electoral Area B | All of the area |
| Electoral Area C | All of the area |
| Electoral Area E | All of the area |
| Electoral Area F | All of the area |
| Electoral Area G | All of the area |
| Electoral Area H | All of the area |
Our reading of the Regional District of Nanaimo's own page, checked 2026-10-07. Inside a municipality, the town or city runs its own building permits; the BC Building Code applies everywhere. Do you need a building permit on rural land?
Wildfire
No wildfire of 1,000 ha or more has burned in the Nanaimo Regional District's places since 1990, in the BC Wildfire Service's perimeters.
Major projects
The Environmental Assessment Office's register places 1 major project in assessment or approved in the Nanaimo Regional District's places.
- Vancouver Island GenerationApproved; in Nanaimo.
The register places each project at one point; a mine, pipeline or line can reach well past it. Every major project in BC by place.
Check one lot: is it in the ALR? · is it on a floodplain map? · has it burned? · how deep are the wells? · is there room for a septic field? · short-term rentals? · property tax?
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