Bastion (Nanaimo)

The Nanaimo Bastion
General information
Architectural style Octagon Mode.
Address 98 Front Street
Town or city Nanaimo, British Columbia
Country Canada
Construction started 1853
Completed 1855
Client Hudson's Bay Company
Technical details
Structural system 3 story bastion structure, wood material, projecting 3rd floor.
Floor count 3
Design and construction
Architect Jean Baptist Fortier and Leon Labine
Website
http://nanaimomuseum.ca/exhibits-collections/the-bastion/
HBC Flag atop the Bastion

The Nanaimo Bastion is a historical octagon shaped fortification located at 98 Front Street in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. The Hudson's Bay Company, which then held a royal lease on all of what was then the Colony of Vancouver Island, built it between 1853 and 1855 to defend its coal mining operations in Nanaimo. It has been called "Nanaimo's premier landmark", because of its shape and its "high visibility from both land and sea."[1] In 1891 and again in 1979 it was moved a short distance for historic preservation purposes.[2] The building is 3 stories tall, and is "the only known remaining freestanding tower structure built by the Hudson's Bay Company".[3]

On December 12, 1985, the city of Nanaimo designated it a local heritage site.[1] During the Summer of 2010, the Bastion was torn apart to renew rotting boards, and stabilizing steel beams. The director of the event said that they were 'Making a historic movement'. Today the Bastion is under the supervision of the Nanaimo Museum and is open to visitors during the summer from 10 am to 3 pm. It currently functions both as a tourist information center on behalf of Tourism Nanaimo and hold exhibits on the history of the building. The Nanaimo Museum also hosts a daily cannon firing at noon during the summer months, just a few feet away from the Bastion.[4]

First Floor

The first floor of the Bastion was originally used for administration purposes for the Hudson Bay Company. It was here that the company clerk would have managed the day-to-day operations. These operations would have included overseeing the management of the local mines and settlement, ordering supplies, and storing/distributing trade goods. Part of the managerial duties included maintaining correspondence with Fort Victoria, Locally, messages and people were carried via small "express canoes" between Victoria and Fort Langley, while supplies would have been carried on larger vessels such as the Beaver and the Otter. [5] In some cases, supplies would have to be ordered from England, which could take up to 2 years to be delivered.

In present day the first floor of the bastion highlights the trade industry of Nanaimo from the mid to late 1800's. The tourism information center is also located there.

Second Floor

It's believed that the second floor of the Bastion would have been home to Nanaimo's arsenal. It would have held the two cannons supplied by the Hudson Bay Company. Additionally, guns, gunpowder, and shots would have been stored here.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Nanaimo Heritage Register listing for the Bastion
  2. ↑ Canada's Historic Places full listing for the Bastion Archived September 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ "HistoricPlaces.ca - HistoricPlaces.ca". www.historicplaces.ca. Retrieved 2017-05-28.
  4. ↑ Nanaimo Museum - Contact page Archived December 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ Nanaimo: the Story of a City. Nanaimo, British Columbia: Nanaimo & District Museum Society. 1983. pp. 20–21. ISBN 0969160801. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)

Coordinates: 49°10′1.45″N 123°56′8.37″W / 49.1670694°N 123.9356583°W / 49.1670694; -123.9356583


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