Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society

Nanaimo harbour was the scene of a bathtub race extravaganza at the first race in 1967, which was Canada’s 100th Birthday. As the City of Nanaimo's "Centennial Event" more than 200 tubbers in every type of watercraft imaginable entered the fun competition and amazingly, 47 completed the 36 mile course to Vancouver's Fisherman's Cove across the Straits of Georgia. The race continued crossing the Strait of Georgia finishing at Kitsilano Beach until 1996. In 1997 the finish line was changed to Departure Bay in Nanaimo covering a very grueling course that starts in Nanaimo Harbor, goes around Entrance Island, northwest to Winchelsea Islands, around a naval ship, past Schooner Cove and then back to Departure Bay beach.

Starting in 2015 the race will follow a similar course with the finish line in Nanaimo Harbour by the Frank Ney Statue at Maffeo-Sutton Park.