Wellington, British Columbia

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official_name = Wellington
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map_caption = Location of Wellington in British Columbia


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = CAN
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = BC
subdivision_type2 = Region
subdivision_name2 = Vancouver Island
subdivision_type3 = Regional district
subdivision_name3 = Nanaimo Regional District
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timezone = PST
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latd= 49|latm= 12|lats= 28|latNS=N
longd= 124|longm= 00|longs= 55|longEW=W
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Wellington is the name of a north Nanaimo, British Columbia neighbourhood, which was once the town of Wellington.

Since amalgamation with Nanaimo, Wellington District is often referred to as "North Nanaimo" with only the former townsite area keeping the neighbourhood name of "Wellington".

History

Prior to 1869, Wellington was a small village of homesteads around Diver lake, Long lake and Brennan Lake. It had had a saloon and was connected to Nanaimo by a rough trail. With extensive marshes and lakes, the area was frequented by Nanaimo residents for fishing and hunting.

In 1869 Robert Dunsmuir discovered coal on the roots of a fallen tree while visiting Diver Lake. As a miner, Dunsmuir immediately investigated the coal seam. Once Dunsmuir realized the Coal was of good quality and of a large quantity, he setup a company and staked a land claim covering most of what is today the Wellington District.

Within a few years the Wellington village had sprung up to provide labour for the Wellington mine. The seam proved to be large, and rich. By 1874 the School in Wellington had 90 pupils, and by the 1890s the town, with 5,000 residents, was the second most important city on Vancouver Island (after Victoria, the capital).

The Dunsmuirs were industrialists and they mined the seam as fast as they could. By 1898 the seam was no longer profitible, and the mine was closed. As a mining town the closure of the mine was devastating. To add to the town's misery, James Dunsmuir ordered the company buildings to be dismantled and moved to Ladysmith by cart or rail. To keep from abandoning the town which had made them rich and powerful, the Dunsmuir's had the E and N Railway move its works yard from Victoria to Wellington. The following year, in 1899, many of the town's key building burned in a great fire. The opera house and many other buildings were destroyed.

After the fire, the town continued on as a rural town until WWII, at which time Nanaimo started to grow so that Wellington became a bedroom community for many Nanaimo residents.

In the 1960s the Wellington Improvement District amalgamated with the City of Nanaimo. Since amalgamation with Nanaimo, Wellington District is often referred to as "North Nanaimo" with only the former townsite area keeping the neighbourhood name of "Wellington".

Modern day

Today's Wellington neighbourhood is often referred to as Diver Lake, Long Lake, Wellington, Rutherford or North Nanaimo. Its lakes provide fishing and recreation, while its heritage as an old town has resulted in a very diverse neighbourhood which includes residential, commercial and industrial land. It is flanked by Rutherford Mall, Long Lake and Country Club Mall to the east, Beban Community Center Complex to the south, farms to the west, and Boban industrial area to the north.

Wellington has two schools, Mount Benson Elementary and Wellington Secondary.

External links

* [http://www.wellingtonbc.ca/ Wellington Community Association of Wellington, BC]