Ladysmith (British Columbia)

Ladysmith is a tourist town of about 8,500 people (2016) on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. A heritage town, it boasts restored buildings and beautiful Transfer Beach. It is known for its annual Festival of Lights during the third week in November. It was voted one of the top ten towns in Canada by Harrowsmith Magazine.

Understand
The local economy is based on forestry, tourism, and agriculture. A hillside location adjacent to a sheltered harbour forms the natural characteristics of the community.

In 2017 Ladysmith's historic First Avenue was named the best street in Canada by the Canadian Institute of Planners.



History
James Dunsmuir founded Ladysmith about 1898, a year after he built shipping wharves for loading coal at Oyster Harbour (now Ladysmith Harbour) from the mine at Extension, nearer Nanaimo. Dunsmuir, owner of coal mines in the Nanaimo area, needed a location to house the families of his miners. He chose to build the community at what was then known as Oyster Harbour, some 32 km south of his Extension mines. Many buildings were moved from Extension and Wellington by rail and by oxen.

In 1900, Dunsmuir renamed the town in honour of the British lifting the siege of Ladysmith in South Africa (28 February 1900) during the Second Boer War. (The original town of Ladysmith in turn took its name from Juana María de los Dolores de León Smith, known as Lady Smith, the Spanish wife of Sir Harry Smith, the British Governor of the Cape Colony and high commissioner in South Africa from 1847 to 1852.)

Dunsmuir also chose to name the streets of the community after generals who fought victoriously in the Boer War. Included in this honour are Generals Buller, Kitchener, Baden-Powell, Methuen and Symonds. In addition, the town has left intact much of its original architecture, from the time of its founding. Surrounding features also bear the names of this era, such as Majuba Mountain.

Ladysmith has been notable in the history of the labour movement with significant unrest and violence during the major strikes of the 1913–1914 era. During this time militia were dispatched to put down unrest and protect property.

By car
A common way to get here is to drive from nearby Nanaimo. Ladysmith is 26 km (16 miles) south of Nanaimo and 85 km (53 miles) north of Victoria on Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway).

By plane
Salt Spring Air flies to nearby Maple Bay from Vancouver harbour, from Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, or from any of the Gulf Islands.

See Nanaimo for Nanaimo Airport, which is north of Ladysmith.

By public transit

 * Routes serving Ladysmith include:
 * Route 31 operates within Ladysmith.
 * Route 34 operates between Ladysmith and Chemainus (21-24 min). Operates multiple times per day from Monday to Saturday.
 * Route 36 between Duncan and Ladysmith (40 min). Operates multiple times per day from Monday to Saturday.
 * Route 70 operates between downtown Nanaimo and Duncan with stops in Ladysmith and at Nanaimo Airport. Operates multiples times per day from Monday to Saturday. Travel time from Ladysmith is 36 minutes to Duncan and 34 minutes to downtown Nanaimo. $7.50 per trip.

Do

 * Pleasure cruising and kayaking are year-round options in Ladysmith's sheltered region of southeastern Vancouver Island. A good place to set off from is.
 * Hiking: The Holland Creek Trail offers beginner-intermediate hiking trails that run from the water's edge at the southeast end of Ladysmith to viewpoints high above town. Hikers can also venture beyond the trail for more advanced treks.
 * Birdwatching and wildlife viewing are excellent in the area.
 * Hiking: The Holland Creek Trail offers beginner-intermediate hiking trails that run from the water's edge at the southeast end of Ladysmith to viewpoints high above town. Hikers can also venture beyond the trail for more advanced treks.
 * Birdwatching and wildlife viewing are excellent in the area.
 * Birdwatching and wildlife viewing are excellent in the area.

Hospital

 * The nearest hospital is in Duncan.