By Ian Holmes

Special Canada Day bathtub race pays tribute to iconic event’s history

Jun 5, 2017 | 8:13 AM

NANAIMO — Canada’s 150th birthday will inlcude a blast from the past when the old World Championship Bathtub Race route is reborn for a special voyage.

The Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society (LNBS) has announced a July 1 race between Nanaimo and Vancouver, which was the original course from 1967 to 1996.

LNBS second vice commodore Greg Peacock told NanaimoNewsNOW organizing the fun race was a perfect way to recognize Canada’s 150th birthday.

He said the former Nanaimo to Vancouver route came to a close after a Vancouver event expired.

“Once Sea Festival was gone, we lost a bunch of the support and safety network required to put on a race in the open Strait of Georgia and into Vancouver Harbour, so the decision was made at the time to have the race start and finish in Nanaimo.”

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Peacock said an invitation to tubbers from the past 10 years has been extended and that several have already stated they intend to take part. That includes a Vancouver-based racer who last took part in 1995.

“The bathtub has been sitting in his garage and he’s been dreaming about getting going again ever since,” Peacock said. “This became his excuse to actually blow the dust off of it, get it tuned up and put it back in the water.”

The City of Nanaimo has declared the entire month of July, 2017 as the Nanaimo Marine Festival, in recognition of two other major annual events on the waterfront, the Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival and the Silly Boat Regatta.

The 51st running of the Bathtub Race happens in Nanaimo on Sunday, July 23.

island-news@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nanaimonewsnow