‘It’s not a small thing, your presence here:’ over 1,000 flock to second Nanaimo Infusion

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Co-organizer Tod Maffin poses with fans and visitors to Nanaimo. (Image Credit: Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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'It's not a small thing, your presence here:' over 1,000 flock to second Nanaimo Infusion

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What started as a joke-turned-viral video in early 2025 has spawned not only the immensely successful Nanaimo event but also 43 similar initiatives nationwide.

Many, like Nanaimo, are also using the influx of visitors in a bid to recruit healthcare workers to an overburdened system.

Tod said the personal, organic format of Infusion has been key in 34 healthcare workers moving to work in Nanaimo in the last 10 months and another 3,000 applying to work across B.C.

“If you are a nurse in Iowa who has a trans kid, and the only thing holding you back from making the decision to come to Canada is you need to talk to another parent, to find out, ‘is my daughter going to be safe in Canada?’ We can set you up with someone to talk to you in five minutes, if that’s all it takes. There are communities across this country that will help out.”

Jocelyn added the connections found in the Infusion community have meant a great deal to her.

“I just wanted to tell you guys how humbling it is to see everything you shared with us…about yourselves and your journeys and your current life and the things that you’re dealing with and your experiences. It’s humbling to realize that you spend your attention on us, on the things that we care about, and you join us in it.”

Scott and Joy Beatty, visiting from Washington State, are considering a move to Vancouver Island. The pair both work in healthcare and say they’re ready to leave the U.S. behind. (Image Credit: Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

In the crowd Saturday were Scott and Joy Beatty, visiting from Westport, Washington and exploring a move away from the U.S.

“We definitely are looking to relocate,” Joy told NanaimoNewsNOW. “We just bought a home in Japan, and we are looking to add to our international experience. We’re ready to relocate permanently out of the United States and find another place to call home.”

Joy is a mental health professional, while Scott is a home healthcare aid.

Both have met with a number of professionals in healthcare, immigration, and real estate during their visit to Nanaimo, trying to ensure any move which eventuates is a smooth one.

“We are both in health care-adjacent industries. We know that [Scott] has to get registered now under a certain umbrella, but we learned all that just in the past hour, so this has just been invaluable. It has saved us so much time.”

Both Joy and Scott said they are searching for a quality of life “we can’t find in the United States” and they’re “not comfortable to stay” under the current political climate.

Around 1,000 people attended the 2026 Nanaimo Infusion, mingling freely and making new connections. (Image Credit: Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Also exploring a move were Portland, Oregon’s Richard and Stacie Howard.

Stacie discovered Nanaimo Infusion through social media posts and thought it was the perfect excuse for a holiday and to explore somewhere new.

“I am evaluating whether or not we want to stay in the United States, specifically Portland and so we have been touring different parts of the world,” Richard said. “We were in Tokyo last year, we’re probably going to hit up Ireland this summer, hitting Canada right now, to try and feel out if we want to land somewhere and where it would be.”

Stacie, originally from Bend, compared the central Oregon community to Vancouver Island.

“It’s like Bend’s personality with Portland’s landscape. You have a lot of accessibility to go throw yourself into a kayak, or, I heard there’s a ski resort somewhere on the island. I’m a huge skier, so this is all very attractive in that way.”

Both praised the accessibility and support in Nanaimo, not only for Stacie’s visual impairment but also for the couple’s autistic son.

The slow speeds on area highways was a noted drawback, however, the couple said tongue-in-cheek.

The message was clear from those in attendance: the current conflict between the U.S. and Canada is not between the people of those countries, rather two different political visions. (Image Credit: Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Among the visitors this weekend was Alison Klossner, a physiotherapist from Portland, Oregon, who mentioned she’d never heard of Nanaimo prior to last year’s Infusion event.

Once the 2026 edition was announced, she made the decision to use the event to celebrate her birthday while also exploring a potential move.

“I like the atmosphere of Nanaimo. It’s friendly, like today we’re here at the food cart fair. It’s a beautiful town on the ocean, and it feels a lot like Portland, where you have the shops and the art galleries, and it’s just like a kind of a community feel to it.”

She said the last 10 years “have been really challenging in the United States,” and she feels the time is right to either stick it out or make a move.

Klossner, 55, attended an open house for healthcare workers at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital on Friday, April 24, to help gather more information on making the switch.

“As I understand it, I would have to take the board exam, which is a bit of a barrier, as I haven’t had to take a board exam since I first entered my career about 30 years ago. That’s a three-hour written then two-hour oral exam…then I can apply for licensure at that point.”

Tod speaks with Premier David Eby prior to Saturday’s formal remarks. (Image Credit: Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

She’s not the only one charting the same course forward.

“I have met other physical therapists going through the same thing, one just took the board (exam), and she said she’d let us know how it all went when she gets her scoring back. So that’s been good to watch that process happen through her eyes.”

New to Infusion for 2026 was Premier David Eby, briefly speaking to the crowd while flanked by his mid-Island MLA’s Sheila Malcolmson, George Anderson, Josie Osborne and Stephenie Higginson.

Eby said there are obvious difficulties between Canada and the United States currently, but it was obvious the divisions were not between people but rather political ideologies.

“This is not a fight between Americans and Canadians, this is a political issue, and this too will pass. What will help us get through to the other side is events like this, and this is so inspiring to see you here.”

No other formal events were planned for the Infusion weekend, with visitors and locals encouraged to explore the area at their own pace.

The official family portrait of around 1,000 people at the Nanaimo sign on Saturday, April 25 (Image Credit: City of Nanaimo)

Around 1,000 people flocked to Nanaimo’s Maffeo Sutton Park for the Infusion event, seeing hundreds of American visitors come to the mid-Island. (Image Credit: Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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