The BC Supreme Court building on Front St. will undergo nearly $10 million worth of modernization enhancements. (Image Credit: Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

TLC

Nanaimo’s historic courthouse to undergo overhaul

Mar 21, 2026 | 6:56 AM

NANAIMO — Built in 1896, a highly recognizable downtown Nanaimo landmark is being modernized.

The City of Nanaimo recently approved a building permit featuring several new additions to the courthouse at 35 Front St., with the project focusing on the building’s historic half facing the waterfront.

“The upgrades to the Nanaimo Courthouse include a roof renewal, window replacements, improvements to the building’s HVAC, lighting and main electrical systems, as well as building an entrance ramp for the main entrance on Chapel St. to improve accessibility,” read a Ministry of Infrastructure statement.

The estimated $9.7 million project budget is currently in the tender stage with an estimated completion date of next fall, according to the ministry.

Air conditioning will be well-received in historic courtroom 232, where sweltering summer heat lends to an uncomfortable climate in the vast room outfitted with large, stained-glass windows.

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The approved work plan also involves building envelope restoration, structural repairs, interior partitions to create a new basement service room, and seismic enhancements.

Nanaimo’s historic courthouse building on Front St. represents a highly visible feature on the city’s waterfront. (Image Credit: Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW.)

The building was identified by the B.C. government’s property division, responsible for managing and monitoring its buildings to ensure current building code compliance, as a priority project.

Designed by the same architect responsible for the provincial legislature in Victoria, Nanaimo’s courthouse represents the 37th oldest entry on the City’s Community Heritage Registry, which lists the Bastion structure two blocks away as the oldest, built in 1853.

“The Nanaimo Courthouse is a recognized heritage building, so the restoration work of heritage significance will follow the City of Nanaimo’s Heritage Building Design Guidelines. The project is not anticipated to disrupt any court proceedings,” the Infrastructure Ministry noted.

The intricate stone-clad late Victorian era courthouse facing Front st. is sandwiched against a more mundane, functional courthouse addition from 1957 on the Chapel St. side.

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