Nanaimo British Columbia, home to the famous Nanaimo bar, is a 1.5 hour ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. It is a Harbour City with one of the 3 ferry terminals on the Island acting as a gate way to Cities in the Northern part of the island such as Tofino, Comox Valley, Parksville, Campbell River, Port Alberni, Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park - and off its coast - Newcastle Island, Protection Island, Gabriola Island, Valdes Island, and many other of the Gulf Islands. Nanaimo is served by 3 airports allowing quick and easy access to Downtown Vancouver, Richmond and the Vancouver International Airport. With a population of about 84,000 people the largest employer is the provincial government. The pulp mill is a large contributor to the local community along with the service, retail and tourism industries.