Once a pride of downtown Nanaimo, the former Howard Johnson Harbourside Hotel met its date with an excavator this week.
Since late 2024, workers have been stripping the building’s interior of recyclable and hazardous materials in preparation for its demolition and much of the structure remains behind protective layers of plastic wrap.
But Thursday, March 27, heavy machinery got to work in earnest on the north wing of the building and started chewing into the structure to bring that section of the former hotel down while sorting materials, such wood, metal roofing, carpet and even couches and mattresses that were left in the rooms, into disposal bins.
The Howard Johnson, was formerly the Tally-Ho Hotel, built in the early 1960s and served travellers and the community for more than five decades as one of Nanaimo’s major hotels. It featured two pubs, a restaurant, pool and gym and was a place where everything from conferences to weddings were hosted. The Tally Ho‘s main pub was also one of Nanaimo’s busiest night clubs.
In its later years the Howard Johnson also became home to Nanaimo’s Greyhound Bus depot and other businesses, but the hotel fell upon hard times in later years. In 2017 the building was the scene of a fatal shooting and in October 2018 it was announced the hotel would cease operations.
In the years leading up to the hotel’s closer there were several development proposals for the site, that included a multiplex sports complex and, most recently, proposal for a major development by Victoria-based Oakwood Park Estates.
The proposal and rezoning triggered opposition from Snuneymuxw First Nation which claimed the land as a Snuneymuxw village site promised to remain in Snuneymuxw possession under the Sarlequun Snuneymuxw Treaty of 1854.
The site was purchased from the developer and returned to Snuneymuxw First Nation in July.
Snuneymuxw First Nation said in July the immediate goal was to tear down the former hotel and remediate the land, but has not publicly discussed plans for future development of the site.
