John Barsby School in 1970

November 7, 2025

Before the skatepark, before the sports centre, before the astroturf field, before the old lacrosse box, and even before the band room: this birds-eye-view photo shows what John Barsby School looked like in 1970.

Once a Five Acre lot that included the Dickinson Dairy Farm, this plot of land between 6th and 7th street became the home of John Barsby Junior High on April 12, 1957.

According to the Nanaimo Archives, "The junior high school building programme was started in Nanaimo as a result of the large increase in population during the post-war years. John Barsby was the second junior high school in Nanaimo, with Woodlands having been completed in late 1955."

Bonus crowd pleaser: you can see the Harewood kids pool between the school and tennis courts!

This photo by L.B. Englefield of Englefield Studio was found at the Nanaimo Archives (Item # 1992026A-P5529-13). Big thanks to the crew there for all their help!