Road Trip Time Machine: Duncan To Parksville in 1966

November 6, 2025

Step back in time to 1966 and take a drive from Duncan – all the way through Nanaimo – to Parksville.

This video from the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit is a trip.

I like to put the video on the slowest playback speed and check out all the differences from today.

Things to notice: the Nicol street highway used to split off in the centre of downtown, and a road went through what is now the centre of Port Place Mall, heading to the old Canadian Pacific Steamship terminal and bus station on Cameron Island. Back then it was just a strip mall (opened in 1952) before it was opened as Harbour Park Mall in 1967.

Other major malls are missing as well, like Nanaimo North Town Centre (opened in 1967 as Rutherford Mall) and Woodgrove Centre (opened in 1981).

It's interesting to see the old Standard Oil gas station signs before they were converted into the modern Chevron stations, and all the old motels and grocery stores that are long gone.

Check out a gallery of still photos from the video.

Lots of hidden gems in this historical trip down memory lane!