March 02, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Nanaimo, Arts, Culture & History Tours
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May - September the Nanaimo museum fires the cannon everyday at noon in the waterfront plaza. We try to go on Fridays so we can hit the farmers' market as well. If you haven't seen this before, they have bag pipes playing, the museum staff are in costume and the
Nanaimo Bastion is open for touring. I kept waiting for them to load the cannon ball but no such luck. It makes a loud bang and smoke show but they don't actually fire something from it - I guess that's a good thing since the farmers' market tents are straight ahead. I am told that if they were to fire a cannon ball, it could go as far as protection island! Apparently for special occasions you can contact the museum and see if you can organize someone from your group to actually fire it. Check it out when you have a chance.