History Of The Nanaimo Bar • British Columbia Magazine (2024)

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History Of The Nanaimo Bar • British Columbia Magazine? ›

Rumours abound as to when and by whom the Nanaimo bar was first invented, but the first known recipe appeared in the 1952 edition of the Women's Auxiliary Nanaimo Hospital Cookbook, labelled as a chocolate square.

The first known recipe for Nanaimo bars appeared in the 1952 Women's Auxiliary of the Nanaimo Hospital Cookbook and was labelled “chocolate square.” One year later, a similar recipe was published in Vancouver's Edith Adams' Cookbook, this time going by the name “Nanaimo Bar.” These are the bar's earliest known ...

The recipe submitted by Joyce Hardcastle, a resident of Nanaimo, was unanimously selected by a panel of judges. The Nanaimo bar was popularized nationwide after being highlighted as a classic Canadian dessert at Expo 86.

This creamy, chocolatey treat's origin is elusive, shrouded in mystery, and claimed by many as their own. Of course, we know that Nanaimo Bars originated in Nanaimo, or they would be called New York Bars, or New Brunswick Bars.

The Nanaimo bar (pronounced nuh-NYE-mo) is a three-layer no-bake square that for the last seven decades or so has been a steadfast source of comfort to Canadians at weddings and funerals, birthdays and bar mitzvahs.

It is named after Nanaimo, British Columbia, where it was popularized in the years following the Second World War. It subsequently rose to wider prominence after Expo 86. In 2006, the Nanaimo bar was declared Canada's favourite confection by a reader's poll in the National Post.

Cultural Life. Nanaimo's most noted annual event is the "bathtub weekend" (during its Marine Festival), when "tubbers" from around the world race in motor-powered bathtubs from Nanaimo Harbour to Departure Bay. The Bastion, a HBC fort built in 1853, is the oldest preserved HBC fort in Canada.

A B.C. baker's "ultimate" Nanaimo bars

It was first deemed the Nanaimo bar by Vancouver Sun columnist Edith Adams in 1953 when she wrote that the dessert came from Nanaimo. This is important to note, Newman says, because other places such as Mississauga and England have tried to claim it as their own.

But in reasonable doses (or not), Nanaimo bars are wonderfully luxurious, satisfying treats; the shredded coconut and nut counterpoint to the thick velvety texture of the icing and ganache has been winning the hearts of sweet-toothed Canadians and visitors for decades.

Symbolism. The cross of St. George of red on white derives from the coat of arms of the Hudson's Bay Company, which founded Nanaimo in 1849 as a trading post and fort. The ship, a barque, is a representation of the Princess Royal, which brought the first settlers from England to Nanaimo to develop the nearby coal mines ...

Do Americans have Nanaimo bars? ›

But no, we got the elusive Nanaimo Bar (name originated from Nanaimo, BC). While they are Canadian by birth, our own Starbucks pulled them down south of the border and into stores across the U.S., making them not only nationally popular - but synonymous with Washington state as well.

The Indigenous peoples of the area that is now known as Nanaimo are the Snuneymuxw. An anglicised spelling and pronunciation of that word gave the city its current name. The first Europeans known to reach Nanaimo Harbour were members of the 1791 Spanish voyage of Juan Carrasco, under the command of Francisco de Eliza.

Other names for Nanaimo Bars include but are not limited to New York Slice, New York Special, Mississauga Bars, Edmonton Esks, Georgia Street Slices, Georgia Strait Smog Squares, London Fog Bars and London Smog Bars — coincidentally the London Fog (a hot drink consisting of steamed milk, vanilla syrup and Earl Grey Tea ...

You'll also find ATMs at the airport and ferry terminals. U.S. currency is not widely accepted in Nanaimo. B.C. law prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of 19.

As far as Canadian foods go, poutine truly is a national dish and one you may well have heard of before. A hearty combination of chips, flavourful gravy and cheese curds, poutine is a comforting dish that makes an appearance on most menus in the French-influenced province of Quebec.

While it's less of a mainstay here in Canada, 'biscuits and gravy' is a staple you'll spot on breakfast menus especially across the American South.

Extension Ridge is known locally as 'The Abyss' because of a 16″ earthquake fissure found there. Although not much is known about this large crack in the earth, there is speculation that it could be a result of a collapsed mine tunnel that was triggered by an earthquake.

The mural, painted at 95 Cavan Street, has been accused of being p*rnographic, promoting drug use, and even inappropriate for public viewing. The mural is part of the Hub City Walls Festival to paint murals in downtown Nanaimo.