Bastion

fort, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada

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Last updated

June 22, 2026

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The Bastion in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, is a historical fort built in 1853 by the Hudson's Bay Company. Its primary purpose was to protect coal miners and settlers in the area.1

A bastion, in general military architecture, is a projecting part of a fortification designed to allow defensive fire along the faces of neighboring bastions and the connecting walls. This design element was crucial for eliminating "dead spaces" below the parapet, enhancing defensive capabilities against cannon fire, which became a significant threat after 1453. While the term "bastion" historically referred to literal fortifications, it is now often used metaphorically to describe a place that protects an idea or culture. The Nanaimo Bastion is a surviving example of this type of fortification.231

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Nanaimo
…ancient rock carvings, and the Bastion, part of a fort built by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1853 to protect the miners and settlers. The city is host to a unique sporting event—the annual mid-July Bathtub Race across the strait to Vancouver. Inc. city, 1874. Pop. (2006) 78,692; (2011) 83,810.
Read More
…ancient rock carvings, and the Bastion, part of a fort built by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1853 to protect the miners and settlers. The city is host to a unique sporting event—the annual mid-July Bathtub Race across the strait to Vancouver. Inc. city, 1874. Pop. (2006) 78,692; (2011) 83,810.
Read More