Follow the symbol of the Bastion on the sidewalk and discover more on Nanaimo's surprising past. This marker is on the wall facing St. Andrew's church. The text below is taken from that marker.
Even though Fitzwilliam Street was named after the son of an Earl, it wasn't much of a street until the bridge was built across the ravine in 1875. That certainly made it easier for the Presbyterians and the Roman Catholics to get to church. Soon the Sisters of St. Ann built a convent on the rocky bluff across the street where they nursed the sick and taught school to children of all creeds.
But it was the completion of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway in 1886 that really made the difference for Fitzwilliam Street. New restaurants and hotels were built to entice visitors arriving by train. The owners of the railway gave a boost to the local economy by bringing in special tourist excursions. Paradoxically, when Nanaimo backed the "wrong side" in a labour dispute, the same owners punished the city by offering free trips to Victoria for trainloads of shoppers.
After the turn-of-the-century, a number of wood frame commercial establishments were built and even though the railway isn't as important as it used to be, those old buildings have been revitalized and still house thriving businesses to this day.
Financially assisted by the Government of British Columbia through the B.C. Heritage Trust and B.C. Lottery Revenues.