Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where can I stay in Nanaimo that is close to downtown?
A: We have sponsor hotels that are offering festival rates for anyone attending the Cascadia Poetry Festival for accommodation during the festival and for two days before and after the festival if they wish to come early and stay later. These hotels are the Coast Bastion, the Best Western, and Howard Johnson. These hotels are within a 5 to 10 minute walking distance from all our downtown venues such as the Nanaimo Museum for the Living Room, and the Globe Bar and Grille for the Marmot Bout and the After Party Marathon.
Q: What other accommodation is available in and around Nanaimo especially if I have a car and short distances are not an issue?
A: If you go to our page “SLEEP/EAT/CHILL” you will find an assortment of places to stay through the Tourism Nanaimo link. In addition you can also find many interesting places to eat and hang out during your stay in Nanaimo.
Q: If I am going to be staying in downtown Nanaimo and I have a car, where can I safely park the car overnight?
A: If you are staying at one of the sponsored hotels, there is parking available at a daily rate. Also there is municipal underground parking beneath the Port Theatre which is just around the corner from The Painted Turtle Guest House, the Coast Bastion and the Best Western. The 12 hour rates are 6 dollars and change for overnight parking and this is the least expensive for paid parking. Your can also park hourly during the day in the municipal parking. Howard Johnson has parking outside as part of the accommodation.
Q: I am taking my car to Vancouver Island University for the events there. What is the arrangement for parking?
A: The campus parking is run by a private organization with metered parking. (They’re very strict!) However we have arranged for Cascadia Poetry Festival attendees to receive a PARKING PASS to be displayed on their dashboard. This pass is good for the duration of the festival only. There will be designated PARKING LOTS for the festival. These are LOTS E, C AND A during the day and evenings and LOT N for evenings only. There will be volunteers to provide parking passes at these lots when you arrive. The campus is spread out on a hill so you should allow extra time to walk to Building 355. A map is here and there will be a map in your package.
Q: If I am staying downtown and do not have a car, how do I get to the VIU campus and Building 355?
A: There are two options. There is public transport that will take you to Vancouver Island University. You can check the schedule at http://bctransit.com/nanaimo/home.
Also the Cascadia Poetry Festival will be running a volunteer carpooling shuttle in the early morning from 8:00 to 9:00 and in the early evening from 6:00 to 7:00 up to VIU, leaving from Skinner Street. This service is subject to availability.
Q: If I am staying downtown and do not have a car, how do I get back from the VIU campus to the downtown area in the afternoon and in the evening?
A: There are two options. There is public transport which will take you to the downtown area from Vancouver Island University. You can check the schedule at http://bctransit.com/nanaimo/home.
Also the Cascadia Poetry Festival will be running a volunteer carpooling shuttle in the afternoon and evening after the last event at 2:00 pm and 9:30 pm respectively to the downtown. This service is subject to availability.
Q: If I am coming by ferry, without transportation, how do I get to the downtown area?
A: There are two ferries, one arriving at Departure Bay which is in close proximity to Nanaimo and the other at Duke Point which will require transportation. Departure Bay is the recommended destination. There is a Ferry Shuttle # 25 run by BC Transit Nanaimo to downtown. You can check the schedule at http://bctransit.com/nanaimo/home.
Arrangements can also be made if absolutely necessary for a specific pick up by one of our volunteers if you cannot access the Ferry Shuttle # 25. You will need to email ascentaspirations@gmail.com and ask for this special arrangement.
Q: I ordered my Gold Pass on-line or by cheque in the mail. How do I get my Gold Pass for the festival?
A: On Friday between 8:30 and 10:15 (the start of the first event requiring a Gold Pass) we will have our Greeter Table Staff available for you to check in for the festival. You will receive a package including the program and your Gold Pass, as well as other pieces of useful information. You will need to present your Gold Pass at the door for all of the events except the Living Room which is available to everyone, not just attendees of the festival.
Q: If I donated to the Cascadia Poetry Festival or bought a Gold Pass on Indiegogo where I am to receive a perk, where can I pick up my perk?
A: This will vary with the perk, however the procedure is to mention the perk at the Greeter Table and we will have a record of it and be able to direct you to where you can pick up your perk.
Q: I am a poet who is attending the festival and I have a published book. Is there a place where I can bring copies of my book to display and have it for sale?
A: Yes, the Poets’ Book Store will be established at the Living Room events taking place at the Nanaimo Museum from 3 to 5pm. It will be an informal table where you can display your book (one title only) and have it for sale. No one will be staffing this table but it will be adjacent to the Living Room Reading Circle where participants can visit the table before and after the event and talk to you about your poetry and your book. Purchase arrangements can be made privately by you.
Q: Will there be assigned seating for all events at the festival?
A: The Gold Pass and the single entry tickets are all General Admission other than some assigned seating for poets involved in the reading event. Should the featured readings in the evening on Friday and Saturday and the Celebratory Closing reading on Sunday afternoon fill to capacity, we are providing a live-stream video/audio feed into the Small Press Fair room with seating for the overflow. Events in the downtown particularly in the later evening are subject to governmental regulations as to the numbers of people. The Globe Bar and Grille can accommodate 145 people at anyone time. We will be tracking the numbers in and out during the events, so that we are always at maximum capacity.