Nanaimo & surroundings · An area guide
Chase River
A home base on the south side.
Chase River marks Nanaimo’s southern entrance, with established streets and newer residential pockets. It offers a useful starting point for buyers whose routines take them south as well as into the city. Its character shifts between the main routes and the homes set further back from them.
01 · Beyond the front door
Living in Chase River
Chase River sits at Nanaimo’s southern entrance, where established homes and newer streets meet a more rural setting. Highway connections make it a useful area to compare with Cedar and South Nanaimo.
An area guide from Gillette & Associates, Derek Gillette’s Nanaimo real estate practice.
01At the southern entrance to the city
Chase River is a transition between city and country. Its position near the highway is useful for understanding the area, but the feeling changes once you turn into the residential streets. Visit the surroundings of each home before deciding how much separation from the city you want.
Housing ranges from older properties to more recent development. Gardens, lot shapes and nearby roads vary. Compare the spaces you will use, how much maintenance they need and the journey to the services you use most.
02Choosing between city and rural settings
Cedar offers a more rural comparison to the south and east, while South Nanaimo brings the search back towards the older city. Extension offers another option for buyers seeking woodland and larger properties. Touring those settings can clarify what you mean by wanting more space.
A location near the highway should not be treated as a fixed travel-time promise. Try your regular journeys at the relevant time of day. If school access matters, use the district’s address lookup rather than an older neighbourhood list.
A closer look · Local map data
Around the neighbourhood
A few places to explore around Chase River. Distances are approximate straight lines from our reference point on Country Hills Dr; walking and driving routes will be longer.
Parks & outdoors
- Country Hills ParkPark≈ 50 m
- Flagstone ParkPark≈ 350 m
- Harambe ParkPark≈ 400 m
- Richards Marsh ParkPond≈ 500 m
More nearby places
- Elaine Hamilton ParkPark≈ 500 m
- Ranchview ParkPark≈ 500 m
- Hosanna ParkPark≈ 700 m
- Healy Road ParkPark≈ 850 m
- Marban ParkPark≈ 850 m
- Wexford ParkPark≈ 900 m
- Cinnabar Valley Park (Stacey)Recreation≈ 1000 m
- Porter Road ParkPark≈ 1.0 km
Schools nearby
- Cinnabar Valley ElementaryElementary≈ 300 m
- Chase River ElementaryElementary≈ 1.2 km
- Fulford Community ElementaryElementary≈ 2.5 km
- Park Avenue ElementaryElementary≈ 3.5 km
More nearby places
- Continuing Ed SDSecondary≈ 4.1 km
- John Barsby SecondarySecondary≈ 4.1 km
- Learning AlternativesSecondary≈ 4.1 km
- Bayview ElementaryElementary≈ 4.4 km
- Georgia Avenue ElementaryElementary≈ 4.8 km
Proximity does not establish a catchment or admission. Check a home’s school assignment with SD68 ↗
The everyday stops
- Limbros Food Services IncFood & drink≈ 1.8 km
- Country GrocerGroceries≈ 1.8 km
- SubwayFood & drink≈ 1.9 km
- Pizza Mia LtdCoffee≈ 2.1 km
More nearby places
- Rexall #7191Everyday services≈ 2.1 km
- Bold Knight RestaurantFood & drink≈ 2.4 km
- Calico Cat Tea HouseFood & drink≈ 2.6 km
- Harbourview Days InnFood & drink≈ 3.8 km
- Quality Foods - HarewoodEveryday services≈ 3.8 km
- Alice's RestaurantFood & drink≈ 4.0 km
- James GroceryGroceries≈ 4.4 km
- Nicol Street Dairy QueenFood & drink≈ 4.8 km
Changes around you
Permits & proposals
A sample of City files near the Country Hills Dr reference point. Open a file for its current details and documents.
A file marked active can be under review or already issued. It does not confirm that construction has started.
All City applications ↗BP132051 · ACTIVE1787 Montana Road
Single / Two Family Alteration
Bathroom Renovation and additional bathroom
- Submitted
- August 14, 2026
- Issued
- September 22, 2026
BP131366 · ACTIVE83 LENWOOD ROAD Unit 101 & 102 Building A (Inspection Only)
Single / Two Family Dwelling
2-storey duplex on slab on grade
- Submitted
- November 15, 2025
- Issued
- March 27, 2026
BP131395 · ACTIVE81 LENWOOD ROAD Unit 101 & 102 Building B (Inspection Only)
Single / Two Family Dwelling
2-storey duplex on slab on grade
- Submitted
- November 17, 2025
- Issued
- March 27, 2026
Checked Oct 7, 2026 · Selected places and files around one reference point, not a complete neighbourhood inventory.
Sources: City of Nanaimo and BC school data. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence – Nanaimo.
What to look for
The homes here
Detached homes of different ages sit within the area, alongside other residential options. Layout, garden space and road exposure can vary substantially. It is worth comparing individual streets before narrowing the search to a particular style of home.
When comparing a house with a townhouse or apartment, consider outdoor maintenance, parking and ownership responsibilities as well as the rooms.
02 · The local market
Every neighbourhood keeps its own time
A market has a pulse the way a movement has a beat, and it differs street by street. The numbers below are read straight from the MLS® record — counted, not estimated — and refreshed through the day.
LIVE — THE HANDS KEEP NANAIMO TIME · THE INSTRUMENTS READ THE MARKET
03 · Find your place
Chase River homes for sale
If Chase River feels like your kind of place, start with a closer look at the homes.
Gillette & Associates
Our featured homes
From the wider market
More homes on the MLS®
Active MLS® listings · Courtesy of VIREB members · Availability can change
Find your place in Chase River.
Explore all current listings and narrow the search to what matters to you.
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