WHO WE ARE

The Salvation Army has been active in the community of Nanaimo since 1888. It operated out of the building at 19 Nicol until a new church building was opened in April 1986 on the corner of Bruce and Eighth Street. The Salvation Army continues to provide emergency assistance and Family Services out of the Church.

The outreach of The Salvation Army flows out of the congregation that gathers weekly at the church on Eighth Street.

The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world.

We are privileged to be able to offer the following services to residents of Nanaimo and surrounding communities:

– 2 Thrift Stores
–  Family Services
– Crisis Response Vehicle

On May 15, 1888, six years after Nanaimo became a municipality, The Salvation Army established the Corps and a shared past with the city was begun. Through the early years when Nanaimo was a rugged coal mining town to the present, the doors of The Salvation Army have been open to assist those in need. The original motto of The Salvation Army’s founder William Booth “Soup, Soap, and Salvation” still rings true today.

The first church built in 1893 at 19 Nicol Street was replaced by the new church at 505 Eighth Street in April 1986. The original church has gone through many transformations to provide social and spiritual services to the surrounding communities throughout the decades. In 1953, the building was renovated, and a new front was put on the building which can still be seen today. Changes to the main structure allowed to create a gymnasium which did double duty as a place of workshop and a church hall.