Castaway Motel Neon Sign
Photo: City of Nanaimo, 2009
- Built
- 1956
- Recognized
- 2006
- By
- Local government
The register’s text, word for word
Description
The Castaway Motel Neon Sign is a freestanding sign sited in front of the motel entrance and located on a major city thoroughfare.
Heritage value
Manufactured in the 1940s and relocated from Florida in 1956, the Castaway Motel neon sign is the only remaining original signage on what was Nanaimo’s first motel strip along Terminal Avenue. Developed in response to the post-war enthusiasm for automobile vacations, Nanaimo's motel strip included motels and auto courts which, unlike earlier hotels, were specifically designed to provide ample automobile parking. Although the 'strip' still includes a number of motels, only the Castaway Motel retained its original signage.
SourceCity of Nanaimo Planning Department
Character‑defining elements
The character-defining elements of the Castaway Motel Neon Sign include:
- the neon sign itself
- the sign's location directly in front of the Castaway Motel on a major city thoroughfare
End of the register’s text
Location
205 Terminal Avenue, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
49.17449° N, 123.94680° W
Get directions (opens in a new tab)Being on the register doesn’t make a place open to visitors. Many are private homes or businesses; please view them from the street.
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From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.