Arrival Information - Spring 2011 Intake

If you have not already done so, please email homestay@viu.ca and let us know your arrival date and time.

Homestay/Peerstay Students

Student Profile/Applications need to be submitted to our Homestay/Peerstay office 6 weeks before the semester start date. Students who have not applied for homestay 6 weeks in advance are not guaranteed placement on their arrival date.

Applications for Homestay/Peerstay need to include:

Completed Student Profile (pages 1 – 9)
Homestay/Peerstay fees ($850)
Arrival details to Nanaimo

If you apply late for homestay we will do our best to place late applicants. In the event that we are not successful in placing you with a suitable host family before VIU closes for holidays on December 24, 2010, you will require temporary accommodation. Please refer to the attachment and links below for alternate accommodation choices in Nanaimo. Arrival Information

IMPORTANT: Students will be placed in Homestay or Peerstay on a first come first served basis. Homestay/Peerstay students may move into Homestay/Peerstay 4-5 days before the start of orientation/classes. Example – ESL students begin classes on January 4 and may arrive no earlier than December 30 into Homestay/Peerstay.

Please note that the VIU campus will be closed at 2:00 PM on Friday, December 24, 2010 and will re-open at 8:00 AM on Tuesday, January, 4, 2011. We will not be placing students during this time. We will continue to place late applications when we reopen on January 4, 2011.

Arriving in Nanaimo

By air

There are two options for travel by air:

1) Students traveling to Canada from overseas by air should book their airline ticket to Nanaimo Airport (YCD). Students will change planes at Vancouver International Airport (YVR). There are 20-minute flights from Vancouver to Nanaimo Airport.

2) If you do not book a flight directly to Nanaimo, you can travel from Richmond (close to Vancouver airport) to downtown Nanaimo Harbour by float plane. There are two companies that offer these services: West Coast Air or Harbour Air.

Please note: There are luggage restrictions on the float planes.

By ferry

There are two car/passenger ferries from Vancouver to Nanaimo: from the Vancouver port of Tsawwassen to Duke Point, a 15-minute drive south of Nanaimo; and from Horseshoe Bay in Vancouver to Departure Bay, close to downtown Nanaimo. More information .

If you are coming from Vancouver International airport (YVR) to Nanaimo by ferry, please consider taking the bus. It arrives at the BC Ferries Duke Point ferry terminal. The closest stop to VIU (If you are staying on campus), is the Prideaux Street stop.

Arrival Services

If students are not making a connecting flight to Nanaimo Airport (YCD) from Vancouver International (YVR) and would like assistance to any of the ferry services (BC Ferries), or harbour to harbour float planes, please contact the following service: Beaton's Meet and Greet, e-mail beatons1@shaw.ca. They will be happy to meet students at the exit from the arrivals area at YVR and transport them to the ferry or float plane service that they have chosen. They will also assist students to purchase a ticket on their Vancouver to Nanaimo transportation and make sure that if they are staying with a host family in Nanaimo, that they are called to pick the student up at the appropriate location.

Students Staying in Student Residence

If you arrive at Nanaimo airport, you can take a taxi or the airport shuttle service. Both of these are stationed outside the exit door of Nanaimo airport terminal.

If you arrive at Nanaimo Harbour, the float plane service will reserve a taxi for you.

If you arrive at either of the ferry terminals (Duke Point or Departure Bay) you can take a taxi which is located outside the welcome centers at the terminals.

Please note: Taxi costs vary and cost around $40.00 from Duke Point to residence or from the airport to residence. The airport shuttle is normally about half the cost of the taxi from the airport.