… Westwood Lake is an ultimate destination for many kinds of Nanaimo-ites, owing to its kilometres of springy pathways for runners and walkers, beaches for swimmers, fish for canoers, and its access to Mount Benson and Westwood Ridge …
I did just the 6km loop around the lake, catching some interesting photos.
The sun we hadn’t seen for many days was evaporating snow into mist.
see the rest of my pics on flickr
The best guidebook for the many local trails like this on Vancouver Island are the Hiking Trails series (3 volumes) by Vancouver Island Trails Information Society.
besthike.com 
This is not the Nanaimo that I remember outside the ferry station by the McDonalds the run down hardware store on what could be the least natural part of the island. But, when you’re craving a Quarter Pounder with Cheese and fries, it’s worth the three-hour drive from Tofino for it (or so I have been told!)
Andrew Szalay
SuburbanMountaineer.com