Description of Historic Place

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.

Source: City 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