The Wilson Block

Abstract

The Wilson Block was built on Commercial Street in 1891 and later was known was the Wilson Hotel. It was gutted by fire in 1930. Just left of the Wilson Block is the "Nanaimo Free Press" building. The paper was founded by George Norris in 1874 just after the city was incorporated. The paper was published by the Norris family for ninety years until it was sold to a large eastern syndicate and renamed the "Daily Free Press".