About Flying Fish

Founded in 2005 by Glen Saunders, Flying Fish is Vancouver Island’s preeminent home furnishings and kitchenware shop. Housed in a 6,400-square-foot heritage building in the heart of downtown Nanaimo, Flying Fish is a fun and friendly place that will engage your senses with its beautifully displayed selection of quality home furnishings, kitchenware, bedding, jewelry, women’s clothing, giftware and more.

A Rich History

Located only steps from the historic Nanaimo Bastion, the Flying Fish building was built in 1898 and has a storied history, having been home to several Nanaimo retail mainstays over the years including the A.R. Johnston & Co. Grocers, the Metropolitan, SAAN and the Red Apple. Passionate about downtown restoration, Glen purchased and refurbished the building in the mid-1990s, retaining many of the building’s historic features including its original brick walls, hardwood floors and tin ceiling.

The basement, affectionately known by staff as “The Dungeon” used to house horses and prisoners and still has bars on the windows. These days it’s the site of our “Behind the Red Door” garage sale — a favoured shopping tradition among locals.

At the Heart of the Community

Owner Glen hails from Nanaimo and operates a number of businesses on Vancouver Island including the Cow Bay Gift Galley in Prince Rupert and The Lodge at Skeena Landing, a 10-room hotel with restaurant in Terrace.

Flying Fish supports a host of Nanaimo events such as the Dragon Boat races, as well as non-profits such as the Port Theatre, 7-10 Club, Nanaimo Foodshare Society and many more.

In 2018, we were proud to be named Retailer of the Year by the Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce. The secret to our success is our friendly team — most of whom have worked for us for years — and our commitment to customer service.

Come See Us!

Drop by, meet our team and see why Flying Fish is Vancouver Island’s favourite store for cooking, living and giving. Thank you for shopping local!