The Nanaimo Empire Days Celebration Society is a volunteer based non-profit association that meets on the second Tuesday evening of every month. Founded to celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday on the 24th of May, it has become an organization of citizens concerned with the heritage of Nanaimo and the future of its young people.

Although the focus of the Nanaimo Empire Days Society is naturally on the festivities of the Victoria Day Weekend in May, the group features activities year round to promote interest in Nanaimo's past. Through the personna of Queen Victoria (in reality Mrs. Barbara Desprez in period costume), visits to local Elementary Schools excite the students in the history of our local area. Dialogue between the queen and "her subjects" range in topic from local living and working conditions in this coal mining community, to the life-style of Victoria and her family in the palace in England.

A special Empire Days committee spends several months at first designing, and then building a beautiful float featuring the Empire Days May Queen and her royal party to take part in Vancouver Island festivals and parades.

Since the earliest years, a May Queen has been chosen from the young ladies of Nanaimo, to represent her citizens at such activities as local parades and the November 11th Memorial Services at the Cenotaph. Each year, a committee of Empire Days Society members choose an Elementary School in District #68 to host the honour. With the help of the principal and teachers, a May Queen party is chosen from interested children (with parental consent) poise and maturity the main priority and the prime consideration. In the past few years, the May Queen has spoken in public to Mayors and Councillors of many communities, ambassadors of other countries, and the Queen's representatives in our own country.

Over the years, The Nanaimo Empire Days Society has taken great pleasure in bringing to Nanaimo, the Military Tatoo of 1992, a huge success featuring many military bands, drill teams, pipers and dancers. Two sell-out shows at the Frank Crane Arena played to enthusiastic audiences. In 1993 and 1996, who will ever forget the world famous Snowbird Aerobatic Team of the Canadian Armed Forces 442 Squadron, as they thrilled over 20,000 people watching from all over the city. Their landing lights blazing as they streaked over Protection Island and into the seemingly impossible formations over the harbour. This, too, was sponsored by the Empire Days Society.

Enough of the past. The society looks forward forward annually to the Empire Days Weekend with parades, May Queen Crowning, and fireworks. Monthly meetings are held to assure Nanaimo that each festival is the best yet, and welcome any new society members and volunteers to come and take part.