Back in town, it was now late morning, and Nanaimo had recovered from its slow start and was completely bustling with activity. I checked out the art/craft section of the street fair, but most of what I saw didn't excite me. I thought I'd find all sorts of hand-made bathtub race souvenirs-- you know, a cross stitch portrait of a tubber, a hand painted "bathtub weekend" sand dollar, or at least a magnet or card. I wasn't going to be picky. But nothing. Later someone said there was a fine art painting of a racing bathtubber by a local sports painter, but I doubt it was in my budget.

I stopped in local bookstores and began my quest to find some books on the history of the bathtub races. I came up quite successful finding two books. But I must say the bookstore clerks had to search to find the books...you'd think they'd be in the front window! (I used to work in a bookstore, so I do have a valid opinion on the matter). The best one I found is The Bathtub Races by Reg Watts printed in 1976, 10 years after the first race. There is a Bathtubber's Serenade at the front, a chapter on how it began, details about the first 9 races, a section called "Tub Talk" with detailed info about how to make your own tub, and the last chapter is on other bathtub races around the world.

This seems like a good time to talk about how the bathtub racing mania got started in Nanaimo. In 1967, The town of Nanaimo was planning celebrations for the Canadian Centennial. The centennial committee was brainstorming ideas and, Frank Ney, who was on the committee, was approached by Glen Galloway who suggested the bathtub race idea. Frank Ney then put the idea into action. A centennial bathtub committee was formed and rules were laid out. It was also decided that each entry to the race would receive the "Royal Order of the Gold Plug" and the first tub to go down would receive the "Silver Order of the Toliet Plunger."

In this first year it was difficult to predict how many tubbers would participate, but bathtubbing spirit spread, and 212 tubbers registered the first year. Only a quarter of that number passed the finish line, and 80 of the tubs didn't even make it out of the harbor. The race was intended to be a one-time only affair, but the success and spirit of the first race was too great to let go, so the next year's race was already in the plans. The Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society was formed, and Frank Ney who then became Mayor, was named the Honorary Bathtub Admiral of the Fleet.

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