A camera installed by Island Communications atop Mount Benson for site security purposes has also been programmed by the company to let the public see live-streamed panoramas of Nanaimo and surrounding areas. (Island Communications image)

Camera keeps lookout over Nanaimo from perch on Mount Benson summit

Security camera live-streams panoramic views of Nanaimo and surrounding area

  • Feb. 16, 2021 12:00 a.m.

People who want to see sweeping panoramic views of Nanaimo and surrounding areas from the top of Mount Benson no longer have to expend the energy to make the climb.

Island Communications, a Nanaimo-based company that specializes in service and sales of wireless communications equipment, has installed a webcam on a communications tower atop Mount Benson.

The camera’s primary purpose is to keep a lookout on the facilities atop the mountain for site security with a pre-programmed set of camera angles, but Island Communications staff also programmed in several scenic panorama views of Nanaimo, the Strait of Georgia and coastal mountains and views behind Mount Benson for the public to enjoy as it cycles through its program.

According to the company’s YouTube page, when winter weather gets particularly bad on the mountain’s summit, ice and snow can build up on camera and its tower, so the device sometimes has to be shut down for several days until conditions improve and ice and snow clears to prevent the camera and its mount from being damaged.

The camera’s live stream can be viewed on You Tube at this link.


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Nanaimo News Bulletin