Every fall, Ducks Unlimited Canada clears the mud and debris piled around the outlet control structure at the north dyke of Buttertubs Marsh. The job sounds minor, but the dyke and its outlet are what hold the water in. Before they were built, the land here was a drained river flat used for pasture and, around 1950, a dairy farm.
Buttertubs Marsh lies on the south side of the Millstone River in central Nanaimo, with its listed park address on Jingle Pot Road. The City of Nanaimo calls the whole complex a 55 ha reclaimed wetland and floodplain habitat. Inside city limits, it is a place where a walker can watch a painted turtle bask, hear red-winged blackbirds in the cattails and, with luck at dusk, see a beaver.
A drained floodplain on the Millstone River
People have reshaped this marsh twice. In the 1800s, according to the 2016 management plan, the shallow flood plain then known as Pearce's Plain was drained for seasonal farmland and pasture. The Friends of Buttertubs nature guide, written by naturalist Bill Merilees, says the draining was done by the Hudson's Bay Company. Farming carried on long enough that the foundation of a dairy barn, dated in the guide to about 1950, still lies beside the trail.
The second making was the reverse. In 1974, the nature guide says, the 50-acre East Marsh was under threat of housing development and was bought by The Nature Trust of British Columbia. Wikipedia's entry gives 1970 and names the Nature Trust of Canada instead; the guide, which the city hosts, is the more local source. A provincial Fish and Wildlife Branch news release of 18 December 1975 identified the marsh "adjacent to Malaspina College and Nanaimo Sr. Secondary School," and the name Buttertubs Marsh was adopted officially on 17 August 1979, according to BC Geographical Names. The same record notes that the east side is formally protected as a bird sanctuary.
The paperwork that followed explains who does what today. The 2004 management plan records a provincial water licence issued in 1976 to store 150 acre-feet of water and build a dyke and diversion, a 99-year lease of the property to the provincial government signed in 1977, and a 30-year agreement in 1985 under which Ducks Unlimited took on the north dyke and its control structures. The 60-acre West Marsh came later, bought by Ducks Unlimited and the city, and its former owners made a donation under the federal Ecological Gifts Program. Any change of use on that land now needs the federal environment minister's approval.
The name is the oddest part. The nature guide says it came through the Morrell family from an area in Yorkshire where limestone caves were used to store tubs of butter and cheese in warm weather.
How the marsh holds its water
A raised walkway built over a city waterline divides the complex into two wetlands, the East Marsh and the West Marsh. The 2016 plan describes open water up to 1 to 2 metres deep, broken up by cattail, floating cattail islands, hummocks and four small built islands. Cattail and shallow water make up about 43 per cent of the conservation area. The nature guide adds that many cattail mats are not rooted at all and drift about when the wind pushes them.
The water level itself is fixed on paper. Under a conservation agreement renewed in 2007, the 2016 plan says, Ducks Unlimited may hold the marsh to a full supply level of 57.16 metres geodetic, inspect the structure every year and run a bio-inventory every five years.
The marsh also does flood work. Its clay-bottomed basin absorbs overflow from the Millstone River during high water, which the plan describes as an important flood protection role. A narrow strip of alder and large English oaks along the river is the least disturbed part of the whole area. Size depends on who is counting. The city's 55 ha figure covers the full conservation area including the West Marsh, while Wikipedia gives about 40 hectares for the marsh and 18.7 hectares for the Nature Trust's piece.
In 2017 the partners agreed to run it as one place. A city news release dated 30 August 2017 announced that council had approved an updated management plan covering the West Marsh and other adjoining park land, with a committee of the city, the Nature Trust, Ducks Unlimited, Vancouver Island University faculty and the Friends of Buttertubs Marsh responsible for carrying it out.
Yellow flag iris and the cattail
The marsh's longest-running problem is a garden plant. The 2016 plan says yellow flag iris, an invasive non-native species, was originally planted in the 1970s and is now heavily intermixed with the cattail. The 2004 plan traces its spread: a 1976 survey found it not extensive, a 1982 study noted it without signs of spread, and by the early 1990s it had moved through the cattail and parts of the reed canary grass and might be out-competing the cattail in places.
The seed is the trouble. The 2004 plan describes an extensive seed bank in both marshes, with windrows of iris seed lining the west dyke when winter water is high, and suggested that mechanical removal might be the only effective control. Purple loosestrife is present too, though not yet well established, according to the 2016 plan.
The most recent reading is more hopeful. The 2017 nature guide describes a "turf war" between the two plants and says that what was once a mass of exotic yellow iris "is now being slowly dominated by Cattail." The same guide lists Scotch broom, spurge-laurel and Himalayan blackberry among the invasives under ongoing removal, and the bullfrog as a non-native that is "probably (and unfortunately), here to stay."
Painted turtles, bitterns and the banding nets
The animal most people come hoping to see is the western painted turtle. A 2011 report by Elke Wind and Christian Engelstoft for the Nature Trust and the province notes that the Pacific Coast population is red-listed provincially and assessed as endangered federally by COSEWIC. It counted three painted turtles and seven red-eared sliders, the introduced pet-store species, on 28 July 2008. On 24 June 2011 a local resident, Suzanne Gregory, watched a female dig a nest and lay eggs beside a trail on the north-east shore.
That report set out the monitoring that followed: basking logs, nest surveys and egg-laying watches in June and July. If you walk the north side of the marsh in late April or May, look for small square holes about 2 by 5 centimetres in nesting ground; the report says hatchlings can sit in their exit holes for days, and it asks people not to poke fingers or sticks into them. The 2016 plan records that a turtle restoration plan has been carried out. Painted turtles also turn up in other wetlands in the city, including the ones at stake in Linley Valley West.
Birds are better documented. Vancouver Island University has run a banding station at the West Marsh since 2013. Its 2021 data report records 40 banding days between 11 March and 2 October that year, with 1,608 birds caught from 50 species. Song sparrow was the most captured species at 9.5 per cent of the total, followed by common yellowthroat at 9.1 per cent. The 2016 plan lists the purple martin as red-listed, and great blue heron and trumpeter swan among the blue-listed birds using the marsh.
The American bittern is where the sources disagree. Wikipedia calls Buttertubs the only documented bittern breeding site on Vancouver Island. The 2016 management plan, written by the people who manage the site, lists the bittern as a former user of the marsh. Not every animal here is native, either: the nature guide counts rabbits, house sparrows, California quail and grey squirrels, black ones included, among the introduced species.
Downstream and up the coast: the Millstone, Hamilton Marsh and French Creek
The river that feeds the floodplain keeps going. The nature guide notes that the Millstone at Buttertubs is a corridor for salmon and cutthroat trout heading upstream to spawn. Downstream it reaches the harbour at Maffeo Sutton Park, where the city's 2017 draft master plan records two known archaeological sites along the river and a Snuneymuxw village shown on coal-company maps drawn between 1854 and 1862. Elders interviewed for a 1992 study described the river mouth as a good place for coho. The plan also raised the idea of a small habitat island where sediment builds up, if the Millstone estuary is not dredged; the future of Maffeo Sutton Park picks up that story.
Further north, the Regional District of Nanaimo has just made another marsh public. Hamilton Marsh Regional Park and Conservation Area, south of the Town of Qualicum Beach, totals 364 hectares of forest and wetland, with the marsh itself covering 36 hectares. The district says the purchase was finalized on March 27, 2026, making it the RDN's thirteenth regional park and conservation area. It lies within the French Creek watershed, bounded by Hilliers Road, Memorial Avenue and the Island Corridor Foundation rail line, and the district credits the Hamilton Wetlands and Forests Preservation Society, the Oceanside chapter of Ducks Unlimited and the provincial and federal governments with helping to raise the money.
French Creek, where that watershed reaches the sea, is better known for a smell. The district's French Creek Pollution Control Centre treats wastewater from Qualicum Beach, Parksville and surrounding areas; its facility page says about 30,000 people and businesses, while its project page says about 29,000. An expansion and odour control upgrade is planned to raise capacity by about 30 per cent and meet demand to 2040. The RDN also points to a natural culprit. Herring spawn off the shore near French Creek around March, and the roe that washes up decomposes into the summer, releasing hydrogen sulphide that the wind can carry towards the highway and the plant.
Walking the loop at Buttertubs
The city's park page describes a 2 km loop around the marsh with observation decks and a tower for birdwatching; the Friends' map marks 2.3 kilometres. The main entrance is on Second Street at the Miner's Cottage, parking is also available off Buttertubs Drive, and the city rates the park wheelchair accessible. Dogs are not permitted, because the marsh is a bird sanctuary.
The nature guide's numbered stops make a good field list. Wood ducks nest in the trees around the water. Dead English oaks, planted about a century ago and drowned when the water rose, now serve as perches for Cooper's hawks and merlins, and in summer the merlins hunt dragonflies from them. Ospreys tried to nest beside the viewing platform in 2010. Mink are often seen crossing the trail, raccoon tracks show up in the mud, and the clouds of midges along the path in summer are, in Merilees's words, "Blighters, Yes! But biters, No!"
The beavers take patience. The guide says you must come at dusk and wait quietly, and that their gnawing marks on the willows are easier to find than the animals. Those willows, it adds, are the beavers' main winter food, which is why the 2016 plan includes a line about wrapping trees and another about clearing beaver material from in front of the water control structure, the same outlet Ducks Unlimited cleans every fall.
Other wetlands, lakes and shorelines of the mid island are collected in Land and Sea, including the old coal-country lake at Diver Lake.
Questions
Where is the entrance to Buttertubs Marsh?
The City of Nanaimo puts the main entrance on Second Street, at the Miner's Cottage, with more parking off Buttertubs Drive. The city lists the park address as 1780 Jingle Pot Road.
Can I bring my dog to Buttertubs Marsh?
No. The city's park page says dogs are not permitted because the marsh is a bird sanctuary. The 2016 to 2021 management plan also lists Wildlife Act regulations brought in to deal with dogs, motor vehicles, camping and fires.
How long is the trail around Buttertubs Marsh?
The city describes a 2 km loop with observation decks and a viewing tower. The map in the Friends of Buttertubs nature guide marks the walking distance as 2.3 kilometres, so allow for the longer figure if you are timing a walk.
Who owns Buttertubs Marsh?
Several owners share it. The Nature Trust of British Columbia holds the East Marsh and leases it to the province, while Ducks Unlimited Canada and the City of Nanaimo own the West Marsh together as tenants in common.
Are there turtles at Buttertubs Marsh?
Yes, two kinds. The native western painted turtle, whose Pacific Coast population is red-listed in B.C., shares the marsh with the introduced red-eared slider, a former pet species. Both bask on logs in sunny spots.
Is yellow flag iris a problem at Buttertubs?
It has been for decades. The management plans say it was planted in the 1970s and had spread through the cattail by the early 1990s, leaving a large seed bank. The 2017 nature guide reports that cattail is now slowly winning back ground.
What birds can you see at Buttertubs Marsh?
The management plan lists red-winged blackbirds, marsh wrens, wood ducks, hooded mergansers, pied-billed grebes, Virginia and sora rails and great blue herons among the regular users. Vancouver Island University's banding station caught 50 species in 2021, with song sparrow the most common.
Do American bitterns still breed at Buttertubs?
That is unclear. Some secondary accounts describe the marsh as Vancouver Island's only documented bittern breeding site, but the 2016 to 2021 management plan lists the American bittern as a former user of the marsh. A sighting report to a naturalist group would be worth more than either claim.
How did Buttertubs Marsh get its name?
According to the Friends of Buttertubs nature guide, the name came through the Morrell family from an area in Yorkshire where limestone caves were used to keep tubs of butter and cheese cool. The name was adopted officially in 1979.
What is Hamilton Marsh near Qualicum Beach?
It is a 364-hectare regional park and conservation area south of Qualicum Beach, with a marsh of 36 hectares, in the French Creek watershed. The Regional District of Nanaimo finalized the purchase on March 27, 2026.
Why does it sometimes smell near French Creek?
The Regional District of Nanaimo names two sources. Its French Creek Pollution Control Centre treats wastewater for about 29,000 to 30,000 people and is being upgraded for odour, and herring roe that washes up after the March spawn decomposes and releases hydrogen sulphide.
Sources
- Buttertubs Marsh Park, City of Nanaimo
- Buttertubs Marsh Conservation Area, City of Nanaimo
- Partnership key for Buttertubs Marsh conservation, City of Nanaimo, 2017-08-30
- Buttertubs Marsh Conservation Area Management Plan: A consolidated review (2004-2015) and Future Directions (2016-2021), Buttertubs Marsh Co-Management Steering Committee, City of Nanaimo, 2016
- Buttertubs Marsh Conservation Area Management Plan, City of Nanaimo, 2004-11
- Nature Guide to Buttertubs Marsh, The Friends of Buttertubs (text Bill Merilees, map Shane MacLellan), 2017
- Western Painted Turtle Monitoring and Habitat Restoration at Buttertubs Marsh, Nanaimo, BC, Elke Wind (E. Wind Consulting) and Christian Engelstoft (Habitat Acquisition Trust), 2011-11-30
- Bird Monitoring and Banding Project at Buttertubs West Marsh, Nanaimo, BC: 2021 data report, Vancouver Island University, 2021-12-16
- Buttertubs Marsh, BC Geographical Names, Government of British Columbia
- Buttertubs Marsh, Wikipedia, 2026-01-11
- DRAFT Maffeo Sutton Park Master Plan Update 2017, City of Nanaimo, 2017
- Hamilton Marsh Regional Park and Conservation Area, Regional District of Nanaimo
- French Creek Pollution Control Centre, Regional District of Nanaimo
- Odour Control, Regional District of Nanaimo
- French Creek Pollution Control Centre: Expansion and Odour Control Upgrades, Regional District of Nanaimo (Get Involved RDN)
