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Nanaimo gets jabbed in CBC comedy show

Ron James Show pays homage to Nanaimo with tongue-in-cheek jabs at this city's quirkier side.

The Ron James Show is paying homage to Nanaimo with a few tongue in cheek jabs at this city's quirkier side.

Nanaimo will be featured on the Ode to the Road segment of the CBC comedy program scheduled to air Friday (Dec. 9) at 8 p.m.

Ode to the Road is a short segment in the program that takes a humorous look at the communities James has performed in while on tour.

Chelsea Barr, Destination Nanaimo spokeswoman, was interviewed for the segment when James visited with his film crew last week.

James zeroed in on the Nanaimo Bar and Nanaimo Bar Trail.

Barr said the comedian remembers Nanaimo from when he performed here.

"Nanaimo was one of the places he remembered as kind of quirky, where he could come and have some fun with," Barr said.

Barr appears in the segment with James, seated on Nanaimo Bar benches in the Nanaimo Museum, where he grills her about the history of the Nanaimo Bar and accuses the city of stealing the recipe.

"Apparently we stole it from a little old lady named Mabel who actually lives in a different community," Barr said.

James also set out on the Nanaimo Bar Trail to sample a deep fried Nanaimo Bar at Pirate Chips.

The segment will also touch on Nanaimo's bathtub racing history.

"I hope they don't make me look too bad," Barr said. "There was a lot more script than I thought there was going to be. We were there for a while, but nice guy and a fun film crew."