Family-Friendly Parksville-Qualicum Beach
The Parksville-Qualicum Beach region of central Vancouver Island is a great place to raise a family. It is safe and clean, with excellent public schools as well as arts, cultural and recreation facilities that offer a high quality of life to families.
Schools
School District 69 serves the Parksville - Qualicum Beach area and provides public education from kindergarten to Grade 12. There are elementary schools in Errington, Nanoose Bay, Parksville, and Qualicum Beach; and high schools in Parksville and Qualicum Beach.
School District 69 offers a French Immersion program that begins at the Kindergarten level. The school district also offers English as a second language training for the increasing number of families who have immigrated to Canada and settled in the Parksville - Qualicum Beach region.
In addition, the PASS Woodwinds Alternative School offers flexible scheduling, individualized programming and self-paced instruction. The Collaborative Education Alternative Program gives students the option to combine distance learning with school-based sessions, enrolment in high school, school electives or attendance at community-based learning sessions.
There are two private schools in the Parksville - Qualicum Beach area: Arrowsmith Independent School (pre-school through grade seven) and Aspengrove School (junior kindergarten to Grade 12) in nearby Lantzville.
University
Vancouver Island University operates a campus in Parksville located at the Civic and Technology Centre that offers a variety of university-level courses as well as English as a second language. The main university campus is located in Nanaimo, a 30-minute drive from Parksville and a 40-minute drive from Qualicum Beach.
Healthcare
Island Health is the major provider of health services in the Parksville - Qualicum Beach B.C. region. Island Health operates the following facilities:
- Oceanside Health Centre - Parksville, BC
- Nanaimo Regional General Hospital - Nanaimo, BC
- North Island Hospital - Comox Valley - Comox, BC
- Westcoast General Hospital - Port Alberni, BC
There are also several pharmacies and five large assisted living facilities in the Parksville-Qualicum Beach area.
Arts and Culture
The Parksville and Qualicum Beach region of central Vancouver Island is well-known for its celebration of arts and culture and the area is home to one of the highest concentrations of artist and artisan studios in B.C. Galleries, theatres, museums, music venues, and more than 140 annual events celebrate creativity in many forms.
Libraries
The Parksville - Qualicum Beach region is served by the Vancouver Island Regional Library, which operates a branch in Parksville and one in Qualicum Beach.
Parks
The City of Parksville and the Town of Qualicum Beach have community and neighbourhood parks offering a variety of facilities.
There are also five regional and seven provincial parks in the area, offering a multitude of venues for all kinds of outdoor activities.
Recreational Facilities
Parksville Qualicum Beach is a four-season sport environment with many indoor and outdoor recreation facilities. The Regional District of Nanaimo operates many of the public recreational facilities including the Oceanside Place ice arena and the Ravensong Aquatic Centre.
For more information, see:
- Recreation and Leisure – Qualicum Beach
- Local Activities - Parksville
- Outdoor Activities – Lighthouse Country
Shopping and Dining
There are many shopping choices in Parksville and Qualicum Beach and throughout the Parksville - Qualicum Beach region. From farmers’ markets to shopping malls, there is something to meet every need.
An abundance of local produce, seafood, meat, and dairy products is available at farms, markets and local stores. It is also integrated into the menus of the many restaurants in the region.