Media

Media Visits

Breathe life into your story with a visit to Parksville Qualicum Beach. We offer a qualified “visiting journalists” program year-round where we can provide assistance with developing detailed itineraries, setting up accommodations, activities, and providing you with information and ideas for your stories.

To ensure that we tailor your visit to Parksville Qualicum Beach that suits the specific needs of your assignment, please complete the Media Information Form and submit at least two weeks in advance of your proposed visit. We review all requests for visit assistance on a case-by-case basis. Once we receive your request, we will be in touch.

Parksville Qualicum Beach’s culture and history are diversely marked by the cultural traditions of the Coast Salish people, early European exploration and settlement, and the development of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

The region’s appeal as a holiday destination started when, at the turn of the last century, the Harrison family left England for a new life in Canada and built Harrison’s Beach Camp, the region’s first holiday cottages. Thus began an exciting and storied future for Parksville Qualicum Beach.

In 1937, Horatio “Ray” Milner, a renowned philanthropist and businessperson from Alberta, purchased a 28-hectare estate at Qualicum Beach as a retreat from his busy life. He and his first wife, Rina, immediately began work on their garden. After Rina’s passing in 1952, Ray married Veronica, and the couple did more extensive work on what is now known as Milner Gardens. Born of British aristocracy and a relation of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Prince and Princess of Wales in fact visited Milner Gardens in 1986, and Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip stayed at the estate in 1987. Other notable celebrities that have graced the region over the years include Bing Crosby, John Wayne and the King of Siam.

Today, the gentle climate on Vancouver Island’s sheltered east coast beckons visitors throughout the year. With a beach that extends a kilometre at low tide, a host of marine activities, outdoor adventure, thriving arts and cultural scene, events including the Parksville Beach Festival and its sand sculpting competition, Parksville Qualicum Beach is the place to be.Visitors will stare awestruck at the giant, 800-year-old Douglas fir trees that loom in nearby MacMillan Provincial Park’s Cathedral Grove. Channel your inner Indiana Jones by taking a guided tour of the Horne Lake Caves. Or saddle up and go horseback riding at Paradise Acres Ranch. From mountain biking to hiking to kayaking, visitors to Parksville Qualicum Beach can choose their own level of adventure.

Quirky attractions abound, from the goats grazing on a grass-covered roof at the Old Country Market in Coombs and Old Woman’s Shoe at Paradise Fun Park, to the slimy marine invertebrate touch tanks at the Deep Bay Field Station. For gastrolusts, sample delicious Qualicum Spice Cheese at Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, or savour the Hot Crab Dip at Nanoose Bay Café and locally brewed beers at Fern + Cedar Brewing Company. Those looking to relax and rejuvenate, The Grotto Spa offers 20,000 square feet of spa bliss, and is consistently recognized as one of the best around.From fishing to festivals, shopping to galleries, and butterflies, birds, and bears, Parksville Qualicum Beach makes for a refreshingly timeless getaway.

7 golf courses

Parksville Qualicum Beach Golf is about taking time to do something for yourself while enjoying unparalleled outdoor beauty. When you're not looking down at your ball, you'll be looking up at the mountains, second-growth forest, wildlife, lake, and the ocean. Bring family and friends, or come alone and team up with some locals. And because of our mild climate, all seven of our Qualicum Beach and Parksville golf courses are open almost 365 days a year.

140 events

Discover countless Central Vancouver Island artists’ galleries and studios, over 140 annual events, and natural settings that will inspire your own creativity. ECHO Players at the Village Theatre is a non-profit society of dedicated members of the community. Community is what ECHO Players is all about. Relying upon the talents, creative energy and generosity of individuals and businesses, they have been bringing the live theatre experience to the area for 50 years.

5 kilometres

Five kilometres of Rathtrevor beachfront: Rathtrevor Beach in Parksville is one of the province's most popular family destinations. The attractions include sea (five kilometres of beachfront), forest (complete with a circular, oceanfront trail) and parkland. At low tide, the ocean recedes an impressive kilometre back from Rathtrevor's shoreline.

2,285 Brant Geese

The number of Brant Geese counted in a day. The Brant Wildlife Festival, held each spring, celebrates nature with many fun activities for all ages. Events range from Spring Break Nature Camps for kids to wildlife viewing opportunities and guest speakers.

1000 underground caves

Vancouver Island is the largest island on North America’s west coast and offers the highest concentration of caves in North America. There are more explored limestone caves here than in all other Canadian provinces combined. Vancouver Island is so rich in caves, with more than 1,000 recorded, that it is sometimes referred to as the “Island of Caves“. Explore the underground at Horne Lake Caves.

2,500 square foot mineral pool

The Grotto Spa at Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre offers an experience beyond the expected. Designed to emulate a natural stone grotto, the 2,500 square foot warm pool is infused with natural minerals and trace elements to detoxify the body and rejuvenate the spirit.

800-year-old giant Douglas fir trees

MacMillan Provincial Park’s Cathedral Grove is a BC Provincial Park preserving a section of lush old-growth forest that is unique to Vancouver Island. Spend a few hours wandering Cathedral Grove's trail system and gazing up at 800-year-old giant Douglas Fir trees. Cathedral Grove gives the visitor a sense of what Vancouver Island and the west coast looked like before the arrival of European settlers.

30 hours of sand sculpting

The Parksville Beach Festival includes a world-class event for Master Sand Sculptors and is an official qualifying event for the World Championship of Sand Sculpting! Master Sand Sculptors travel from all corners of the globe to participate in our remarkable competition and exhibition in Parksville. Sculptors have 30 hours over four days to create their masterpieces from just sand and water.

7 thirst-quenching breweries, distilleries and cideries

Craft beer lovers looking for a spot to base their Vancouver Island tasting adventures need look no further. Not only is Parksville Qualicum Beach home to four craft breweries, Mount Arrowsmith Brewing Company, Fern + Cedar Brewing, Rusted Rake Brewing and LoveShack Libations, it's also home to Misguided Spirits Craft Distillery, True North Distillery and Swayne Creek Ciderhouse.

100+ artists

The Old School House Arts Centre, a heritage building that is home to 3 galleries featuring monthly exhibitions by BC Artists. The Gift Shop showcases over 100 Vancouver Island Craftspeople and paintings by top Local Artists. Watch 15 Resident Artists practice their craft, painting, pottery, jewellery, and photography.

22,755 injured wildlife

Visit the rescued black bears, eagles, owls, falcons, ravens and other wildlife at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre. The centre is a world-class rehabilitation facility with an interactive learning and education centre.

8 heritage buildings

The Parksville Museum is located at Craig Heritage Park in Parksville, British Columbia. Aside from the wonderful array of historical artifacts located in the main building, the site also includes 8 heritage buildings that serve as a window into the life of early Parksville settlers.

The Culinary Trailblazers - Eli Brennan and the Coastal Collective

Great food tells a story, and Eli Brennan and his team are writing a chapter along the Vancouver Island coast. The minds behind Nanoose Bay Café, Qualicum Beach Café, and the newly opened Greenview Taphouse at Fairwinds Golf Course, this group of innovators is bringing a new level of energy and refinement to the Parksville Qualicum Beach dining scene. Each restaurant is shaped by its surroundings, from ocean-inspired menus, bright open spaces, and dishes that celebrate local growers, makers, and fishermen. Together, Brennan and his team are reshaping coastal dining into something fresher, more connected and distinctly their own.

Sip with a Story

French Press Coffee Roasters offers an experience where craft and passion come together. Founded by Jeremy Perkins, a former professional violist from the UK whose career once took him on tour with The Phantom of the Opera, he traded the stage for a steadier life on Vancouver Island and has poured his creative energy into coffee.

Today, French Press is one of Vancouver Island’s most decorated roasters, earning top honours at the 2024 Golden Bean North America competition with a gold, silver, and four bronze medals, and later being crowned World Champion of Espresso at the Golden Bean World Series in Guatemala. Step into their Qualicum Beach or Parksville cafés and you’ll find Jeremy roasting small batches weekly, crafting expressive, award-winning coffees alongside fresh-baked pastries in a warm, unpretentious setting.

Down Underground

Vancouver Island is home to the highest concentration of caves in North America, with over 1200 km2 of cave features and more explored limestone caves than in all other Canadian provinces combined. Vancouver Island is so rich in caves, with more than 1,000 recorded, that it is sometimes referred to as the “Island of Caves”. Visitors have the incredible opportunity to view amazing crystal formations, ancient fossils or even climb an underground waterfall. Horne Lake Caves tours range from the easy 1.5-hour Family Riverbend Cavern Tour, where children and adults alike can learn about the fascinating geology and history of these amazing caverns, to the 5-hour Extreme Rappel.

Birds of a Feather - Brant Wildlife Festival

Each year in the spring, Parksville hosts the annual Brant Wildlife Festival that revolves around the return of the Brant Geese, making their way from Mexico and California up to Alaska and the Canadian Arctic. Arriving in early March in large numbers brant geese can be seen along the east coast of Vancouver Island which provides an important stop along their way. For the past 22 years a festival has been held in Parksville Qualicum Beach to celebrate the brants’ return; at the peak of the stopover there can be as many as 20,000 geese.

Little Qualicum Cheeseworks - home of Canada’s first Milk on Tap

Set amongst the trees and pastures, the picturesque farm and home to cows, horses, bunnies, pigs and more. Little Qualicum Cheeseworks produces a selection of world-class artisan cheeses. The high- quality milk from the farm’s own herd of dairy cows is pumped over to the Cheeseworks each morning where the farm’s talented team of cheesemakers create a new batch of cheese each and every day. New to the farm and inspired by the popularity of refillable growlers in the craft beer industry, the Gourlays realized their dream of offering visitors a taste of sweet, full-fat, straight-from-the-farm milk (albeit pasteurized, by Canadian law) 100 meters away from the cows from which the milk came.

Dive into Something Different: The Grotto

The Grotto Spa at Tigh-Na-Mara offers an experience beyond the expected. Designed to emulate a natural stone grotto, the 2,500 square foot warm pool is infused with natural minerals and trace elements to detoxify the body and rejuvenate the spirit. Wind down in its Relaxation Lounge while you enjoy complimentary fresh fruit along with a selection of teas and coffee. Or, experience a dining experience unlike any other in Canada. The Treetop Tapas & Grill is reserved exclusively for robed spa guests, where you can choose from one or two items, or indulge in the “Endless Tapas,” sampling as many as you with from the Chef’s selection.

Wellness to Wilderness: North Island Wildlife Recovery Association

From owls and bears to cougars and eagles, the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre (NIWRA) has been a safe haven filled with hope, love and care for wild animals. Founded by Robin Campbell in 1985, NIWRA began when he came across a Great Horned Owl tangled in a neighbor’s fence. Robin made the decision then and there to form a place to help animals that are ill, hurt or orphaned. The NIWRA’s mission is to care for ill, injured and orphaned wildlife and to educate the public on wildlife and environmental issues. Since opening its doors, NIWRA has made life-long changes for many animals including Knut, a black bear that was born in captivity after being rejected by his mother, or Sandor, a bald eagle that was admitted to the centre with a severely broken wing.

The Old School House Arts Centre

With over 30,000 visitors each year, The Old School House Arts Centre “mini Granville Island” of Parksville Qualicum Beach, if you will, is the artistic focal point for the picturesque community of Qualicum Beach. The mandate of The Old School House Arts Centre is to foster a vibrant arts centre that promotes and encourages the development of multi-dimensional artists and musicians for the enjoyment of all ages, residents and visitors alike, in Qualicum Beach and throughout central Vancouver Island. From weekly concerts ranging from classical to jazz, to workshops, artist’s studios and more, The Old School House is worth the visit.

Cycling the Historic Rail Trail

What was once a railway corridor now forms one of the region’s most scenic multi-use pathways. The Rail Trail invites cyclists, walkers, and e-bike enthusiasts to explore Parksville Qualicum Beach at a slower pace, weaving past farmland, forests, rivers, and small communities. Along the way, riders can stop for local treats, artisan shops, or a beach picnic. It’s a gentle adventure that showcases the region’s landscapes and laid-back charm, and is perfect for families, leisure cyclists, and anyone who wants to experience the area car-free.