Parksville BC Real Estate Homes For Sale
Parksville is a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. As of the 2021 Census, Parksville’s population was 13,642, representing a 9.5% increase over the 2016 Census. Parksville is well known for its large, sandy beaches at Parksville Bay and Craig Bay.
Established in 1910, Parksville is one of Canada’s most popular summer destinations for families. Everyone loves Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, with its beaches, tidal flats and pools, wildlife, and campgrounds; and several other provincial parks are within half an hour’s drive. Follow Vancouver Island’s Highway 19 (Island Highway) to reach nearby Qualicum Beach and the Comox Valley.
Spend some time in Parksville Qualicum Beach and recharge your batteries. Escape the crush of deadlines, traffic jams and over crowded spaces, and step back in time a little.
Seeing goats on a roof, exploring underground caves, strolling endless beaches at low tide, and walking among ancient old growth forests are just some of the experiences you’ll be able to tell your friends about back home.
Visitor Information on Parksville
Beaches
Parksville, the crown jewel along the east coast of Vancouver Island, deserves high praise for its clean and beautiful beaches. Unsurpassed in size and access, these beaches are heaven on earth to tourists seeking relaxation on a bed of sand. At low tide, you can strike your claim to a wide swath of beach. The incoming tide will indicate when it’s time to head for shade or luxuriate in the shallow waters of the tidal flush as it ripples over sand warmed by the sun.
Adjacent to the 347-hectare provincial park and campground of the same name, Rathtrevor Beach is a magical place enhanced by natural beauty preserved along its two-kilometer shoreline. Park your car at one of the free beachfront parking lots and start walking in the direction of the water.
Many cities have the foresight to set aside tracts of land as green space or parkland. In downtown Parksville, this preserved space is Parksville Community Park. The space is green for the grassy areas where people play and tall trees that provide shade in summer. It’s also blue for the Salish Sea that drifts in and out on the wandering tide. Activities to be enjoyed at this beach park are as diverse as the colors of a rainbow.
Parksville Bay is also host each year to two major public events that draw visitors by the thousands: The Sand Sculpting Competition & Exhibition as part of BeachFest, and the annual Volleybash tournament.
Neighbourhood Parks
Cathedral Grove – MacMillan Provincial Park and the other-worldly caves at Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park are both must-sees, there are so many more beautiful and inspirational spaces to discover. Learn more about all of the ways to immerse yourself in nature and begin exploring all of our parks, educational nature centers, and gardens at visitparksvillequalicumbeach!
History
The City of Parksville is located along the Salish Sea (Strait of Georgia) on the east coast of Vancouver Island. The Coast Salish people were first to call the Parksville area home and have lived in the region from time immemorial. The Coast Salish are eighteen First Nations located throughout the Salish Sea, each with their own distinct culture and language.
Captain Vancouver came to explore Vancouver Island in 1792 and it was not until 1850 that the Parksville area was named Englishman’s River (now known as Englishman River), due to the drowning of an Englishman trying to cross. In 1855 the area was surveyed up to the Alberni Valley by Adam Grant Horne on behalf of the Hudson’s Bay Company. In the 1860’s, preceding the arrival of the first settler John Hirst (1870), a trail was built joining Victoria to Comox. It was not until 1883 that the first non-First-Nations permanent resident settled in the area alongside the Englishman’s River. Three years later in 1886, a 24-mile wagon road was completed from Nanaimo to Englishman’s River with construction extending to Comox.
