Parksville Community Information
Parksville offers younger families great opportunities for beach fun, plus the double rink arena for hockey and figure skating. There is a small-town feel to Parksville which people really appreciate. Younger families like that Parksville is ‘close to everything.’ During the 2015 census Parksville's population was determined to be about 12,000 with about 42% over the age of 65. Let’s emphasize that this means 58% are under the age of 65! Here, residents have pretty well all of their shopping needs met locally. Athough big city shopping with all the 'box' stores can be found in nearby Nanaimo.
Welcome to Parksville with its Live • Work • Play motto.Much of the city's present day economy is centered on the tourism industry. Two sandy beaches, Parksville Beach and Rathtrevor Beach (part of Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park), have historically been the city's main attraction. The Parksville Beaches are a truly impressive feature and draw worldwide visitors. Parksville is close enough to Nanaimo that some families choose to live here and commute 20 minutes to work in Nanaimo (with a population of about 86,000 in 2014).
With downhill and cross-country skiing at Mt. Washington only about an hour away, combined with six nearby golf courses, this is a great place for raising a young family or for your retirement. For those who buy Parksville real estate there are loads of stimulating hiking trails are nearby and marinas can be found at Beachcomber, French Creek, Deep Bay and at Schooner Cove in Fairwinds.
Climate
The Parksville area has cool wet winters with 80 to 85% of the precipitation falling between October and April. The average annual precipitation is only about 38 inches. Mean daily temperature range from 1 to 3°C (34 to 37°F) in January with cloud and rain from north Pacific air masses dominating the winter weather. This coastal region enjoys a significant climatic benefit from being in close proximirty to nearby Vancouver Island Mountains. As the strongest winds come in from the southwest, this region lies in the rainshadow of nearby Mt Arrowsmith and Mt Moriarty. Clouds heading in off the Pacific drop their moisture over Tofino, Ucluelet and Pt Alberni (ie. about 250 inches) , thereby giving this local microclimate a significantly drier result than both Nanaimo (ie. about 50 inches) to the south and Courtenay/Comox (ie. about 55 inches) to the north. In a normal winter, the strongest winds and perhaps some snow may come in December. Usually by the end of January the crocuses and snowdrops are blooming with Spring heralded in the later parts of February with daffodils.
The area is amenable for almost year-round gardening and golf. Environment Canada rates southeastern Vancouver Island as having the most favourable climate in all of Canada, on the basis of mild winters, abundant sunshine, little fog, light winds and low humidity. Truly a golfer, gardener or sailor's paradise!
History
The first European settler in the Parkville area was John Hirst, who pre-empted 300 acres of land on both sides of the Englishman River in 1873. Parksville was named after the area's first postmaster, Nelson Park, in 1877. The Village of Parksville was incorporated June 19, 1945. Parksville became a Town on April 1, 1978 and a City on June 1, 1981.
The Oceanside Place double rink arena in Parksville offers national figure skating opportunities plus hockey and family fun.
Inside the Oceanside Place arena.
The Parksville area is famous for its beach and offers the warmest water temperatures anywhere on Canada’s west coast.The Parksville beach itself is a truly impressive feature and draws visitors from all over the world. By the way, if shell collecting, please only remove a few of the white Sand Dollar shells from the beach and the living ones are still dark brown.
This sign marks the beginning of the waterfront walkway in Parksville.The new Waterfront Boardwalk is much loved by local residents and visitors alike. Take an early morning or evening stroll along the stimulating beachfront boardwalk with the stunning white-capped Mt. Arrowsmith as a backdrop.
Families enjoying the mid-summer early evening sun along the Parksville waterfront boardwalk.
The waterfront boardwalk and sand sculptures at the Parksville Beach Festival.Each summer thousands of visitors come here to experience Parksville’s International Sandcastle Competition.
An impressive array of sandcastles can be seen at the Parksville International Sandcastle Competition.
The Beach Club Resort at Parksville beach with the snow-capped Mt. Arrowsmith in the background.It is interesting to note that for people who buy real estate here, they often will have visited the area on an average of 6 times previously. Many newcomers first came here as young kids. Then when it came time to retire, they considered what a great place this is and purchased their home here.
The very popular waterfront boardwalk in front of the Parksville Beach Club Resort.
A multitude of resorts are in close proximity to Parksville, mostly along Resort Drive.
The Parksville peacock garden in full bloom.
Sunset cruising past Parksville on the way to Alaska. Looking across to Lasqueti and Texada Islands with the Coast Mountains in the background.Browse My Real Estate Listings
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