Parksville is a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. As of the 2016 Census, Parksville's population was 12,514, representing a 4.5% increase over the 2011 Census. Parksville is well known for its large, sandy beaches at Parksville Bay and Craig Bay. The city's best-known annual event since 1982 is a sandcastle-building competition held from mid-July to mid-August, dubbed 'Parksville Beachfest'. Beachfest is the only World Championship Sand Sculpting official qualification event in Canada. Local media, businesses, and civil services frequently refer to Parksville, with its adjacent municipalities, as the community of 'Oceanside', typically including Qualicum Beach, French Creek, Coombs/Hilliers, Errington, Nanoose, Bowser and Deep Bay.
History
Human habitation has occurred in the area for thousands of years. Prior to Euro-Canadian settlement, the area was inhabited by several Coast Salish indigenous groups: Qualicum, Snaw-naw-as, and Snuneymuxw peoples. The Spanish were the first Europeans to explore the area in 1791, followed shortly by the fleet of George Vancouver of the British Royal Navy. On Spanish maps, the Englishman River was called 'Rio de Grullas,' at the site of modern-day San Pareil, while French Creek was named 'Punta de Leonardo.' The first European landholder in the Parksville area was John Hirst, who pre-empted 120 hectares of land on both sides of the Englishman River in 1873, although he never relocated there from Nanaimo. The River, as it was known, remained an outpost until the turn of the 20th century when a road was built from Nanaimo. A post office soon followed in 1877, with mail distributed from the cabin of the first postmaster, Nelson Parks, for whom the city is named. At that time, logging was a major industry and the extension of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway in 1901, to McBride Junction spurred Parksville's growth and the beginning of a tourism boom, mainly Vancouver Islanders who travelled to Parksville to enjoy the incredible beaches. Motels, stores, resorts and campgrounds soon followed and the community continues to prosper today. The Village of Parksville was incorporated June 19, 1945. Parksville became a town on April 1, 1978, and a city on June 1, 1981.
Geography
The city lies along Highway 19A, northwest of Nanaimo, east of Port Alberni and kilometres southeast of Qualicum Beach. The majority of Parksville's land base lies between Englishman River and French Creek, although a substantial portion of the city lies east of Englishman River, along the western shores of Craig Bay.
Parksville had a population of 10,993 people in 2006, which was an increase of 6.5% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2006 for Parksville was $55,524, which is below the British Columbia provincial average of $62,346.
Economy
and secondary sector jobs make up the largest part of the Parksville economy. The three largest types of occupations in Parksville are the service industry; the construction industry; and the business, financial, and administration industries. These are the largest sectors of the city's economy largely due to the summer tourism industry, and a large influx of retirees moving into the area. There is also a fair amount of primary sector industry in the surrounding areas of Parksville, primarily fishing and forestry. There is an industrial park located in the Southeast section of the city, known as the Orange Bridge Business District, which includes many tradesman shops.
Tourism
Parksville has long been a tourist location primarily catering to people from across Vancouver Island as well as Greater Vancouver. Parksville Beach and Rathtrevor Beach are two of the city's main attractions.
