Parksville/Qualicum - Community Overview

The Coast Salish First Nations originally inhabited this area. In 1792 Captain Vancouver first explored Vancouver Island. Parksville was originally known as Englishman’s River, as it was rumored that a gentleman of English decent drowned in the river. In 1855 the area was first surveyed by the Hudson’s Bay Company, but it wasn’t until 1883 that the first non-native resident, John Hirst settled in Englishman’s River. In 1884 Nelson Parks registered his land claim and Mr. Parks became the first postmaster. Englishman’s River was officially renamed Parksville, after Nelson Park in 1887.

Parksville, once a fishing and logging town, has grown to depend on the tourism and retail industries. The city is still a commercial centre for a large logging and agricultural area, but tourism is making its mark. Parksville is a popular summer resort, having 7.5 km of some of the finest beaches on Vancouver Island, good saltwater and freshwater fishing, plus numerous motels and resorts. Nearby geographic features include, Englishman River Falls and Rhododendron Lake.

The City of Parksville is situated on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in the Regional District of Nanaimo. Parksville is located at the junction of the Port Alberni Highway #4 and the Island Highway #19, approximately 37 km northwest of the City of Nanaimo.

The population of Parksville numbers approximately 12,000.

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