 Historic Rod and Gun, Jeff Bateman photo
First Nations and European Settlement Parksville's original inhabitants were the Coast Salish, a unique subgroup of British Columbia's coastal First Nations. While early European mapmakers (who had originally named Parksville, Englishman River) explored the area in the 1850s, European settlement was not established until the 1870s. By 1900, 250 people had settled in the area, many related to the pioneering Hirst, Craig, Rath (who gave Rathtrevor Beach its name) and Gaetjen families. During this time, a congregation would gather on Sunday mornings at St. Anne's Anglican Church (built in 1894 and still standing at 407 Wembley Road just behind the Wembley Mall). Meanwhile, Saturday nights, found some of these parishioners at the nearby Rod & Gun Hotel, which opened in 1898 and is still serving good food and cold beer in downtown Parksville. Railway Development and Civic Growth  Canadian Pacific Railway's E&N (Esquimalt and Nanaimo) line reached Parksville in 1910. Combined with a growing logging industry, the train brought a wave of settlers and the area's population quickly doubled. The train station (600 Alberni Highway near the junction of Highway 19) is today used as a gallery by the Arrowsmith Potter's Guild. The red, octagonal water tower in Parksville originally serviced steam engines running between Nanaimo and Port Alberni; it was restored in the late 1990s to its original glory.
Modern Parksville The popular Island Hall Hotel was opened in 1917 at the edge of Parksville Bay near the site of today's Beach Club Resort. Motels, stores, campgrounds and all the makings of a modern village (incorporated as such in 1945), town (1978) and city (1981) were to follow as the area became a mecca for summer vacations.
Experience Parksville's Culture & History  Rare artifacts (i.e., snowshoes designed for horses) dating back to the region's first settlers are housed at the fascinating Craig Heritage Park, Museum & Archives, Parksville's first stop for history buffs. Find it next door to the Visitor Centre at the east end of Highway #19A (the Island Highway or Oceanside Route). Open from mid-May to late September, the heritage park features a half-dozen historic buildings relocated here from their original settings, including McMillan House (1885), the Errington log home of bridge and road-builder Duncan McMillan; the French Creek Post Office (1888); the Parksville Fire Hall (1942), which houses a classic red fire truck of the period; and the Knox United Church (1911). Guided tours are available in summer and there are plenty of hands-on activities for kids.
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