Parksville's culture and history is diversely marked by the cultural traditions of the Coast Salish people, early European exploration and settlement, and the development of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1910.
Today Parksville is a centre for summer vacationing, with great outdoor activities such as mountain biking, hiking, and golfing. Explore Parksville's culture and history at the Craig Heritage Park & Museum.
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 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). 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.
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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 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
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, Parksville's first stop for history buffs. 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). There are plenty of hands-on activities for kids.
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