Qualicum

The beach is only one of the reasons thousands of visitors chose to make Qualicum their retreat each year. The region is home to 18 B.C. parks and regional parks, including Cathedral Grove’s spectacular old-growth forest, five wildlife refuges, and seven golf courses. And, people come to stay – the population has increased steadily over the years, as those discover that QB is as nice as place to live as it is to visit! It has blossomed (literally) into the type of town where you can do it all; golf, shop, dine, hike, stroll, beachcomb, bird watch, explore history, arts and culture and more –Coombs and the surrounding villages of Hilliers and Errington have the largest concentration of antique stores, farmers’ markets, and artisans’ studios in B.C.

Named for the Salish Indian world that means “where the dog salmon runs” QB has been renowned for generations for its beauty, warm summers and amazing vistas. With the arrivals of the railway a century ago, the town rapidly developed into a preferred vacation retreat. Town planners were careful with development and established strict building codes to ensure the community would be a unique and special destination. Today’s Qualicum understands the ‘beauty of small” and downtown is alive with local independent boutique shops, galleries, bookshops, antique stores, bakeries, cafes and large pedestrian friendly sidewalks — no big box or franchise stores in sight!

Gardeing is serious business here! The perennial ‘Communities in Bloom’ winner you can see the Town, business owners, and residents take

pride in enhancing the beauty of the area with flowers, trees, planters and gardens in every corner.

On average, Qualicum beach s bathed in more than 2,040 hours of sunshine every years and its beach has been named Canada best family-friendly beach destination by Better Homes and Garden Magazine. Boasting one of the oldest golf courses in Canada (1913) it also offers plentiful activities that support a year-round active lifestyle whatever your age, including  hiking, diving, wildlife viewing, treasure hunting, gallery hopping, fishing,  biking and horseback riding.