Oceanside Neighbourhood Welcome

23/09/2026

Join us! This Saturday! Errington Farmers' Market !

Free Welcome Packages to anyone that has moved to town (Coombs/Parksville/Qualicum) in the last 12 months! 🎉

16/09/2026

FREE community welcome packages!! Are you new to Oceanside within the last 12 months? Join us Saturday, September 19, 2026
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM 🎉

📍 Location
Coombs Rodeo Grounds
2601 Alberni Hwy, Coombs, BC

15/09/2026

🛍️💙 Community Partner Spotlight: Greenview Taphouse!

Greenview Taphouse is a valued partner of the Oceanside Neighbourhood Welcome program, helping us connect newcomers with local businesses and welcoming places to gather throughout our community.

Located at Fairwinds Golf Course in Nanoose Bay, Greenview Taphouse is all about good food, good company, and enjoying the moment. No tee time is required to stop in, making it a welcoming spot whether you're coming off the golf course, exploring the area, meeting up with friends, or simply looking for somewhere to relax.

🍕 Their menu focuses on comfort food with a West Coast influence, including Roman-style artisanal pizzas, burgers, seafood dishes, shareable plates, and desserts. Greenview also features more than 20 BC taps, highlighting craft beers from producers around the province.

🌿 With its scenic setting, patio, relaxed atmosphere, and events and specials throughout the week, Greenview Taphouse is a great place to enjoy some time with friends and experience another local gem in the Oceanside area.

📍 3730 Fairwinds Drive, Nanoose Bay, BC
Open 7 days a week, 11 AM–9 PM.

We are proud to have Greenview Taphouse as part of the Oceanside Neighbourhood Welcome community. Thank you for helping newcomers discover local places to eat, gather, and enjoy everything our region has to offer! ❤️

08/09/2026

🛍️💙 Community Partner Spotlight: The Fur-Bearers!

The Fur-Bearers is a valued partner of the Neighbourhood Welcome program across all of the communities we serve, including Oceanside. Their partnership helps us introduce newcomers to organizations doing important work to protect wildlife and encourage positive relationships between people and the animals we share our communities with.

Established in 1953, The Fur-Bearers is a Canadian registered charity dedicated to protecting fur-bearing animals and promoting coexistence with wildlife. Their work includes conservation, advocacy, research, public education, and helping people better understand the wildlife living around us.

🌿 From educational resources about urban wildlife to information about living alongside animals such as raccoons and other wildlife, The Fur-Bearers provides practical knowledge that can help communities find humane ways to coexist with the wildlife around them.

Their work is a great reminder that being part of a community also means sharing our spaces with the incredible wildlife that calls Vancouver Island home.

We are proud to have The Fur-Bearers as a Neighbourhood Welcome partner across our communities. Thank you for helping newcomers learn more about the wildlife around them and the importance of protecting the animals that share our home! ❤️

For more than 60 years, researchers have studied yellow-bellied marmots in Colorado, and University of Ottawa professor Dr. Julien Martin is now helping lead the project. When funding became uncertain, Dr. Martin and his colleagues got creative and launched OnlyMarms - an OnlyFans account dedicated to marmots that became a fundraising and science communication success.

On this week’s Defender Radio, Dr. Martin talks about the value of long-term wildlife research, what marmots can teach us, and what happens when scientists have to get creative to keep their work going: https://buff.ly/B3yvcm3

📸 Photo by Laura Green

07/09/2026

🛍️💙 Community Partner Spotlight: Budget Blinds!

Budget Blinds - Comox Valley, Campbell River, Parksville and Qualicum is a valued partner of the Oceanside Neighbourhood Welcome program, helping newcomers connect with local businesses and services that can help make a new house feel like home.

✨ Serving communities throughout the Oceanside area, including Parksville and Qualicum Beach, Budget Blinds specializes in custom window coverings designed around each customer's home, style, needs, and budget. Their selection includes blinds, shades, shutters, drapery, and exterior shades.

🏡 Their team brings the showroom experience right to your home, offering a free consultation followed by professional measuring and installation. They also offer modern motorized and home-automation window covering options for added convenience.

🌿 Budget Blinds is based in Ladysmith and serves a wide range of Vancouver Island communities, including Parksville and Qualicum Beach.

We are proud to have Budget Blinds as part of the Oceanside Neighbourhood Welcome community. Thank you for helping newcomers discover local businesses that can make their new space feel comfortable, beautiful, and truly their own! ❤️

05/09/2026

All set up this morning for a beautiful day at the Qualicum Beach Farmers Market today from 8:30 am - 12:00 pm !

We will have free welcome packages for anyone that is new to Parksville/Qualicum within the last 12 months!

04/09/2026

Tomorrow find us at the Qualicum Beach Farmers Market from 8:30 am - 12:00 pm !

We will have free welcome packages for anyone that is new to Parksville/Qualicum within the last 12 months!

03/09/2026

🛍️💙 Community Partner Spotlight: Qualicum Beach Memorial Services!

Qualicum Beach Memorial Services is a valued partner of the Oceanside Neighbourhood Welcome program, helping us connect newcomers with trusted local businesses and services within our community.

Qualicum Beach Memorial Services provides compassionate, personalized support to individuals and families during some of life's most difficult moments. Their team helps families make arrangements that honour the life, values, and wishes of their loved one with care and respect.

From cremation and burial arrangements to personalized funeral and memorial services, their team works with families to create meaningful ways to remember and celebrate a loved one's life. They also offer planning-ahead resources and grief-support information for those who want to prepare in advance or find guidance during the grieving process.

🌿 With a local presence in Qualicum Beach and support available 24 hours a day for immediate needs, the team is there to provide guidance, compassion, and practical assistance when families need it most.

📍 Located at 118 Fern Road East in Qualicum Beach, Qualicum Beach Memorial Services serves families throughout the Oceanside area.

We are proud to have Qualicum Beach Memorial Services as part of the Oceanside Neighbourhood Welcome community. Thank you for providing compassionate local support and helping families through life's most challenging moments. ❤️

01/09/2026

🛍️💙 Community Partner Spotlight: North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre!

North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre is a valued partner of the Oceanside Neighbourhood Welcome program, helping newcomers discover some of the incredible wildlife, conservation, and educational experiences found right here in our region.

The Centre, operated by the North Island Wildlife Recovery Association, is dedicated to caring for ill, injured, and orphaned wildlife while educating the public about wildlife and environmental issues. Since its founding in 1985, the organization has worked to rehabilitate animals with the goal of returning as many as possible to the wild.

From eagles and owls to black bears, hawks, ravens, and turtles, visitors can learn about Vancouver Island's wildlife while exploring the Centre's eight-acre grounds. The facility is also home to more than 60 resident animals that cannot be released back into the wild.

🌿 A visit includes opportunities to explore the Museum of Nature, Learning Centre, wildlife garden, animal enclosures, and one of Canada's largest eagle flight enclosures of its kind. The Centre also offers wildlife drop-off services for animals in need of help.

📍 Located at 1240 Leffler Road in Errington, just minutes from Parksville, the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre is open daily from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

We are proud to have North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre as part of the Oceanside Neighbourhood Welcome community. Thank you for helping protect Vancouver Island's wildlife and giving newcomers a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the incredible animals that call our region home! ❤️

We need your help!
Here are some items that we need and are always in demand. If you can help with any of these we would be so thankful!
• Bagged Dog Food
• Bagged Kitten Food
• Canned dog/cat food
• Eggs
• Gelatin
• Peanuts
• Wild bird seed
• Fish and organ meats
• Frozen fruits and vegetables
• Duck/goose pellets
• Cracked corn
• Hen scratch
• Rubber gloves
• Medical supplies

28/08/2026

🛍️💙 Community Partner Spotlight: Qualicum Beach Cafe!

Qualicum Beach Cafe is a valued partner of the Oceanside Neighbourhood Welcome program, helping us connect newcomers with local businesses and experiences that make the Oceanside community such a wonderful place to call home.

✨ Located right along the waterfront, Qualicum Beach Cafe offers an elegant-casual dining experience with beautiful ocean views. Their menu celebrates West Coast cuisine with Italian influence, featuring fresh, locally sourced seafood alongside favourites like house-made pasta, gnocchi, pizza, and more.

🌊 Whether you're enjoying breakfast, meeting friends for brunch or lunch, relaxing on the covered and heated patio, or settling in for dinner, Qualicum Beach Cafe offers a welcoming place to enjoy good food and the beauty of the coast. They also offer a daily happy hour from 3–5 PM.

📍 Located at 2690 Island Highway West in Qualicum Beach, the cafe is open daily and serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner.

We are proud to have Qualicum Beach Cafe as part of the Oceanside Neighbourhood Welcome community. Thank you for helping newcomers discover local places to eat, gather, and enjoy everything our beautiful region has to offer! ❤️