Message from the Mayor
With the "new normal" starting to take shape, Qualicum Beach is seeing more and more businesses re-open. The first steps will most likely be tentative, with shorter business hours, and limited access. We do know however, that Qualicum Beach knows how to support local, and that it is in the very fibre of what makes our Town so special.

In fact, interwoven through the 2017 Quality of Life Survey and the 2018 Offiical Community Plan is the residents' commitment to supporting local businesses. The Quality of Life Survey says that “With respect to goals for the ‘Village Neighbourhood’, support for small businesses is the highest priority".

This Council is committed to continue to partner with local businesses to help recover from COVID-19, and in the recent May 13 Council Meeting, a motion was passed for staff to work with the Chamber of Commerce to explore ways to utilize sidewalk spaces and parking areas to help support local businesses during the COVID19 pandemic.

This initiative will allow businesses to enter into a License of Occupation at nominal rates, and utilize sidewalks and parking areas for outdoor seating, display or retail areas until December 31. 

We look forward to the next steps, and feel confident that together we can navigate our way back to a healthy and economically vibrant community! We Are All in This Together.

Mayor Brian Wiese
Re-Opening of Town Sports Facilities
The Town of Qualicum Beach Town Hall has been closed to the public since mid-March and staff have been providing assistance by phone and email. Most of the Town’s functions have remained consistent during the COVID-19 pandemic, and all staff have continued to be employed in their various capacities.

What is Re-Opening
The Town has been working with the different provincial organizations to safely re-open facilities that were closed to avoid the spread of COVID-19 .
 
The following facilities have re-opened:
  • Tennis courts - May 22 for casual use only
  • Skateboard park - May 22
  • Veteran's Way Washrooms - open 7am to 5pm daily
 
Guidelines for Using Facilities
In accordance with provincial guidance:
  • Play singles tennis. Double play is for those in your same household only.
  • There is no organized team play, training camps or competitive tournaments permitted at this time. 
  • Review and obey any posted signage prior to starting activities.
  • Practice physical distancing, wash and sanitize hands often and be mindful of others around you.
  • Users must keep gatherings small with no congregating.
  • When using the sports courts, keep in mind:
  • Courts are for casual play only, not organized teams.
  • Clearly mark equipment and refrain from touching other people’s items.
  • Do not share racquets, water bottles or any other sports equipment.
  • Each player should carry their own hand sanitizer for use during their activity.
 
Status on Other Facilities Re-Opening
When it is safe to do so, we will reopen amenities as soon as possible, and will post updates on the Town’s website and via social media.
 
For now, the following public facilities remain closed at this time, and we are working toward a phased re-opening for the following:
  • Town Hall offices (closed to the public, but open for business)
  • Civic Centre
  • Community Hall
  • Leigh House Washrooms
  • Public showers on the waterfront
  • BMX Track
Above: Town Crews prepping the tennis courts for re-opening.
Rebound for Businesses
Rebound Oceanside has designed a program to assist businesses through the COVID-19 crisis and minimize the negative impacts of an economic shut down.

The Business Recovery Program has been created for businesses and not-for-profits in the Parksville/Qualicum Beach /School District 69 region. This program is funded by the Province of British Columbia and WorkBC. Oceanside Initiatives is working in partnership with the Parksville and Qualicum Beach Chambers of Commerce, the Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism Association, Parksville Downtown Business Association, and the Lighthouse Country Business Association to manage and coordinate the program.

Supporting Local
The Parksville and Qualicum Beach Chambers of Commerce have launched the Support Local initiative to encourage the community to support the businesses in the area first before looking elsewhere.

Below are some great links to help support local:

  • Supporting Oceanside Businesses - a tool for all local businesses to outline their current services being offered. Created by the Chamber of Commerce.
  • Open During COVID-19 - a directory of businesses that are open during COVID-19. Created by the Parksville and Qualicum Beach Tourism Association.
  • Supporting Local Restaurants - a helpful quick find directory showing where you can eat during COVID-19. Created by Oceansidetakeout.ca
Public Consultation During COVID-19 Pandemic
Over the last weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic brought many parts of our personal and professional lives to an abrupt halt. On behalf of the Town, and the Planning department, we sincerely hope that both you and your families are able to stay safe and healthy during these challenging times.

Working with you, the community, and understanding your perspective is a vital part of our work. Many aspects of community planning benefit from your input - from long-term visioning and comprehensive planning, to reviewing and commenting on specific proposals and development applications. For this reason, we are exploring all possible alternatives to continue effective communication and consultation, while also keeping you safe.

We do not know what the future holds in terms of physical distancing, but it will likely be some time before the Town is able to convene large consultation meetings in person again. So, we are exploring different ways to keep communication open between the public and the Planning department.

Here is a link to a short survey to help us understand how you would like to communicate with the Planning department. Please  respond by June 12, 2020.  Feel free to forward this to your friends and neighbours:


COVID-19 Information Sources