The Town was honoured to be part of a moving candle ceremony for Red Dress Day.  

Red Dress Day is a time of honouring missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, two spirited, and men. It is also a day to highlight the 231 Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Girls (2019).

The dresses on display in the Town Hall foyer are empty to evoke the missing women who should be wearing them. Read more at www.theredressproject.org

Officials attending: Bill Recalma (Elder, Qualicum First Nation), Andrew Twitty (Minister, St. Ann's and St. Edmund's Anglican Church), Betty Price, Robin Robinson, Erin Holmes, Eva Hilborn, and Mary Ellen Campbell (Canadian Federation of University Women Parksville - Qualicum), Anne Skipsey, Petronella Vander Valk, Jean Young and Teunis Westbroek (Town Council)

Are you a community-minded person looking to make a contribution to the Town? Being part of a committee enables you to support Council and staff in maintaining Qualicum Beach as a livable community.

Apply today to the following committees:

• Environment & Sustainability Committee - 1 member
• Beach Day Committee - 10 members
• Family Day Committee - 5 members
• Parks & Recreation Committee - 3 members

More information on how to apply is available at qualicumbeach.com/boards-and-committees

Residents of Electoral Areas E, F, G, H, City of Parksville, and Town of Qualicum Beach - have your say!

Two changes are being considered for the District 69 Swimming Pool Local Service Establishment Bylaw #899, which is how Ravensong Aquatic Centre is funded. The proposed changes are as follows:

1. Change the cost recovery funding model to one-third assessment, one-third usage and one-third population-based from its current funding model of one-half usage and one-half assessment.
2. Add Electoral Area E (Nanoose Bay) as a participating area.

In-Person Open Houses:

• December 7, 2022, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Rotary House, 211 Fern Rd, Qualicum Beach
• December 8, 2022, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Oceanside Place Arena, Multi–Purpose Rooms, 830 Island Hwy W., Parksville
• December 14, 2022, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Bowser Legion #211, 7035 Island Hwy W., Bowser
• January 4, 2023, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Nanoose Place Community Centre, Multi-Use Room #1, 2925 Northwest Bay Rd, Nanoose
• January 5, 2023,5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Bradley Centre, 975 Shearme Rd, Coombs
• January 18, 2023, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. BGC Parksville Child and Family Centre, Lobby, 132 Jensen Ave. E., Parksville

Virtual Open Houses:

• December 12, 2022, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. (via Zoom)
• January 9, 2023, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. (via Zoom)

Anyone from the Oceanside area is welcome to attend any, or all, of the events.

A Get Involved RDN project page is now live at gettinvolved.rdn.ca/pool-bylaw that has all project information, including detailed FAQ’s and videos explaining the proposed changes; and allows for people to ask questions and have the answers shared on the page. A survey is also now open until January 31, 2023. 

This holiday season Support Local! Supporting local means supporting community services, non-profits and using the services of local professionals and craftspeople.

It means supporting our community, supporting each other, and putting a personal face on the businesses we work with and shop with every day. It means patronizing markets and local restaurants and coffee shops and small retailers.

There are treasures in your own backyard waiting to be found. Happy hunting!