Author: Jamie

Local Champions Covering the News You Need

The backbone of every community is its independent and informed press. While today’s media atmosphere can sometimes seem like a stream of confusing choices, Parksville Qualicum Beach (PQB) News stands tall with its community commitment to print and digital news distribution.

Undergirded by the Black Press Media network, PQB News is the area’s reliable source. With weekly print circulation of 16,000 copies and daily, real-time updates on regional, national, and international stories, PQB News is where Parksville finds everything its residents need to know.

Local News from Local Sources

Stopping in at the PQB News office in Parksville Downtown, it doesn’t take long to catch the spirit of championing what local residents want to see and read. “Each of the communities PQB News serves is unique and we strive to reflect each area’s diversity in the stories we tell,” Teresa Bird, publisher at PQB News, told us. “We have local news, community stories, arts, entertainment, sports, photo-journalism, and important information our readers rely on — in print, online, on social media, and through our e-newsletters.”

Bird added, “We are hyperlocal, focusing on our home communities first. When a local perspective is needed, we highlight the impact stories centered outside our region will have on our communities, whether the effects are coming from provincial, national, or even international events.”

Bandwidth for Specialty Interests, Too

We asked about the wide range of specific content available on the PQB News website. “We have lots going on, not just our news media content. People count on our obits for spreading the word in times of trouble, but they also go to our website for puzzles and contests. Not everyone knows about our special features, like our West Coast Traveller series,” Bird said.

“I think a lot of people appreciate the way you can flip through our website’s stories, just like a print newspaper. We make sure that stories we’re working on for the weekly print edition are covered on our website, as they’re developing. Our motto is ‘digital first’ and we know that our recipes, podcast links, and job postings are valuable for different segments of the local community. We want to have something for everyone, always up-to-date, relevant, and engaging,” Bird told us.

A Community Resource to Be Proud Of

It might be easy to take having a well-informed and engaged community for granted. Sometimes, a local treasure can be hiding in plain sight. Take a moment to consider what it means to have PQB News headquartered in Parksville Downtown — networked to more than 200 reporters at over 150 sister publications in communities across Western Canada and the US.

You can help to keep local journalism strong by signing up for an online subscription, following PQB News Live on Facebook, submitting a letter to the editor, or registering for their free e-newsletter. No matter how you access the local information you need, PQB News has you covered.

Navigating Financial Waters with Confidence

Retiring to Parksville is a dream for some. For others, our community offers a chance to enjoy the outdoors with a growing family. Finding expert financial advice that has a finger on the local pulse, while understanding the bigger picture, might seem like a tall order. In Parksville Downtown, OneOcean Wealth relocated to their new office space recently, so we stopped in to find out more.

Financial Security and Outcomes for Success

“Our area is seeing exciting growth,” Senior Investment Advisor, Niki Stanford, explained. “At OneOcean Wealth, we focus on our clients’ financial wellbeing 100% of the time. We go deep and get to know each client’s unique financial goals, then we get to work. Our results speak for themselves, and our clients keep referring more folks to us. We’re thrilled to expand alongside Parksville. This is our home, too.”

As the local division of Leede Financial Inc., OneOcean Wealth has been a Parksville investing hub for several years. Leede is a nationally accredited, 100% employee owned and operated investment management firm focusing on low overhead and no fuss attitudes. Leede Financial Inc. is a member of CIPF and is regulated by CIRO. Leede prides itself in having national and international investment reach, with a local feel. As OneOcean Wealth expands, they are an ideal umbrella for veteran financial advisors looking for a solid homebase for their clients.

Island Friendliness with Broad Reach

Stanford explained further, “OneOcean Wealth isn’t owned by a bank, insurance company, or offshore interest. Because we don’t have corporate pressures pushing us to maximize our own revenues, we can focus on serving our clients’ interests as our top priority.”

“Our clients are looking for retirement planning, cash flow management with tax efficient strategies, legacy and trust advice. We listen to individual desires for values-based investments, risk sensitivity, integration with business interests such as IPOs, and accredited investor opportunities. We can provide hands-free investment management, or higher frequency investor contact. Every client has different and legitimate expectations for their financial security, and we know how to put the pieces together for success. Our focus is to provide excellent service for our clients’ maximum benefit. We’re down-to-earth about getting down-to-business.”

OneOcean Wealth was named for the interconnected nature of local environments to individual wellbeing, with the overlay of national and international market knowledge. While they have expert capacity for investors with complex corporate financial portfolios, the majority of their clients are individuals, families, and business owners looking for expert knowledge, market access, financial security, and impeccable integrity.

Confident Financial Planning for Your Future

Stop by OneOcean Wealth’s new Parksville office, have a coffee, and meet their friendly staff. Ask about financial advice for short and long term investments, stocks and bonds, RRSPs and TFSAs, insurance solutions, or tax efficiency strategies. If you’ve thought about setting up a family legacy foundation or endowment fund, OneOcean Wealth’s advisors know exactly how to make your vision a reality. Give yourself financial peace-of-mind with a tailored investment approach this year.

Globally Known, Right Here in Parksville

When we walk into a hair salon, there’s a mixture of hope and excitement — we’re trusting the hands of expertise to keep us looking great through our daily activities. Parksville Downtown has a jewel of a business waiting to give you that ‘wow’ feeling with your next cut, style, colour, or perm.

Headmasters Salon provides world-class experience and styling excellence. We wanted to know more about this popular Parksville salon, so we stopped in to ask a few questions.

Stylists Who Support Each Other and You

here and I felt it was time for me to settle in close-by. Of course, Vancouver Island’s beauty helped and I love the warm, community atmosphere Parksville Downtown has fostered. I’d worked around the world, focusing on haircare product development and styling with the industry’s top firms. It was great to be able to put all of the skills I’d accumulated to work in a smaller community, with my own business,” Hall said.

“Some of my regular clients come all the way from Victoria and Vancouver, because they know finding a stylist they really trust can be difficult. I’ve built a reputation for excellence over the years. It takes focus and attention to keep our styles and techniques up-to-date. We have a great team of stylists who can do it all.”

Hall added, “Our clients know the difference a confident and experienced stylist brings to their beauty. Because of my background with Estée Lauder/Aveda, I know exactly which industry resources to pay attention to, so our clients look their best while also maintaining their hair’s ideal condition.”

Haircare Products Straight from Europe

Hall went on to explain, “We enjoy trusted supplier status with Framesi from Italy. They’re a family-run, high-quality haircare product business. We’ve negotiated great pricing we’re able to pass on to our clients. Framesi’s scalp-based treatment is 100% naturally derived. We have busy moms and retired women who value the relaxation of sitting in the chair and knowing their hair is receiving the best.”

Hall and his team of stylists work together to provide seamless services to their clients. “If one of us is away or fully-booked, we make sure our clients get the same high-quality, consistent cut, color, or styling — our goal is for every client to feel their vibrant best, every day.”

Headmasters Salon is located in the Thrifty plaza in Parksville Downtown. With convenient hours Monday to Friday and alternate Saturdays, it’s easy to find a stylist you love and a fresh look for the coming season. Make an appointment today and ask about the latest trends in New York and Milan. Get ready to feel the world-class difference of a top-notch salon, right here in Parksville.

A Delicious, Local Work of Art & Dedication

Decades ago, a young woman travelled Vietnam learning the secrets of regional foods, spice combinations, and popular flavours. After coming to Canada, she opened a restaurant, starting a chain-of-events leading to the flavours of Vietnam on Vancouver Island.

Lan Vietnamese Express in Parksville shows off decades of restaurant expertise. When working on the concept for his family’s new location, Tom Vuu collaborated with two Island designers for a look and feel that would bring ambiance excellence to match the menu.

The Best Items from Nanaimo’s Huong Lan on Bowen Road

“I wanted to create a smaller version of our flagship restaurant in Nanaimo,” Vuu told us when we spoke with him at the new location on Hirst Avenue East. “We had to take the interior down to the studs, so we put a lot of thought into a West Coast feel. Our live-edge tables play off the original artwork we commissioned. We wanted a warm, welcoming, thoughtful vibe — paired with the best from our family’s decades of Vietnamese cooking.”

Lan Vietnamese Express selected the top dishes from its big sister, Nanaimo location. Focusing on authentic flavours and traditional spices — pho soup, Vietnamese baguette subs, vermicelli rice noodles, marinated tofu lemongrass, rice stir-fry, and more. Straight from recipes Vuu’s mother gathered in her travels through Vietnam and perfected over decades of restaurant ownership.

Second Generation Restaurant Excellence

Vuu explained, “I grew up working in my parents’ first restaurant, then I studied hospitality and business administration at university. When I came back, we expanded our Nanaimo location and began producing our customers’ favourite menu items for Island grocery store specialties. You can take home frozen soup and fried wontons, plus bottled sate chili oil — the deliciousness of Lan Vietnamese right at home.”

The family’s Nanaimo restaurant was voted #1 Asian restaurant nine years in a row. The pre-pandemic plan was to have an ‘express’ menu at the new Parksville offshoot.

“Covid really made a mess of our plans, but our family is grateful for our loyal Island customer base. Because of their love for our flavours — the touches my mother’s recipes emphasize, like fresh daikon, homemade fish sauce, pickled julienne carrots, and aromatic cilantro — we made it to the other side of Covid. Now, we’re excited to watch as Parksville, both its year-rounders and summer tourists, get to love these same favourites,” Vuu said.

Eat-In, Take-out, Delivered, Online Ordering

A bowl of steaming pho with a deep-fried banana ice cream chaser. Grilled lemongrass chicken with Vietnamese iced coffee. Or delectable spring rolls with bubble tea. There’s something for everyone on Lan Vietnamese Express’s menu.

Plan a special lunch with friends, or dinner with your family. Check out this exquisite ambiance in Parksville Downtown. Vegan and gluten free items are always available. Stop in to experience Island artistry, combined with Vietnam’s delectable, aromatic flavours.

Elegance Sculpting in Parksville, BC is home to the leading experts in medical aesthetics, cosmetic injections, shockwave therapy, traditional spa services, wellness programming and advanced lasers technology.

In 2017, Elegance Sculpting was born from Rachel Bentley’s desire to bring progressive laser technology to Parksville and Vancouver Island as a whole. And she’s done it. Elegance Sculpting offers over a hundred unique treatments, including the industry’s most advanced medical aesthetic treatments.

Over the last six years, Rachel has grown her spa from one room to a beauty and wellness headquarters; grown her team to partner with top professionals in health and beauty; and this is only the beginning. For those who know Rachel, she is always looking ahead to what’s next and plans on continuing to bring the best spa services to her community.

Janette, the manager of Bradley’s on Jensen, has expertly curated an ambiance that exudes safety and warmth within the local bistro. Since assuming her role in May 2023, Janette has cordially welcomed both regular patrons and those soon to become regulars, gracing them with her inviting smile and an enticing array of homemade treats, a delightful selection of daily coffee specials, and, most notably, her exceptional soups.

With a deep commitment to community support, Janette and her dedicated team infuse love into every dish they prepare and each cup of coffee they serve. Their mission is to fashion a secure and nurturing haven for all, beginning by cleansing the bistro’s energy with sage, ensuring the well-being of everyone who crosses the threshold. Baking commences promptly at 6:30 every morning, guaranteeing that your favourite pastry and coffee await your arrival.

For the month of November, the featured hot beverage is the White Chocolate Chai Latte, a heavenly choice to envelop you in warmth on a brisk autumn morning. Bradley’s on Jensen remains a sanctuary of comfort and culinary delight, lovingly crafted by Janette and her dedicated team.