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.

Style and Elegance in Women’s Fashion

There’s a feeling you get when you put on that new outfit and step out with confidence for your day. For thirty years and counting, Close to You Fashion Boutique has been helping Parksville’s women feel their best, while working together to make sure the community is strong.

A Warm Touch With a Talent for Connection

Dropping in to Close to You’s location in Corfield Plaza, across from Thrifty’s Foods, we found owner Sandy Herle and her staff hard at work getting ready for their weekly, live-stream fashion show. 

“We host a Women & Wine Wednesday fashion show every week. It’s so much fun. We have staff who model for us and a couple of our regular customers, as well. The shows are streamed live on Facebook and through our YouTube Channel. It’s a great way to see what’s hot and what’s coming,” Herle said.

“We have long-standing, trusted relationships with key designers across Canada and globally. Joseph Ribkoff’s beautiful blouses, slacks, jackets, and evening dresses are some of our most popular styles. We’re always looking for that splash of colour that pairs well. Classy looks, but also a lot of freshness. We have everything from beach wear to shoes and lingerie. If you wear it, we have it.”

Customers Who Become Friends

We asked Herle about her community reputation, built through her boutique management and an early-2000s stint as Parksville’s mayor. “Nothing is as important to me as serving people well. I know ‘good service’ is such an overused term, and it’s hard to find. With our amazing team, we take service excellence very seriously. Finding the right swimsuit or a bra that fits after a mastectomy — those are the times when a woman wants someone who knows exactly which item of clothing will bring out her vibrancy. We’re always looking to help our customers look and feel their very best.”

“It’s our boutique’s motto that we give back, to our customers and to our community. We have great events for women to come and enjoy, plus heads-up specials and coupons through our e-newsletter. We support several Vancouver Island and Parksville charities that focus on helping women through the tough times of life, including the Society of Organized Service (SOS) and the 100 Women Who Care movement,” Herle told us.

Find Out What’s Hot for Next Season

Close to You Fashion Boutique has its finger on the pulse of what’s coming next through the designers you love. By keeping track of the pieces already in your wardrobe, their team can help you find that next hot item that will make your season sparkle.

Stop in this week to see what’s new or check out Close to You online and find out how easy their website shopping experience is. Plan to attend a Wednesday fashion show, in-person or online, to see what your girlfriends at the boutique have brought into town, to keep you looking marvelous. 

A Community Hardware Store at Work

Whether you’re fixing a dripping bathroom faucet or upping your game with a new BBQ for summer backyard parties, your community hardware store provides a supply chain anchor. To succeed, our plans and projects — big and small — rely on having the right items, exactly when we need them. 

In Parksville downtown, Home Hardware has been a trusted part of the local business community for decades. Community residents rely on the vast inventory accessible through Parksville Home Hardware’s links to regional distribution centres and national supply logistics. Getting what you need, right where you are, has been Home Hardware’s Canadian success story for 60 years.

Home Improvement Supplies & New Garden Furniture, Too

We stopped by to talk to Bill Ormiston, owner of Parksville Home Hardware, across from The Beach Club. “We’re the biggest little hardware store on Vancouver Island,” Ormiston said. “If we don’t have what you need on our shelves already, we’ll get it for you quickly. We tap into the Home Hardware regional distribution centre weekly, so our customers know that they can get great quality and selection right here in Parksville — that new bathtub, ride-on mower, or the perfect patio furniture set for summer backyard fun. We offer free assembly of items like BBQs for our customers — we want excellent customer service to be the hallmark of each visit to our store.”

Ormiston went on, “We’ve built a core team over many years. We’re proud of the way our staff serves our customers. Several of our staff members have been with us over a decade. We greet long-time customers by name, as they return frequently for the quality and selection they trust, right here in Parksville. One of the best parts about being so central to the Parksville community is that we get to meet new folks every day!”

Friendliness with a Special Niche, Too

“We carry wine and beer brewing supplies in our store, and this sets us apart a bit. We love being able to support our Parksville neighbours as they create homes and businesses with everything they need for family comfort, office functionality, and leisure-time fun,” Ormiston said.

A Family Business Ensuring Hometown Goodness

Parksville Home Hardware is a multi-generational family affair. As the story goes, Ormiston and his wife, Carol, first met — you guessed it — in the store! Every year, the store gives back to the community through sponsorship of the area’s famous Beach Festival and Sandcastle Sculpting. 

Whether you need a new cordless drill, paint to brighten inside or out, a new kettle in the kitchen, or a BBQ for your deck — Parksville Home Hardware has you covered. Stop in this week, to check out the new items in-store. And bring your next home project idea along, too. Let your local hardware store experts help to make your dreams become reality. 

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.

Moving From There to Here, in Paradise

As we go about our days in the perfection of British Columbia’s beauty and our Island community, it’s easy to forget about the stresses of moving. We come and go through life’s phases, even if we  don’t move far. For some, it’s time to downsize. Others are moving to retire. For many, it’s a chance to live in a home of their own.

For more than 135 years, one Island real estate company has helped smooth the transitions. Pemberton Holmes is a name Vancouver Island recognizes. It’s hard to find a piece of land that hasn’t had a Pemberton agent involved in bringing the beauty of our surroundings to individual families and businesses.

Affordability & Outdoor Beauty in the Perfect Place to Live

Parksville Downtown’s Pemberton Holmes location is owned by managing broker, Jason Ridout. We spoke with him recently about the achievements of his team of community-oriented agents. Ridout told us, “Parksville might be the most desirable post-retirement community on Vancouver Island. And young professionals and families are moving from areas on the Mainland where affordability is out-of-the-question. Our Pemberton Holmes’ agents are part of the community. We know that you don’t have to choose between having a home, having a family, and enjoying the natural beauty of our beaches and forests.”

Pemberton Holmes has fifteen offices and 300 realtors across Vancouver Island. The 7th generation of the founding partners is now part of the business, so you know that quality is built into the core of Pemberton Holmes’ service.

Ridout explained, “I partnered with Mike Holmes and the Pemberton Holmes knowledge base because professionalism, agent support, and teamwork are core values. We are proud of our agents’
commitment to their clients, and we know it’s reinforced because they live in the communities they serve.”

Community Partners for Growth & Movement that Brings Life

“When there’s an event in Parksville, we gather our team to get involved. We are neighbours. Our agents have life-long relationships with clients who’ve bought or sold a home. Many times, our agents help with a compassionate hand during a move that might have otherwise been stressful,” Ridout said.

“We have world class beaches in Parksville and it’s such a joy to help a young family, or a retiree moving to the West coast, to find their perfect home. Parksville has so much within a walkable distance. I can’t imagine a better community than the one my family has chosen. We have it all here — the infrastructure to support business and remote work, plus good schools and incomparable beauty on our doorstep.”

Friends & Neighbours for the Moves of Your Life

Whether you’re ready to downsize on ‘Island time’ or looking to get your family into a home with a yard, Pemberton Holmes’ Parksville office knows how to help. Plan to stop in and meet the agents at their Parksville Downtown location, next door to Memorial Plaza.

Homecooked Comfort with an Extreme Challenge

The team at Extreme Eatery in Parksville Downtown knows how to provide great food with friends and a
side-order of fun. Think of all your down-home favourites — burgers & beer — then add a twist with
Caesars to die for and poutine from around the globe. Plus, The Gladiator Challenge for those who dare!

Humble Beginnings Leading to Expansion

We caught up with Extreme Eatery’s owner, Kymon Giakoumakis, to ask how his restaurant dream came
to fruition. “Mostly, we have a great team. We take care of our people and our customers, and they take
care of us. We opened our first location just before the pandemic started, after years of food truck
success. We dug deep, worked hard, supported the community — and now we’ve just opened our
second location in Qualicum Beach,” Giakoumakis explained.

The Extreme menu calls out with tried-and-true tastes you love. A chicken burger with candied bacon,
Swiss cheese, and apple slaw. Juicy beef burger patties made in-house and gyros, too. Fries and onion
rings. Poutine that means business. Extreme Eatery has all the good stuff.

Extreme Means Dialing Up Flavour & Options

“We took a classic diner menu and turned up the volume — created our ‘Extreme’ version. Poutine was
a great area to have fun. We’ve developed unique poutine combos no one else offers… not only pulled-
pork poutine, but Greek, Mexi, and perogi options. We’ve sourced local, bakery-fresh brioche buns and
turn them into works of art. Our house-special double-EE sauce is roasted garlic aioli supreme Extreme,”
Giakoumakis said.

Caesars Like No Other, Take the Challenge

“Our goal was to have food that looked great on social media and tasted even better! A TikTok
influencer went viral, and we have people coming from all over Vancouver Island and the Mainland for
our amazing Caesars. Our Gladiator Challenge has been a big hit — a mountain of great food and drink
and a time-limit to finish the Challenge meal. We created a fun experience that is difficult and delicious,
but achievable. Our wall-of-fame pictures show those who conquered it all!”

A Neighbourhood Spot for Great Food & Friends

Locally-sourced, freshly ground beef and pork products from the best butcher in the area mean that
Extreme Eatery’s quality is top-notch. Now, the original food truck is a catering hub for private events,
office parties, bonspiels, and golf tournaments.

Whether you’re looking for a classic burger with all the fixings, or perfect fish tacos for a summer beach
picnic, Extreme Eatery’s got you covered.

Plan to stop in for lunch or dinner this week. Or gather the gang for an Eggs Benny brunch on the
weekend. Extreme Eatery’s patio is easy to spot on Morrison Avenue, across from The Beach Club. Get
ready for a meal to remember. As the Extreme Eatery team promises, “You’re going to need a napkin!”

Digital Recording Studio with Local Knowledge

Having an online presence is essential, but carving a place in the fast-moving changes of today’s technology can seem daunting. The guys at Podio Studio in downtown Parksville have cutting-edge solutions for video podcasting, audio recording production, and professional editing services that won’t break the bank. Their hourly-rental studio space fills the tech gap in our Oceanside community.

Bring Your Business to a Wider Customer Base

When we caught up with Podio’s owner, Mark Beuerman, he explained how video podcasting is an easy way to tell your brand’s story. “Every business owner is wondering how to develop and grow an online presence. We all know it starts with a website and leveraging current marketing strategies. In today’s business environment, that means incorporating video. Video is essential — and we understand it can seem overwhelming,” Beuerman said.

With several years of videography, professional online marketing, and business operations experience, Beuerman has created a jewel in downtown Parksville. “I believer in the power of video and more importantly, YouTube to grow your service business. As a local business owner myself, I couldn’t find a place to record, so I created Podio Studio,” Beuerman told us.

Keeping it Relevant with a High-Quality Digital Presence

Small business video podcasts are the future. It’s all about developing the story behind your business. But the bottleneck is knowing how and where to start. Podio’s founder is eager to remove barriers to entry. Local business owners can give video podcasting a try with only a rough concept worked out when they walk in. Podio understands the paths to the world of YouTube, Spotify, and other short-form video platforms.

“Podcasting plus video is the future of content creation. It feeds the demand for a narrative. Lots of people in our community have a podcast idea, but they don’t know where to start. Plus, the Parksville and Qualicum Beach community hasn’t had a full-service studio for hourly rentals. Podio brings it all together — we want to share the space we have. We can take you from concept to recording, through to edited and uploaded – inside of a day,” Beuerman said.

Video, Podcasting, Recording Studio in the Heart of Parksville

The spin-off benefits of successful business or personality podcasting are unlimited. Imagine being so close to a state-of-the-art full-production studio at 182 Memorial. Podio offers customized packages for any size of podcast concept — business, individual, event, family, non-profit.

Check out their website today and book an affordable trial recording and editing session. Learn a new skill that will put your business out front. Create content you, your staff, and your existing customer base will love talking about. It’s your story to tell and Podio knows how get it online.

This article has been updated from its original version to accommodate a change in the business’s name from VidPod Studio Co. to Podio Studio in the summer of 2024.

This Year is the Best Year for Your Tattoo Dream

Across from the Main Post Office on the East Island Highway, Parksville Tattoo is an art gallery for collectors, a candy-store for art-lovers, and a place for friends to hang out. Steeped in an old school tattoo shop vibe, these ink artists know that every tattoo has the power to change a life.

Plan Now & Enjoy Your Artistry for a Lifetime

“There’s a methodical process to getting a tattoo,” Colin Wiley, owner and tattooer, told us when we stopped by the shop to chat. “Our customers become friends. And we know that art, whether you hang it over the fireplace or craft a statement on your skin, is a deeply personal thing. As a tattoo artist, it’s essential that I spend time getting to know each client. Their design is going to form part of their self expression for life — we take our responsibility in the process seriously at Parksville Tattoo.”

Each ink artist has their own specialty. As a shop, Wiley explained the importance of the pre-ink consultation stages of the process.

“Everyone has toyed with the idea of getting a tattoo. Maybe it’s a larger canvas that needs carefully staged planning. But even a quick, smaller image requires careful thought. We meet with every client for a personal consultation before they decide how to go. Our consultations are complimentary. We want everyone to feel confident and relaxed. Enjoying the process of getting your tattoo, knowing your artist, loving how things look in the end — this is all central to what we do.”

Friends Alongside Taking the Plunge with You

Sometimes a tattoo needs updating, something called “a cover-up” in the industry. Or maybe old scars can be hidden with clever and creative artistry.

“We’ve been doing this for so long, we have a deep network through the Western Canadian and Vancouver Island tattoo scene. If our shop isn’t ideal for a specific style or specialized situation, like mastectomy cover-up for example, we know just the artist to recommend. And those artists are trusting us with referrals too, because we’ve earned a place of respect in the industry,” Wiley explained.

“We have clients as old as 80 and as young as 18. We’ve been in Parksville for 7 years now — lots of our clients come back for additional or expanded designs. We love the spirit of true art and how our bodies are a canvas. It never gets old. That’s how we know we’re serving our art and our clients well.”

Deep Meaning & Art to Love Every Day in Parksville Downtown

Stop in and see some of the designs that might spur your next ink. Parksville Tattoo is a friendly place where you can drop by and let your imagination roam. Everything from a small flower or hummingbird, to a leg sleeve or shoulder — your tattoo will be as individual as you.