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It’s that time of the year… when Parksville Fire Rescue members will be asking the community to support this year’s “Fill the Boots for Food” drive. Firefighters will collect cash donations for the Salvation Army and new unwrapped toys for the Society of Organized Services on Saturday, November 16 (9 am to 6 pm) and Sunday, November 17 (10 am to 2 pm). Firefighters will be at various locations in the City, asking residents to generously support the Salvation Army food bank with cash donations.
Each year, residents in the Parksville Fire Protection Area generously support the annual drive and are the reason for its success. This drive and the generosity of our residents make a true difference to many during the holiday season.
The first drive for the Parksville Volunteer Fire Department in 1988 helped stock the Salvation Army’s shelves for Christmas with about 5,000 pounds of food collected door to door. Over the years, local departments joined the campaign and now Parksville Fire participates in the District 69 drive with seven other departments collecting cash donations for the Salvation Army food bank and new unwrapped toys for the Society of Organized Services. In 2023, a total of $94,070 in cash was collected.
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HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP
Donations are extremely important to the Salvation Army food bank and Society of Organized Services to provide for less fortunate in our community. Donations may also be made as follows:
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Society of Organized Services (SOS) is gratefully accepting donations for its Caring for Community at Christmas program. The program provides special gifts for local children and youth, and grocery store gift cards are provided to families, adults and seniors so they may choose food that is meaningful to them over the holidays. Financial donations can be made online at sosd69.com, in person or by phone (250 248-2093), Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4.30 pm. New, unwrapped gifts can be dropped off during the same hours at the SOS Community Services Centre in Parksville (245 Hirst Avenue West) and at Qualicum Commons (744 Primrose Street, Qualicum Beach).
- Salvation Army food bank donations are accepted at 886 Wembley Road - Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 8.30 am to 4 pm (closed noon to 1 pm); Wednesday and Friday, 9 am to noon.
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The annual firefighter recruitment campaign will begin soon, looking for positive, energetic and community-minded citizens to join our team of paid on-call firefighters. Learn about the benefits and what it means to be part of the team, checkout the recruitment section on Parksville Fire’s website or call 250 248-3242.
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Here are some of the activities we have planned:
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Live music and entertainment: Delight in the music of Easy Street Duo and local song leader, Sylvia Humble, for a carol singalong.
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Crafts and games for kids and parents: Unleash your creativity with an array of holiday-themed crafts. Kids and parents can collaborate to create beautiful decorations, charming ornaments and other delightful projects to take home and treasure. We’ve added some fun games to keep little ones entertained.
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Visit from Santa: Santa Claus himself will make a special appearance! Bring your cameras for a magical photo opportunity with Santa and share your wish lists with the jolly old man. We will have everything needed to write a letter to Santa, mailed just in time.
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Christmas cookies and hot chocolate bar: Savour a delectable assortment of cookies and warm up with a cup of hot chocolate from our hot chocolate bar, customized with marshmallows, whipped cream and other scrumptious toppings.
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Facepainting: Add a touch of festive flair with holiday-themed facepainting. Whether you want to transform into a reindeer, a sparkling snowflake, or a twinkling Christmas tree, our talented face painters will bring your holiday spirit to life.
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We look forward to welcoming you to Cookies, Carols and More! on December 7. Should you wish, donations of non-perishable items will be accepted for the Salvation Army foodbank. Everyone is welcome at this free holiday event. | |
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2025 Special Events Applications
Applications are now being accepted from organizations and individuals wishing to hold special events at City-owned venues or on City streets; review process starts November 30. Annual events will be given priority provided the request is received by November 30, after which time applications will be addressed as first-time events on a first-come, first-served basis, based on availability. After November 30, applications must be received at least thirty days prior to the event. Policy and forms on the website. Questions to events@parksville.ca.
Transportation Master Plan
The third and final round of community engagement for our transportation master plan project is now complete. Results from the October 1 community engagement session and the results from the phase 3 survey which closed on November 3 are now with the project team for review and will be reported to the public as soon as possible. Information from previous phases may be viewed on Let’s Talk Parksville.
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Parksville’s 2025-2029 Financial Plan
The City’s five-year financial plan, a complex process which includes input from City departments, Council briefings and public consultation, has begun. Guided by Council priorities, the annual budget is part of the five-year financial plan which sets the priority services, programs and initiatives for the next five years and how the City will pay for them. Public participation ensures the plan reflects the community’s priorities and assists Council to balance individual needs and the needs of a growing community.
Financial plan meetings open to the public were held in October and November with the next public meeting on November 18. Refer to the City’s website calendar for future dates and Let’s Talk Parksville for details about how you can participate in the process.
2025 Licence Renewals
Business licence and dog licence renewals will be mailed in early December and are due January 31, 2025. Details will be included next issue and posted to our website.
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REMINDERS AND THINGS TO KNOW | |
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RDN curbside organics program
Residents can now choose a larger 240-litre organics cart. To order a larger organics cart visit getinvolved.rdn.ca/expanded-organics before November 30. Those who don’t have online access can call 250 390-5680 between 8.30 am to 4 pm on weekdays from November 18 to 29. To order, you will need to provide your utility account number and serial numbers for all carts (recycle, garbage and food waste, which are found on your cart).
This larger cart is available at any time to residents; however, incentives are available to those who order their new carts now. For orders received by November 30, the fee to exchange or add a larger organics cart will be discounted to $50, a savings of $25. Delivery of the larger organics carts is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2025. For more information and to sign up to receive curbside expanded organics program updates, visit getinvolved.rdn.ca/expanded-organics.
F3 Networks Canada
F3 continues to go door to door in Parksville requesting permission from homeowners to install a fibre optic line to homes. F3 Networks has a commercial agreement with TELUS to bring the Purefibre services to homes. The representative will explain the steps to have this work completed including an approximate timeline and no work will be done on private property without permission. More info at this link.
Homeowner information
December 31 is the deadline to claim a retroactive home owner grant for 2023 (subject to qualifications) as well as the deadline to defer 2024 property taxes. For more info or to apply, contact Province of BC at 1 888 355-2700 or online.
Water conservation
There are no watering restrictions through March 31, unless otherwise advised. We appreciate the efforts of our residents to conserve water during stages 3 and 4 water conservation. Info about water conservation levels and Arrowsmith Water Service and Englishman River Water Service links for information about the City’s water sources, supply, management, and usage, as well as frequently asked questions.
Winter conditions
Info about monitoring of road and weather conditions by the City is on our website with tips on how residents can prepare and how to help.
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Reminder about leaves on streets
Leaf control is the responsibility of property owners. Leaves must not be raked or blown from lawns onto the street in anticipation of the sweeper truck intended to remove leaves which fall onto the streets resulting in blocked catch basins and safety hazards for cyclists and pedestrians. Blowing or raking leaves into the gutter is illegal and subject to a fine of $75 (Traffic Bylaw 1436).
Pop-up Recycle BC Depot
The depot in Parksville is accepting free of charge, flexible plastic packaging, white and coloured foam packaging, glass packaging and paper packaging and cardboard. For dates and more info, visit Recycle BC website.
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