Qualicum Magical History Tours

  • Home
  • Qualicum Magical History Tours

Qualicum Magical History Tours Learn all about the fascinating history of Qualicum Beach through guided walking tours of the Town a
(8)

75 years ago today, July 23, 1949, Qualicum’s Village Theatre was declared officially open by local MLA Herb Welch. A pa...
23/07/2024

75 years ago today, July 23, 1949, Qualicum’s Village Theatre was declared officially open by local MLA Herb Welch. A parade, complete with pipe band, heralded the occasion. The theatre was one of many belonging to Harold Warren of Port Alberni, and he spared no expense here: ‘streamline moderne’ architecture, walls one foot thick lined with acoustical plaster, top-of-the-line projectors, automatic drapes and a pretty rose and turquoise colour scheme. Shows varied during the week. A typical lineup in 1952: Mon/Tues night – The Halls of Montezuma starring Richard Widmark; Wed /Thurs - Katie Did It, a comedy starring Ann Blyth, and a Saturday matinee, Disney’s Alice in Wonderland in Technicolour. Each movie was preceded by a newsreel, updated weekly, and a cartoon. For $5, local businesses could advertise with a ‘slide’ message which was flashed on screen before the show. The children’s ticket for ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ was 50¢, and it included a chocolate bar. By 1974, the theatre, unused and neglected for several years, was purchased by the ECHO Players, who put in seats, stage and dressing rooms and turned it into the popular community theatre we enjoy today. Photo courtesy the Qualicum Beach Museum.

The building that houses today’s QB Oceanside Suites has a long history. The big white building, designed by local archi...
03/07/2024

The building that houses today’s QB Oceanside Suites has a long history. The big white building, designed by local architect Simon Little in 1935, was originally the workplace and store of Mr. JJ Elliott who arrived in Qualicum from the Yukon. Elliott created ivory jewellery from mastodon tusks he sourced in the Yukon River basin. My uncle used to watch him at work in his shop; my mother had one of his ivory dogwood brooches. Then in 1958, Mr. Little redesigned the building for owners Mr. and Mrs. Harold Badger and it became the Mayfair Motel. In more recent years, it was the Captain’s Inn. Photo of the Mayfair courtesy the Qualicum Beach Museum archives. Historical walking tours are on! For info and booking contact Qualicummagicalhistorytours.com

The HMS Qualicum, a minesweeper commissioned by the British Admiralty during WWII, played an important role in clearing ...
06/06/2024

The HMS Qualicum, a minesweeper commissioned by the British Admiralty during WWII, played an important role in clearing the way for the landing forces at Normandy on June 6, 1944. Twelve ‘Bangor’ class minesweepers had been ordered, and the Admiralty requested that the ships be given Canadian names. The Canadian government decided to hold a country-wide contest: the first twelve small communities who went over the top in their sales of Victory Bonds would have the honour of having a ship named for their town. Qualicum was one of winners, and the H.M.S. Qualicum was put into service. After the war, the Qualicum was briefly loaned to the Norwegian Navy, then by 1949, returned to Britain and, services no longer required, dismantled for parts.

Simon Little and his son Robert built St. Andrews Lodge in 1938 and it went on to draw vacationers from far and wide for...
22/04/2024

Simon Little and his son Robert built St. Andrews Lodge in 1938 and it went on to draw vacationers from far and wide for generations. St. Andrews Lodge Historical and Cultural Society (SALHACS) was formed in 2020 to preserve this beloved part of Qualicum's history. SALHACS is one of twelve heritage projects across Canada eligible to win a $50,000 grant. Your vote will help! You can vote every day until May 6. Visit nextgreatsave.ca or click on the following link and cast your vote today! https://nextgreatsave.nationaltrustcanada.ca/2024/entry/60

Qualicum’s old Village Office in the 1960s (top) with town administrator Leo Klees on the steps and in the 1970s (bottom...
21/04/2024

Qualicum’s old Village Office in the 1960s (top) with town administrator Leo Klees on the steps and in the 1970s (bottom). Located on the corner of 2nd Avenue and Primrose, it was designed by local architect Simon (Sam) Little and built by Don Beaton’s Qualicum Construction. In the early days, the building also contained a nursing center, and that door opened onto Primrose. The center was staffed with a half dozen Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) who did maternity and new baby care, vaccines and made house calls. Photos courtesy the Qualicum Beach Museum. Historical walking tours start in May. Tours leave the QB Museum every Tuesday morning, weather permitting. Bookings/inquiries contact qualicummagicalhistorytours.com

In mid-August, 1978, on behalf of the H.R. MacMillan family, Mrs. Jean Southam cut the ribbon on the Town’s new pride an...
05/02/2024

In mid-August, 1978, on behalf of the H.R. MacMillan family, Mrs. Jean Southam cut the ribbon on the Town’s new pride and joy, a 1700-sq.ft. library (photo 1). Located across the street from TOSH, the H.R. MacMillan Library was Y-shaped, with 2 wings that had tall, narrow windows at the ends to let in lots of light. The surrounding gardens sent the scent of roses wafting into the building during the summer months. In photo 2, a young Michael Recalma conducts a children’s story hour in the drop-in center, a lounge with sofa and fireplace, the first in the VIRL system. There was a circulating library in Qualicum as early as 1918, sent from Victoria through the Women’s Auxiliary every 3 months. In 1938, Mrs. Hughs, who did tailoring and dressmaking, carried on a bit of a library in a building next to the general store on Main Street (Memorial). In the 1940s, the small collection was moved to several locations on 2nd Avenue, one of which was known to locals as the ‘deep freeze’, as it consisted of a few shelves in Craig Reid’s ice locker facility. Photos courtesy of the Qualicum Beach Museum.

The Ward Block on Second Avenue, in the late 40’s and today. Mrs. Ward had been a nursing sister, a ‘Bluebird,’ on the f...
10/12/2022

The Ward Block on Second Avenue, in the late 40’s and today. Mrs. Ward had been a nursing sister, a ‘Bluebird,’ on the front lines of France in the 1st World War. She settled in Qualicum in the early 1940s and in 1948, she hired Harry Clark to build this commercial block which then housed her own shop, Ward’s Apparel, a dentist’s office and Julie’s Gift Shop. Ward’s carried fine quality British ladies’ wear – mostly wool coats and dresses – all ‘one-off’ items so that her clients would not be seen wearing the same outfits. A bell above the shop door would beckon Lucy from her apartment located behind the shop, or customers - many from Victoria - would make an appointment. Lucy worked in her store for three decades, right up until her death in 1978 at the age of 94. The legacy of fine quality ladies’ wear carries on today in the Little Black Dress, which occupies Ward’s old shop. Photo courtesy the Qualicum Beach Museum, which has a display of Lucy Ward’s days as a nursing sister.

East side Memorial Avenue, 1949, showing (left to right) a shoe store, hardware store, grocery store and in the foregrou...
23/10/2022

East side Memorial Avenue, 1949, showing (left to right) a shoe store, hardware store, grocery store and in the foreground, a café (now occupied by Oceanside Pizza). Hear the stories behind our many heritage buildings in a guided historical walking tour of the town. The tour starts at the Qualicum Beach Museum on Tuesday, Oct 25 at 10:30 (weather permitting). $15 per person, with half the proceeds going to the Museum. PM me through this site to book, or contact me through my website at qualicummagicalhistorytours.com

The movie Ants! has plenty of interior and exterior shots of the hotel. In photo 1, the Inn’s occupants rally in the lob...
13/07/2022

The movie Ants! has plenty of interior and exterior shots of the hotel. In photo 1, the Inn’s occupants rally in the lobby as the mutant ants close in; in the foreground are stars Linda Day George and Robert Foxworth; in the background, supporting actors Karen Lamm, Barry VanDyke and Myrna Loy. In photo 2, Gerald Gordon and Suzanne Somers stroll poolside.

45 years ago this month, in July 1977, the Qualicum College Inn became the setting for an ABC TV Movie of the Week calle...
13/07/2022

45 years ago this month, in July 1977, the Qualicum College Inn became the setting for an ABC TV Movie of the Week called “Ants!” (aka “It Happened at Lakewood Manor.”) The filmmakers scouted the Pacific coast as far south as Mexico for the ideal spot. They wanted a beautiful location that would serve as a contrast to the creepy ‘marauding ants’ themed story. Qualicum Beach, scenic and secluded with a stately old Inn, fit the bill. The site was also chosen because there was room enough in the rear of the property to dig a large pit to serve as the construction site where the ants would begin to wreak havoc. 100,000 ants were brought in from the Mohave Desert for the production, and small pieces of black rock were scattered everywhere in ant-line columns. College Inn manager Kerry Keilty kept the hotel open for regular business during the filming.

Walking tours are on! The Town Tour tells the story of Qualicum’s beginnings, our pioneers and first merchants and takes...
15/06/2022

Walking tours are on! The Town Tour tells the story of Qualicum’s beginnings, our pioneers and first merchants and takes a up-close look at our many lovely heritage buildings. The Crown Tour describes Qualicum’s glamourous heyday as an internationally renowned resort, featuring the old QB Inn, golf course and Crown Mansion. Tours run Thursday, Friday and Saturday - PM me through this site to book. For Tuesday Tours book through the Qualicum Beach Museum and partial proceeds go to the Museum.

My mom, Evelyn (Miller) Brendon and her siblings at the Qualicum Bakery in c. 1936. Mom is standing on the left in both ...
08/05/2022

My mom, Evelyn (Miller) Brendon and her siblings at the Qualicum Bakery in c. 1936. Mom is standing on the left in both pics. She often spoke fondly of the bakery days, despite the hard work. My grandfather’s day started at 5, loading the wood-fired, brick-lined oven with 100 loaves at a time. Once cooled, the bread was wrapped in waxed paper by my mom and her brother. The store was open from 8 till 6 but earlier or later customers were never turned away. Payment was sometimes on a barter system, with people bringing in farm produce in exchange for a bakery treat. One of mom’s jobs was helping my grandmother with her renowned lemon pies, made with real lemons and three eggs for extra richness. Every summer was the regatta with swimming, diving and boat race competitions, and in the fall, the Coombs Fair was a big event. At home entertainment was the Stromberg Carlson radio, listening to The Happy Gang with Bert Pearl, Major Bowes Amateur Hour, and Hit Parade. The Millers sold the bakery after the war, and it eventually became the Sand Pebbles Restaurant; a small corner stand at the restaurant sold bread as a nod to the old bakery days. The restaurant burned to the ground in 2002 and the lot is now the location of the Knockananna Grill.

On May 1, 1930, Francis Lindsay moved into the house provided for his use (photo 1), once located right behind the power...
01/05/2022

On May 1, 1930, Francis Lindsay moved into the house provided for his use (photo 1), once located right behind the power station he was hired to maintain (photo 2). The brick and steel building housed a main generator, a 165-horsepower Merilees, Bickerston and Day from Birmingham, England and a smaller 55-horsepower one for backup. A large diesel engine sat in a well in the concrete floor, giving the 2-meter flywheel room to turn. Though the majority of the hotels and public buildings had their own small electrical plants, the central service was a real boon for area residents; in 1930, there were over 150 subscribers. The station served an area from Dashwood to Craig’s Crossing until the village was linked to the main network in 1935, after which the generators were only used as backup. The old power house became the first premises for the Museum in 1984. When it came time to expand, the Museum Society wanted a larger building on the site, so Lindsay’s old house was moved down the hill to where it is located today, just north of the Museum on Beach Road.

The Qualicum Beach station circa 1925 (photo 1). The passenger train always stopped twice a day at Qualicum, going up Is...
10/04/2022

The Qualicum Beach station circa 1925 (photo 1). The passenger train always stopped twice a day at Qualicum, going up Island and returning to unload passengers, baggage, mail and express. The “Victoria and Courtenay Railway Post Office” operated in one of the train cars (photo 2). Two specially trained mail clerks worked against the clock sorting letters and packages in the lurching train for delivery to all the points along the line. The station provided many services. The clatter of the telegraph key could be heard all day long. People would set their clocks by the station clock because it was always accurate—CPR headquarters telegraphed a precise time signal daily to ensure safe operation of the railway. One unofficial service was to allow villagers to come in ‘during station hours only please’ to be weighed on the scales in the freight shed. Hunters, fishermen and picnickers could make arrangements to be picked up and dropped off almost anywhere along the line.

Qualicum Beach station, 1914. Pioneer Dick Dougan, who was interviewed in 1977, recalled meeting the very first passenge...
04/04/2022

Qualicum Beach station, 1914. Pioneer Dick Dougan, who was interviewed in 1977, recalled meeting the very first passenger train: “The full-sized train filled the whole platform. There was the steam locomotive, one baggage car, one express car, two passenger cars and grandest of all, the parlour car, ‘The Nanoose’, with swivel easy chairs costing 25¢ extra.” At this time, the station stood between two sets of tracks – the main through line track beside the south station platform, and a ‘siding’ alongside a platform on the north side. The building had a Ladies Waiting Room separate from the main waiting area to distance the women from to***co smoke and strong language. Station Agent Charlie White and family lived in the small upstairs quarters. In 1924, White built an ice plant nearby the station and arriving passengers could enjoy a vanilla ice cream: 5¢ a cone, 25¢ a pint.

Moila Jenkins sent along this ‘Christmas Greeting’ that her father, Don Beaton, had published in the Parksville-Qualicum...
23/12/2021

Moila Jenkins sent along this ‘Christmas Greeting’ that her father, Don Beaton, had published in the Parksville-Qualicum Progress in 1963, on behalf of his Qualicum Construction and Builders’ Supply Companies. Click on the image to enlarge and maybe find your friends and family represented amongst the staff members.

Long before Don Beaton (pictured here) became known as a builder, he was valued for his athleticism – old timers say tha...
18/12/2021

Long before Don Beaton (pictured here) became known as a builder, he was valued for his athleticism – old timers say that Alex Fraser (Construction) brought him to Qualicum to bolster the town’s soccer and softball teams. Beaton arrived in Qualicum from the mainland in 1933 at age 20. He was first employed at the J.C. Wilson sawmill, then went on to work for Fraser, eventually taking over from him and forming the Qualicum Construction Company. The Village Theatre and the Island Hall in Parksville are two well-known Beaton projects; he gained national recognition for building the Filberg home in Courtenay, which was designed by Arthur Erickson. He served as mayor of Qualicum from 1959 to 1966 and became the first chairman of the newly-created Nanaimo Regional District in 1966. The rancher close to the golf course on Memorial Avenue (shown here) was the home Beaton built for his family in 1959. Designed by Simon Little, it was cutting edge architecturally with a long, close to the ground profile and elaborately landscaped grounds. Photo of Don Beaton courtesy Moila (Beaton) Jenkins.

Here, the Meat Market on 2nd Avenue where Craig Reid started out with his uncle, W.C. Hackworth. The shop, which stood w...
14/12/2021

Here, the Meat Market on 2nd Avenue where Craig Reid started out with his uncle, W.C. Hackworth. The shop, which stood where the Credit Union is today, was established by Valentine MacKinder in 1914 and purchased by Hackworth in 1918. Reid was a familiar sight back in the 30s and 40s driving his 2-ton truck, delivering meat to people in Little Qualicum, Qualicum Bay, Bowser and Deep Bay. In 1940, he bought out his uncle, and in 1946, he added groceries and provisions. To the west of his shop, he built a cold storage plant where local fishers and hunters could rent their own wood-slat locker for $12 a year to store their catches. In 1955, Reid’s Market was relocated to Memorial Ave where he worked until he retired in 1968. Photo courtesy Roger Whitmee Jr.

Address

BC

Opening Hours

Wednesday 13:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+16047544465

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Qualicum Magical History Tours posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Qualicum Magical History Tours:

Videos

Shortcuts

  • Address
  • Telephone
  • Opening Hours
  • Alerts
  • Contact The Business
  • Videos
  • Claim ownership or report listing

  • Want your business to be the top-listed Travel Agency?

Share

How the tours evolved

My grandfather, Jack Miller, first came to Qualicum in 1927 to operate the bakery at 2nd and Memorial in Qualicum. In 1933, he opened a bakery down on the waterfront (pictured above) that once stood next to where the Sandpebbles is today. My mother, aunts and uncle all grew up at the Bakery. Over the years, they told me stories of their lives growing up here, and I went on to research the town’s history in-depth. The result is a unique historical perspective that I now share through walking tours that tell the story of Qualicum’s fascinating beginnings.