Qualicum Beach
| Qualicum Beach | ||
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| Town | ||
| Town of Qualicum Beach | ||
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 Qualicum Beach
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| Coordinates: 49°21′N 124°26′W / 49.350°N 124.433°WCoordinates: 49°21′N 124°26′W / 49.350°N 124.433°W | ||
| Country |
Canada 
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| Province |
British Columbia 
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| Regional District | Regional District of Nanaimo | |
| Established | As a village: 1943 | |
| As a town: 1983 | ||
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Teunis Westbroek | |
| • Governing Body | Qualicum Beach Town Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 17.98 km2 (6.94 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 8 m (26 ft) | |
| Population (2011) | ||
| • Total | 8,687 | |
| • Density | 480/km2 (1,300/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | Pacific Standard (PST) (UTC-8) | |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) | |
| Postal code | V9K 1S7 | |
| Area code(s) | 250 | |
| Website | Town of Qualicum Beach Website | |
Qualicum Beach is a town located on Vancouver Island British Columbia, Canada. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 8,687. It is situated at the foot of Mount Arrowsmith, along the Strait of Georgia on Vancouver Island's northeastern coast.
Qualicum's natural beauty, small-town charm, and proximity to Victoria and Vancouver have made it a popular tourist destination, with many rental cottages dotting its coast. It is also a popular retirement community, and has the oldest average population in Canada with a median age of 60.9 in 2006.
Qualicum Beach is served by the coast-spanning Island Highway, an airport, and a nearby ferry to Lasqueti Island. It is informally considered a twin city with neighbouring Parksville.
The name "Qualicum" comes from a Pentlatch language term that means "Where the dog salmon (chum salmon) run."
In May 1856, Hudson's Bay Company explorer Adam Grant Horne, with a group of aboriginal guides, found a land route across Vancouver Island from the Qualicum River to the Alberni Inlet. He also discovered the Haida massacre of local Salish natives. Horne Lake is named after him.
In 1864, the botanist and explorer Robert Brown led the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition through the area. He found the area deserted as a result of the small pox epidemic of 1862. The first settlers arrived in the 1880s. A road was built from Nanaimo to Parksville in 1886 and extended to Qualicum in 1894. The E and N Railway reached Parksville in 1910 and Qualicum in 1914. H.E. Beasley, a railway official, sponsored the creation of The Merchants Trust and Trading Company which organized the original layout of the town and built the golf links and a hotel in 1913.
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