Project History

In 2020, the City of Parksville received confirmation of the successful funding award of $1,263,521 through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream, for improvements to public spaces in the Parksville Community Park. The project is supported with grants from the federal ($689,225) and provincial ($574,296) governments, a grant from the Island Coastal Economic Trust ($204,000), the Parksville Beach Festival Society and the City of Parksville.

The project includes construction of a new outdoor stage and a multi-use gathering space in the Parksville Community Park. These new spaces complement each other; the gathering plaza will be more contemplative, a space for people to meet for conversation and the outdoor performance stage will provide a focus for community and cultural events creating an exciting hub for entertainment and activity in the park.

In 2018, the Parksville Beach Festival Society approached Council with the concept to build an outdoor stage in the Parksville Community Park. The outdoor theatre will provide a formal entertainment space and support the festival’s five-week international sand sculpting exhibition, concerts in the park and other family activities. Completion of the stage is expected to be May 2022.

Gathering plaza construction will begin fall 2022 with completion near yearend 2022. The plaza will be located near the waterfront gazebo and will feature benches, picnic tables, relocation of outdoor shower, shade canopy, plaza and path paving and landscaping. The gathering plaza will be a multi-use, multi-function area which can offer performance space, shaded seating area and public space for interaction, inclusion and engagement.

The new outdoor theatre and gathering space project will create community oriented, publicly accessible, multi-purpose space which will be the heart of our community.