he Town of Qualicum Beach can be found on the eastern coastline of Vancouver Island just north of Parksville. The focal point of the community is the village centre which is linked by urban paths towards the beach area.

The following information has been extracted from the Town of Qualicum Beach community revitalization documents.

Three action plans were developed between 1992 and 1994.

• The Qualicum Beach Revitalization Strategy
• Civic Design for Qualicum Beach: Downtown Revitalization Concept Plan
• Sub-Committee Reports of the Downtown Revitalization Committee

Town of Qualicum Beach

Qualicum Beach Chamber of Commerce

The Qualicum Beach Revitalization Strategy
produced by John Ronald and Associates (September 1992)

This comprehensive plan outlines the status of the commercial core of Qualicum Beach and proposes a strategy and action plan for its revitalization.

The overall objective:
To create a more successful, more physically attractive, better utilized commercial and public use core area, building on the strengths which chartered its current appeal.

Through this report five specific strategies are proposed:

1. To continue to develop a distinctive Qualicum Beach character in building styles, street beautification and facade treatments.
2. To protect and enhance the existing strengths and assets of the core, specifically its compactness, friendliness to pedestrians, its natural greenery and satisfactory parking.
3. To expand the amount and type of street activity and interest and, thereby, to encourage greater use of the core and increase the sense of pride felt by the community.
4. To increase the variety of goods, services and choices available to consumers.
5. To ensure that the core achieves an appropriate balance of folksy/friendly and knowledgeable/professional service and merchandising.

This report proposes a recommended Action Plan detailing 18 implementation projects, and also includes a proposed timetable.

The implementation projects will direct resources to development of Downtown Design Guidelines, sidewalk completion, programs to enhance the beauty and animation of the core, efforts to improve the effectiveness of the product and service offering and merchandising, and addressing the longer term issues of parking and the creation of a "gathering spot" or Town Square.

The above listed strategies are the result of several avenues of investigation into the community. As part of the Qualicum Beach Revitalization Strategy several studies were executed. These included an analysis into:

1. Community Goals
2. A Situational Analysis
   1. Existing Conditions
   2. Current Changes in Qualicum Beach
   3. Significant Changes Outside of Qualicum Beach
   4. The Impact of the Inland Highway
3. Strengths and Weaknesses
4. Threats and Opportunities
5. Overall Assessment and Conclusions

Civic Design for Qualicum Beach
Downtown Revitalization Concept Plan prepared for the Qualicum Beach Downtown Revitalization Committee by
Cultural Management Consultants (Victoria). A Project funded jointly by the Town of Qualicum Beach and the Downtown Revitalization Program of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs (December, 1993)

This concept plan is centered on the Village Square and includes the following components:

• The Character of the Village
  Village Square Planning and Site Analysis
• Ideas For Action
  1. Strengthen Civic Identity
  2. Promote Recycling and Sustainable Practice
  3. Enhance the Natural Landscape
  4. Be "Pedestrian Friendly"
  5. Plan for New Developments
  6. Preserve Cultural Assets
     

Following the Strategy Plan prepared for the Town in 1992, the initiative was taken to proceed with the next stage of Downtown Revitalization Qualicum Beach. The Concept Plan is the third stage in a four part process of Downtown Revitalization in British Columbia.

Matching funding was secured from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs Downtown Revitalization Program and the Town of Qualicum Beach for the preparation of the Concept Plan.

Koers & Associates from Parksville were approached to put together a team of consultants to undertake the task. Koers & Associates and Cultural Management Consultants (CMC) of Victoria prepared the initial proposal in May 1993.

Preliminary meetings were established to ascertain the priorities of the Qualicum Beach Downtown Revitalization Committee. The initial proposal was revised to reflect these priorities. Council considered the proposal and two revisions were made to finalize the terms of the contact with CMC.

Sub-Committee Reports of the Downtown Revitalization Committee

The following committees issued reports in 1994:

• The Sign Committee
• Trees and Landscaping Task Force
• Utilities Committee
• Village Square Committee
• Urban Design Working Committee

Contact the Community: