Parksville, the Early Years

Liz first arrived in Parksville as a toddler in 1948, just two years old and already soaking up small-town life.

She remembers the old family home: electricity, but no television (imagine that!). School days started at Macmillan Schoolhouse and later at high school in the building that’s now the community centre.

By 1952, Macmillan held its final class. There was no electronic bell, so grade five students got the honor of ringing it, a big deal back then. For fun, grades 3 and 4 would dance around the maple trees at the community park. That tradition eventually grew into what we now know as Beachfest.

Festivals, movies, and community life

In those days, Parksville’s beach festivals were humble one-day events. The tide rolled in each night and washed everything away, but not before the excitement of a Miss Parksville pageant and crowning!

Parksville even boasted its own movie theatre. A ticket meant a news reel, a feature film, and of course, a bag of popcorn. It was the social outing of the week.

Giving back

After retirement, Liz gave her time to the Parksville Museum, often helping out on weekends. She admires how the museum has carefully gathered and preserved historic buildings from across the region. For her, museums are more than collections, they’re a window into the past and a reminder of where we’ve come from.

A royal visit

One of Liz’s most vivid memories: the 1952 visit of a Princess and Prince. The streets overflowed with crowds eager to catch even a quick glimpse of royalty. It was a day that left its mark on the whole town.

Sports and style

Community sports were also a big part of life. Liz remembers crowds gathering behind the community hall at the beach to watch ballgames. She herself played basketball through the 1950s and early ’60s.

Back then, girls weren’t allowed to wear pants to school, dresses only! But basketball gave Liz a clever loophole: game days meant she could swap the dress for pants. Small victories, big memories.