Parksville & District Historical Society

The Society was officially named and registered under the Societies Act in 1976 and is a member of the B.C. Historical Federation, B.C. Museums Association and Archives Association of B.C.

In 1975, through the concern of a few local families the Knox Heritage Church was saved from demolition. The city of Parksville provided land to the Society and the Church was moved to the newly name Craig Heritage Park in 1983. The arrival of the church heralded the beginning of the museum.

Dedicated members of the Society organize tours, set up displays and provide demonstrations in collaboration with community events. The archives provide a wealth of data about the area and its families.

The Society has provided a list of pioneer names to the local government to be used for street naming, and the Society acts as a watch dog to ensure heritage issues are not overlooked.

Multiple historical books have been compiled by the Society, most recently Parksville and Then Some by Marge Leffler, originally published in 1999, a collection of histories of local places, families and events in the Parksville area. Articles are written on an ongoing basis by members of the Society and further publications are in the works. The latest edition of Parksville and Then Some has just been published and is available for sale in the gift shop.

Volunteers are always needed to help out with archives, fund raising, hospitality, maintenance, museum duty, office assistance, publicity, special events, telephoning and textiles. A few donated hours can make a big difference for the Society.

Come and be involved in our history, come to a meeting or join the Society and contribute. Just like a quilt, the more hands involved the more varied and interesting the quilt becomes.

Constitution

The name of the Society is Parksville & District Historical Society.
The objects of the Society are:
- To gather and preserve information, records and objects of educational, historical and cultural value associated with the area, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing.
- To establish and maintain a museum and archives for the purpose of preserving, recording and exhibiting such material for public education and enjoyment.
- To undertake other activities, which from time to time, may be deemed appropriate.

Bylaws

Bylaws of the Parksville & District Historical Society are available below.

Bylaws of the Parksville & District Historical Society 2018
OPEN (PDF 213 KB)

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Bylaws of the Parksville & District Historical Society 2018
DOWNLOAD (PDF 205 KB zip)

Board of Directors

President	Mary Ellen Campbell	contact the president
Vice President	Susan Wismer	contact the vice president
Treasurer	John Wearing	contact the treasurer
Secretary	Buzzy Mitchell	contact the secretary
Directors:	Tom Bob
	David Douglas Sylvia Martin Ron Woodward

President
Mary Ellen Campbell
contact the president

Vice President
Susan Wismer
contact the vice president

Treasurer
John Wearing
contact the treasurer

Secretary

Buzzy Mitchell

contact the secretary

Directors:
Tom Bob
David Douglas
Sylvia Martin
Ron Woodward

Membership

Support the preservation and promotion of local history with a membership to the Parksville & District Historical Society.

Annual Membership fees: $20
Download and fill out the Membership form
Please drop by the Museum to submit the form and pay or mail it with a cheque to:

1245 East Island Highway, Parksville, BC. V9P 2E5

Membership form
OPEN (PDF 91 KB)

Donations

are greatly appreciated by the
Parksville Historical Society.

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Donate Now

Significant Gifts

If you would like to consider making a significant donation, please get in touch to discuss your preferences so that we may consider appropriate forms of acknowledging your support.

History of the Parksville Museum

The Parksville Museum is owned and operated by the Parksville & District Historical Society.

The museum was opened in 1983 when the first building arrived on site; the Knox Heritage Church. Since then the museum has grown and now boasts 8 heritage buildings as well the main museum, admin offices and exhibit hall.

Mandate

The museum’s primary mandate is to collect, preserve, and display artifacts and archival materials that pertain to the varied aspects of this area. The geographic focus of our collection is that of School District 69 which includes Parksville, Errington, Coombs, Hilliers, French Creek and Nanoose Bay. The museum has an expansive collection of objects that help us illustrate the lives and activities of early settlers, organizations and businesses of the local communities.