While the region has a significant senior population, residents of all ages seek opportunities for meaningful intellectual engagement without needing to travel to larger urban centres.

Here is a small barrier with big consequences. If you cannot read the slides, you cannot follow the talk.
TOSH Talks brings artists, curators and historians into conversation with the public 8 to 12 times a year. Attendance keeps growing. But audience members, especially seniors and people with low vision, kept saying the same thing. They could not see it.

 

Trillium Lodge long-term care residents are the pioneers of the Oceanside community and were once a vibrant part of what makes the Oceanside area so special.

The residents of Trillium Lodge built this community. Then their health changed, they moved into care, and the community slowly stopped seeing them.

Trillium Community Garden Day is a fix for exactly that. One day. Bring a donated plant. Plant it in a raised bed alongside a resident. Paint a fairy door. Stay for the barbecue.

The grant supported a public program entitled "A Celebration of the Trees of Qualicum Beach," a collaborative effort between the Qualicum Beach Museum and the Friends of the Qualicum Beach Forest. The total project budget was $4,250, comprising the $3,500 PQCF grant and a $750 contribution from the Qualicum Beach Museum, with final expenditures coming in $15.67 under budget.

Funds were used to develop and mount a museum exhibition about trees, their importance in daily life and their significance to First Nations. Featuring artefacts, historical photographs, and explanatory text. The program launched during B.C. National Forest Week (September 21–27, 2025) and ran September 19 through November 22, 2025. It included a youth and adult photography competition, with winning photographs professionally framed and displayed throughout the exhibit before being awarded to the photographers. All submissions were compiled into a commemorative book shared with local educators and libraries.

The grant funding supported our Oceanside Cooking Club class held on March 2, 2026, at the Dashwood Community Hall. The funds were used to cover the costs of ingredients and supplies needed to prepare the evening's menu: Fresh Salad Rolls with Peanut Sauce, Udon Noodle Soup, Coconut Rice Pudding, and Chocolate Tofu Peanut Butter Pudding with Raspberries. We had 35 community members in attendance.

The Small Neighbourhood Grants funding was used to purchase quilting supplies, specifically batting and flannel fabric for the backing of our quilts. These materials are our primary ongoing expense, as we are fortunate to receive fabric donations from the community but mainly rely on grant funding to cover these essentials.

With these supplies, our group of seven volunteers created handmade quilts that were donated to children in need.

Thanks to a Neighbourhood Small Grant from the Parksville-Qualicum Community Foundation, we were able to start what we hope becomes a new neighbourhood tradition—a Luminary Walk on Christmas Eve! It was an amazing opportunity to immerse ourselves in the community of Hermitage Park and share holiday spirit and a magical evening with our neighbours.

My family assembled 120 luminary kits, each including supplies for residents to put out luminaries. After neighbours received their kits, our newly created Facebook group lit up with even more enthusiasm!

 

Thank you so much for the grant for our sign at Nanoose Place Community Centre.

This project prompted us to go through a branding process, and was a major step forward for us as an organization.

We feel much more confident and focused on our brand and identity in the community because of this new signage—and we are extremely proud of it!

Without your generosity we would not be where we are today. Thank you!

I wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for the NSG grant, which will play a crucial role in making our joint vision of community inclusion and connection a reality. Thanks to your generous support, we secured kitchen space at The Bradley Centre, at no cost, for our first official Oceanside Cooking Club class on January 18th. This was also made possible by a generous donation from the PQ Community Foundation! Thank you for making this possible!

The response to our free Cooking Club class has been overwhelming!

I am writing to express our heartfelt thanks for supporting the Repair Café Oceanside held on April 20, 2024. Our Repair Café was a tremendous success! Organizing the first event of its kind in Parksville-Qualicum Beach, we expected perhaps fifty people to attend. To our surprise and great joy, 126 people showed up with their treasured items for repair. We had to print extra registration forms in the middle of the event.

Thank you so much for the $500 Neighbourhood Small Grant for the Madrona West Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program received in October (Nanoose Bay). With the funds received we were able to purchase some necessary supplies to get a start on our 'Neighbourhood Command Kit' which is necessary to be properly prepared in case of a local disaster.

 

I would like to draw your attention to the following update on how Sandpiper Song Circle is using the funds generously provided by the foundation for the Parksville/Qualicum area. I am pleased to report that our group of women continues to meet monthly to sing together and share music. We have used some of the grant money to photocopy song sheets and create binders so that we can all sing from the same set of words. I'm attaching a short audio recording of us singing a round together.

Thank you for your support of our Instrument Lending Program. It is making a difference in the lives of young people who want to participate in school music programs. Your grant is bringing sustainability to this program and inspiring the next generation of musicians. With kind regards and gratitude!

On behalf of Balfour’s Friends Foundation, I would like to thank the Parksville-Qualicum Community Foundation for the very generous funding you have provided for our Compassion for Companions program. For a small charity like ours that is run entirely by volunteers, your funding has an enormous impact.

Your contribution will make a significant impact on our organization's mission and the lives of those we serve. Your grant will enable us to provide ongoing training for our dedicated mentors who play a crucial role in transforming the lives of our clients. With their guidance and expertise, our clients receive the highest quality of support throughout their journey to wellness.

 

We at the Arrowsmith Health Care Society are thrilled to share the transformative effects of your generous funding on the lives of our residents at Arrowsmith Lodge and Cokley Manor. Your contribution has not only reinvigorated our music program but has also brought immense joy and connection to our community, especially during these challenging times.

So many positive comments! The 25 minute film ran on a loop 6-7 times with full seats most of the night and viewers standing. Hot apple cider and popcorn much appreciated. Great atmosphere! Thanks again so much for your support.

On behalf of the Save Estuary Land Society, I would like to express our gratitude to the Parksville Qualicum Community Foundation for awarding our society a $4,000.00 Annual Grant to help fund habitat restoration at the French Creek Estuary Nature Preserve. The 23 acre Nature Preserve was created thanks to a remarkable community collaboration which raised over $5,180,000 in funds and in kind and the land is now jointly owned by the BC Parks Foundation and the Regional District of Nanaimo. Though we received your grant in 2022, restoration was delayed until 2023 due to necessary management steps and sensitive wildlife considerations.

On behalf of the Into the Woods Early Learning Child Care Society, thank you for your generous donation of $250 for our Grand Opening. The event was held on July 15, 2023 and the funds you provided were used to purchase refreshments and supplies, including a coffee urn rental and baking from local provider French Press Coffee Roasters. Your support was greatly appreciated by both our Board and the attendees of the event.

Thank you to the Parksville Qualicum Foundation for granting $500 which we used to further our goal of making better use of Maple Lane Park in the San Pareil Community. The funds were used to buy a public address (PA) system, and first aid kits to have on site for each event in the park.

Thank you for providing our group the NSG grant last fall. It provided us funds to purchase needed supplies to help our small group get set up to host some information events on how to be better prepared for an emergency. To not only help connect and meet our neighbours, but to help them to fully realize the importance of being prepared.

Thank you so much for the generous $3680 grant for 2022-23, which funded our 'Art of Health & Recovery' Project. This project saw us producing two different art calendars, highlighting each one of our programs: Mental Health and Addiction Recovery. Work from twenty of our clients was displayed in these calendars, along with client quotes and information about Forward House and our events. We were also able to buy necessary art supplies and materials for mixed media - photography, painting, drawing etc. Parks West Business Supplies printed both of our calendars at a very reduced rate, which allowed us to purchase and give away more than the 50 of each that we had planned.

In 2022, the Foundation graciously approved DPAC for an Annual Grant that we put toward an accessibility bike project, and we are very grateful. We will be working with our School District to get this bike into our our school district inventory for use. Thank you and to the others who approved our grant application and supported this project.

A big thank you to the Community Foundation for rewarding us a Neighbourhood Small Grant; we used it for advertising. It was the first time we were able to offer our free meditation classes virtually via zoom. To begin with, it was a challenging learning experience, but in the end we managed it. As an added bonus, we could extend our classes beyond our local community and connect with people from all over Vancouver Island. What helped us put the word out was our advertising budget (thank you!) that was spent on promoting our virtual classes on Meetup, Facebook and other avenues. Now we are finally back to in-person meditation classes, but we still keep offering the occasional online event.

With the help of a $350 Responsive Neighbourhood Small Grant, Junior Curling Coaches at the Qualicum Beach Curling Club hosted a fun-filled 'Try Curling' day on Oct. 5th. The event trained 12 new curlers aged 9-14 to learn the skills of curling and get a true feel for the sport.

C-Streets Emergency Response Organization (CERO) was able to schedule a first aid training course for 11 residents on August 24, 2021. The course was provided by Alert First-Aid Inc. of Victoria through their Nanaimo branch. The course was a full day and covered the basic elements of first aid.

Oceanside a Cappella Chorus is one of the choirs of the Qualicum Beach Seniors Activity Centre. They have used their Neighbourhood Small Grant to produce and share a virtual video of members singing 'Blackbird.'</a.

During these difficult times, it has been heartwarming to witness the level of community support given to SOS. PQCF grants have assisted us in continuing to provide services to local residents through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The contribution of $3,230 through Community Foundation of Canada's Emergency Community Support Fund directly impacts the lives of animals and the people who love them throughout Parksville Qualicum.

A $2000 grant is supporting the start up costs for the Oceanside Community Arts Council during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A generous $5000 grant toward the Salvation Army food bank is truly helping those who need our help the most in the community.