Parksville, British Columbia
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Parksville is a city on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. Often called The Jewel of Vancouver Island, it is located along provincial highway 19A, 37 kilometres north of Nanaimo, and 7 kilometres south of Qualicum Beach, lying between Englishman River and French Creek. During the 2001 Census, Parksville's population was established at 10,323.
The first person to settle in the Parksville area was John Hirst, who pre-empted 300 acres (1.2 km²) of land on both sides of Englishman's River in 1873. Parksville was named after the area's first postmaster, Nelson Park, in 1877. The Village of Parksville was incorporated June 19, 1945. Parksville became a Town on April 1, 1978 and a City on June 1, 1981.
Much of the city's present-day economy centers around the tourism industry. Two sandy beaches, Parksville Beach and Rathtrevor Beach (part of Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park), have historically been the town's main attractions.
Other areas of economic importance are fishing, forestry, and the service industries.