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R. Adams
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By Jamie Gripich
More than four decades after Anne Murray sang Snowbird, the phenomenon of flying away from the cold shows no sign of waning. Like their avian counterparts, baby boomers are also taking their annual southern winter-escape migration. However, those winds are blowing more south-west these days and landing many a migratory traveler on the soft sandy shores of Vancouver Island, in the year-round seaside destination of Parksville and Qualicum Beach.
Long-stay far away
While not all human migrants want to head to warmer climes when the winter wind begins to blow, many do. It’s estimated that between 300,000-700,000 people annually travel for long-stays in winter. The Canadian Snowbird Association, which began as a lobby group to protect out-of-country health insurance benefits, has a membership of around 70,000. We all know somebody or somebody’s parents with a mobile home in Arizona, or a condo in Florida.
Traditionally the snowbird market concentrated in the southern US and points beyond. However, more and more Canadians are flocking to a closer, safer Canadian location that lies slightly below the 49th parallel.
A nest for every species
Whether you are the rugged-outdoor-adventure types or relax-in-the-spa people, you can find the accommodation that suits you best. The region has 33 resorts, hotels and motels, nearly 30 bed and breakfasts, and 32 vacation rental homes to choose from. There are also time-shares and condos for sale. And the shoulder season from October to April offers attractive rates. You’ll also find a restaurant to satisfy most culinary cravings – from casual to gourmet, from Asian to Irish.
RV’ing Paradise
With the mildest average winter temperatures in Canada many RV’ers simply stop short of the US border, and hop aboard a ferry and head for the eastern shores of Vancouver Island.
The Parksville and Qualicum Beach region of Vancouver Island offers eleven private RV parks and campgrounds and one of the highest concentrations of BC Provincial Parks on Vancouver Island, including the popular Rathtrevor Beach. You’ll find a variety of oceanfront, riverside, and forest RV parks and campgrounds which allow pets, and most have either full or partial hook-ups, and most under a canopy of majestic Cedar and Douglas fir trees. It’s BC outdoors at its finest.
Anywhere you choose to camp is going to be a special experience, but there are a few unique places to stay depending on your needs, abilities and adventurous spirit.
Free Spirit Spheres lets you be a kid again by sleeping in a globe tree house suspended in the forest canopy. The "Spherical Tree House" concept borrows heavily from sailboat construction and rigging practice and the wooden spheres are built much like a cedar strip canoe or kayak. Riverbend Resort Campground offers a modern interpretation of the traditional Mongolian yurt for visitors to experience. Part tent, part cabin, yurts have round rooms with vaulted ceilings and a central skylight. Riverbend's yurts blend nicely into the forest and are known to be cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Horne Lake Caverns and Adventure Camp offers teepee and geodesic dome camping for up to ten people. Each teepee is made with hand peeled poles, has a roll up door, covered with fire retardant white canvas and has wooden sleeping platforms inside.
Canadian Riviera
Until someone actually convinces the Canadian government to adopt the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean, the only homegrown snowbird beach destination is Vancouver Island. Warm winter temperatures, a lack of snow and year-round outdoor pursuits add up to an attractive alternative to traveling internationally.
With the country’s mildest climate and low annual rainfall, along with 19 km of sandy beaches, it has been called the Canadian Riviera.
Fore the birds
Parksville-Qualicum Beach has impressive scenery; small villages filled with restaurants, libraries, theatres and community centres; first-class resorts with spas; golf courses galore. In fact, there are six golf courses, from 9-hole to PGA caliber, in the area and seven more courses are within an hour’s drive – all open year-round.
Mother Nature has blessed the region and made it a natural playground. There are beaches for beach-combing, bird-watching, and boating. The protected waters of eastern Vancouver Island have also been rated the #1 spot in the world “for value and healthiest marine environment” by Scuba Diving magazine.
When the instinct to migrate whispers to you this autumn, remember the world is your oyster! But also remember that sometimes a westerly flight path can be as rewarding as a southerly one. Pack the shades and golf clubs – Old Man Winter here I come!
IF YOU GO:
Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism Association
Phone: 1-888-799-3222 or 250-248-6300