On April 11 the Parksville Community Centre Pop-up Recycling Depot Volunteers welcomed 556 vehicles and walk-in customers who dropped off some 112 Super Sacks of material that isn’t in the landfill today.  It seems with us having a three week break between events has increased the material Oceanside residents accumulated.  Thank goodness for sunshine and hard working volunteers.

While all of that was going on, we had some of our Girl Guide Pathfinder volunteers sing us a song they wrote for Earth Day.  Check our Facebook Page to listen to it.

https://facebook.com/ParksvilleCommunityCentre

Vancouver Coastal Health’s bio-medical detection dogs: Canines 4 Care team in Parksville on Good Friday 2026.

Canines 4 Care (C4C) was founded in 2016 and became the first program in the world to operationalize canine scent detection for identifying bacterial reservoirs of Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) within health-care environments. C. difficile is the leading cause of acute infectious diarrhea in hospitals and long-term care facilities across North America. More than 60% of cases are acquired within health-care settings. The C4C program is designed to reduce C. difficile transmission by strengthening environmental surveillance, increasing staff engagement, improving infection prevention practices, and minimizing environmental contamination. Canine teams can detect bacterial reservoirs in locations that are frequently missed during standard environmental audits. These screenings provide a rapid, non-invasive method for assessing health-care environments for C. difficile. Currently, no other testing modality offers the same combination of precision, speed, and accuracy. The Canines 4 Care team is led by a multidisciplinary group that includes medical professionals, canine detection specialists, environmental services staff, and infection prevention and control practitioners—along with our highly trained dogs. At present, five dogs (three English Springer Spaniels and two English Cocker Spaniels) are trained to detect C. difficile, while one Labrador Retriever serves as a generalist, trained to detect a broad range of fecal pathogens.

Thank you to the Parksville Community centre for letting these highly skilled dogs and handlers train in a fun new training location organized by local Dog Trainer, Ann Gunderson and her assistant Jackie Blois. Ann Gunderson teaches privately in Parksville and Jackie runs Nose Work Classes at the Parksville Community Centre.

The Parksville Community Centre Society is deeply grateful to the Parksville & District Chamber of Commerce for recognizing our work as a finalist for the 2026 Community Builder Award at this year’s Business Excellence Awards.

This nomination reflects the heart of our mission — fostering connection, inclusion, and community well-being here in Parksville. We are so proud of our amazing volunteers, community partners, and the many groups who make our centre a welcoming home for all.

Thank you to the Chamber for this recognition, and congratulations to all the other incredible nominees who make our region such a vibrant and caring place to live! 💙

We look forward to celebrating with everyone at the Gala on April 9th at Tigh-Na-Mara. #Parksville #CommunityBuilder #BusinessExcellenceAwards #Gratitude #PCCS #ParksvilleChamber

December at the Parksville Community Centre was a season of warmth and connection, kicking off with the November 22 Christmas Bazaar and continuing through heartfelt gatherings for local residents.

Key Events

PCC volunteers and staff filled the month with festive activities, starting from the momentum of the Bazaar. On December 10, about 50 Oceanside seniors attended a free Christmas Luncheon funded by the Parksville Qualicum Community Foundation, complete with a delicious hot meal, beautiful Main Hall decorations, and live four-part a cappella harmonies from local singers. On December 19, the PCC Board hosted the Pop-up Recycling and Centre volunteers to a Volunteer Appreciation Chinese Food luncheon to show our depth of gratitude for all they do for our community. Adding to the holiday spirit, PCC Kitchen volunteers hosted a special Christmas Day Luncheon for about 30 people who have adopted the PCC as their family; the room was beautifully decorated, the atmosphere wonderfully warm, and attendees shared good conversation along with interesting stories.

Volunteer Appreciation

Heartfelt thanks go to every PCC volunteer and staff member for their tireless efforts in planning, cooking, decorating, serving, and hosting these events, making December a true celebration of community for Parksville residents. Your dedication proves we are so much better together.

Looking Ahead

We look forward to more community lunches in late winter and early spring, with warmest wishes for a healthy, joyful 2026 filled with continued connection at the PCC.

A Joyous Milestone at the Parksville Community Centre!

It was our absolute pleasure to host our very first wedding celebration at the Parksville Community Centre on February 21, 2026, honouring the union of Jennifer and Gord. The hall was beautifully adorned with elegant décor, the atmosphere filled with laughter and love, and every table graced with the warmth of friendship and fine food.

The celebration was fully attended, and guests delighted in a wonderfully memorable evening. Our heartfelt thanks go out to the PCC volunteers, whose dedication and cheerful spirit made this special occasion shine even brighter. Hosting Jennifer and Gord’s wedding was not only an honour but a joyful beginning to many cherished celebrations to come at our Community Centre.

The Parksville community is mourning the passing of Duane Round, who died on Nov. 15 at age 66.

Round was the president of the Parksville Community Centre Society, in addition to service with the Lions Club and many others over the years.

“A lifelong advocate for community service, Duane left a profound legacy of dedication to inclusion, affordable housing and local development in the Oceanside region,” reads a news release from the PCCS.

Born in Chatham, Ont., Round was deeply committed to both his community and his family. He is survived by his devoted wife Carol, his son Jesse and his grandson Owen.

Beyond his professional endeavours, he cherished quality time with loved ones, enjoying family camping trips and the years they spent with a trailer at Spider Lake—moments that reflected his appreciation for simple pleasures and connection with those closest to him.

His involvement with the PCCS began in his high school years and spanned decades of transformative leadership. He was instrumental in guiding the centre through three major relocations: from its original Parksville Beach location to Jensen Avenue East in 2003, to its current home at 223 Mills St., revitalized in March 2022 following a 2020 relocation.

As a dedicated member of the Lions Club, Round served actively in Lions Housing and Kingsley Low Rent Housing Societies, serving as building chair for two affordable housing projects: Kingsley Manor and Hustwick Place.

“His commitment to accessible housing demonstrated his belief that community well-being depends on ensuring safe, affordable living spaces for all residents,” the release added.

Round’s additional roles included president of Inclusion Parksville, one term on Parksville city council and positions on the Society of Organized Services Board, alongside involvement in numerous other community organizations and initiatives.

“The Parksville Community Centre Society itself represents the resilience and community spirit that Duane embodied. Originally rooted in the 1923 Parksville Women’s Institute and formally established in 1996, the organization has evolved significantly,” the release said.

The society transformed an old Army barracks into the first Community Hall in 1947, opened the Jensen Avenue facility in 2003, and now operates at Mills Street with programs including the RecycleBC Pop-Up Recycling partnership.

“Duane’s generous spirit and kind heart inspired generations to collaborate for the greater good, ensuring a lasting legacy of compassion through the organizations he helped build,” the release said. “Duane’s belief in the power of unity reminds us all of the profound impact one dedicated individual can have, and his influence will continue to thrive through the organizations and community connections he helped build.”

A celebration of life will be held on Jan. 3 at 11 a.m. at the Bradley Centre in Coombs.

The community is invited to honour his memory by getting involved with the Parksville Community Centre Society’s ongoing programs and events.

For more information, interested individuals can contact the society through its website parksvillecentre.ca, via email at receptionpccs@gmail.com and 250-248-6234.