The Old School House (250) 752-8133, fax: (250) 752-2600

Victorian Charm, modern creativity...this eighty-year-old school house turned art center in the heart of Qualicum Beach showcases the visual arts of painting, sculpture, carving, and pottery as well as music year round. Hands-on workshops, studio tours of artists-in-residence, and a well-stocked gift shop are all part of the TOSH experience. 122 Fern Road West.

The Power House Museum (250) 752-6441 or 752-6836

The Museum of Power has a growing collection of "powerful" artifacts. You can test your own power on the Power Cycle and turn on the light! Other collections highlight family histories, woodworking and blacksmithing tools, rooms depicting early Qualicum pioneer home life, and storyboards recording early settlement history. Learn about early Georgia Strait shipwrecks and examine antique golf paraphernalia. Open mid-June to early October, adjacent to the Qualicum Beach Train Station at 587 Beach Road.

The Vancouver Island Paleontology Museum (250) 752-9810

The Museum displays one of the most complete collections of Vancouver Island fossils and invites you to take an educational and enjoyable journey into the prehistoric past. Included in Graham Beard's acclaimed collection are many spectacular fossil forms that lived in this area during the Mesozoic times. Although the collection is primarily concerned with the fossils of the island, there are also some fantastic fossils from other parts of British Columbia and the world. Recently acquired is an example of a Coelacanth (a fish that scientists thought was extinct for 130 million years!) This and other interesting vertebrate fossils are also on display. Open mid-June to early October in the Power House Museum complex, adjacent to the Qualicum Beach Train Station at 587 Beach Road.

Butterfly World (250) 248-7026, fax (250) 752-1091

Stroll among hundreds of free-flying exotic butterflies and visit the Bird Aviary and Water Gardens. Butterflies from five continents compete with orchids, passion flowers, and jasmine for your senses, armed with fragrant aromas and flashes of color. In the two large outdoor ponds you can witness the Japanese Koi fish at feeding times as they boil to the surface. This tropical paradise is conveniently located in the community of Coombs on the Alberni Highway, only minutes from Qualicum Beach and Parksville. Open April through October.

Coombs Village

The Coombs Old Country Market, open mid-March through September, is well-known for the family of goats which nimbly graze on its grass roof. Next to it, the Coombs Emporium offers a wide range of small gift and craft shops. The village is dotted with several heritage buildings and now includes a mini-golf and small amusement park. July is the time for "Old West" activities: a fiddle jamboree, bluegrass festival, and rodeo. Located approximately 10 minutes west of Qualicum Beach on the Alberni Highway.

Big Qualicum Fish Hatchery (250) 757-8412

This Federal Fisheries project for the enhancement of salmon stocks has provided a model for similar developments. In addition to the research benefits, it also provides an important source of fish for the native food-fish program and countless hours of enjoyment for the recreational fisher. Special features are a topographical model of the project, an underwater viewing area to watch the fish "eye to eye," and nature trails for exploration of the Big Qualicum River and spawning channel. Open daily. Located approximately 15 minutes north of Qualicum Beach on Scenic Highway 19A, the Oceanside Route.

The North Island Wildlife Recovery Association (250) 248-8534

The NIWRA is a haven for a wide variety of injured, ill, or orphaned wildlife ranging from songbirds to eagles, raccoons to deer. Sick and injured wildlife receive professional veterinary medical care while they are rehabilitated for their eventual release into the wild. Orphaned wildlife must be taught the survival skills of how to obtain food and to fear predators before they are released. Besides working directly with wildlife, the NIWRA actively promotes public education and offers a popular Wildlife Adoption Program. Call to arrange tours of the center. Located approximately 20 minutes from Qualicum Beach on Leffier Road in Errington. Ask locally for more explicit directions!

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