Crown Mansion
Qualicum Beach Aerial by James Clarke courtesy of Oceanside Tourism
by Steve Crabb A
s a relative newcomer to Qualicum Beach, getting to know the place and satisfying a craving for espresso was a dual mission that I
needed to accomplish. To justify this indulgent behaviour, an offering of this article sharing what was encountered is presented to you.
Qualicum is the aboriginal people’s word meaning “dog salmon”
(chum salmon) from which the town derived its name. Because no one thought Town of “Dog Chum” was a good name, it instead, became known officially as Qualicum Beach.
The Hudson’s Bay Company basically controlled all of Vancouver
Island at one time and in 1856 it sent explorer Adam Horne to survey the central Island area and find an overland route to the Alberni Inlet. Horne succeeded, but also heard tell of a brutal massacre of the local Salish population by their fierce enemy, the Haida. Eight years later, botanist and explorer Robert Brown found the central Island mostly deserted due to tribal warfare and the smallpox epidemic of 1862. European settlers following Brown’s expedition turned the area into a successful lumbering, fishing and resort community.
Qualicum Beach Features and
a People’s History The E&N Railway steamed into the region in 1894 and railway official
H. E. Beasley founded the Merchants Trust and Trading Company which planned what would be the town of Qualicum Beach’s layout and golf course in 1913 (after all, what is a town without a golf course?)
Qualicum Beach was incorporated as a village in 1942, it was elevated to town status in 1983 and has grown to its approximate 8,600 residents
Island Spotlight
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