Canadian Journey

Those who know my story know that my father, who I never knew, was a Canadian and Qualicum Beach is where he lived and died.  We made this trip partly as a voyage of discovery, simply to see the sights that he saw and tread the streets that he trod.

The beach is absolutely phenomenal: miles and miles of sand around a wide, shallow bay – unspoilt and well-maintained – and with all sorts of sea-life in the ponds and ocean.

Behind the beach is a promenade with seats and a grass verge and trees to provide some shade.  This is a popular place for the locals to stroll.

This being Canada, large pieces of timber are sometimes washed up on the beach and these are left to dry out and become used as seats or children’s play areas.

We spent the morning bumming around the beach and we went into the town in the afternoon.

It is a picture-perfect little town, just a bit smaller than Sherborne. So this is where my father lived his life. We’ll come back and explore more tomorrow.

So, back to our gloomy little hotel room in Parksville. There are still no alternative rooms available but the manageress says that they may be able to move us tomorrow. Here’s hoping.