Things to Do in Parksville

When doctors told Joey and Darryl Simon that their son Jet’s premature birth could result in learning disabilities, the couple immersed him in the world of art as a means of helping him overcome any educational obstacles. Their tutelage and care paid off, resulting in an impressive array of paintings from their child at a very young age. Jet’s talent and creativity inspired his parents to establish 4Cats Arts Studio in hopes of unleashing the inner artists of other children as well as adults. The Simons accomplish this mission through hands-on sessions in mixed media, painting, and Artist Focus classes, which concentrate on the histories and styles of certain artists, such as Picasso’s cubism and Andy Warhol’s self-portraits of soup cans.

Talented filmmakers at this film school teach courses that hinge on hands-on involvement. Single- and multi-session classes cover everything from screenwriting and editing to motion graphics, and venture beyond documentary making with lessons in drama and still photography. While practicing techniques and pole-vaulting on boom mics like the pros do, students use a combination of their own gear and gear they've rented from the school. In addition to firsthand filmmaking experience, documentary students get hands-on experience, partnering with community charities to create short films used for education, outreach, and fundraising.

Drawing inspiration from a centuries-old German tradition, wherein people would warm away their winter blues and welcome the holiday season with uproarious festivities, the Vancouver Christmas Market fills the night air with mirth. Rows of lighted evergreens and more than 45 wooden huts lined with pine branches and twinkling lights spread out under the sky, allowing guests to duck in and examine European-themed, often handcrafted, wares. In addition to traditional German foods—bratwurst, fruitcake-like stollen, and mugs of hot mulled glühwein—the huts also house vendors slinging all manner of gifts and decorations. Woodcarvings, knitted scarves, and ornate beer steins perfectly slip into stockings, populate the space beneath a Christmas tree, or serve as spot-savers in the local hot tub, and delicate glass ornaments or nutcrackers help bring Christmas cheer into homes.

While guests peruse the collection of edible and giftable goods, they can also enjoy the sights and sounds of performances by traditional European choirs and dance troupes. At the on-site Kids' Market, a variety of age-appropriate activities entertain younger children, including a festive carousel, chocolate-lollipop-decorating stations, and gingerbread mascots.

The International Kiteboarding Association–certified instructors at Vancouver Kiteboarding School skip the stale classroom environment and instead lead courses taught entirely on the water, where kiteboarders can cut across waves and soar into the air. The teachers aim to introduce novices to the joys of the sport as well as help experienced boarders progress to advanced levels. Instructors never adhere to predetermined lesson plans, and instead change their curriculum as the water conditions change. This flexibility allows the skilled kiteboarders to teach their pupils how to navigate, catch air, and play fetch with a whale amid the ocean's ever-changing landscape.

While man has not yet mastered a bird's ability to fly, we can approximate their effortless motion and unrivaled views through the glider airplane. Nestled in the Alberni Valley, the Vancouver Island Soaring Centre leads passengers on elevated journeys across the mountainous natural scenery. The VISC's fleet of PW-6U and PW-5 Smyk gliders are made of composite materials, making them light and ideal for sneaking up on cumulonimbus in the morning while they are still busy gluing on fresh cotton balls. In a Piper Pawnee plane, a pilot certified by Transport Canada leads each flight to a height of 2,000–6,000 feet before releasing the glider into the blue expanse. A separate certified pilot directs the craft from the back seat as the craft is kept aloft by thermal energy. Vancouver Island Soaring Centre can also record each blissful flying experience onto a take-home USB drive.

U.B. Diving's founder Sean Smyrichinsky and his team of experienced scuba divers create scenes of underwater adventure every day from their fully stocked shop and on-site dive school. Their scuba charter boat, equipped with hot showers and a heated cabin, travels to areas such as Chrome Island or Flora Islet so divers can frolic with giant octopi and six-gill sharks beneath the water's surface. A PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Sean also teaches classes that grant novices their first dive into open waters, taking the most committed students to Dive Master levels or preparing ocean walkers for careers as ambassadors to Atlantis. Additionally, Sean and his crew rent out gear by the day and contract themselves out for deep diving and wreck exploration through their commercial division.