Short days and a run of wet weather can shrink a person’s world to the stretch between the kettle and the couch. Oceanside makes it a little easier than that to stay moving. You do not need a new routine, just a couple of reliable places that work when the beach is blowing sideways.
A warm pool in Qualicum Beach
The Regional District of Nanaimo’s Ravensong Aquatic Centre is the year-round indoor option for most people in this area. It has a 25-metre lane pool and a warmer leisure pool, plus a hot tub, showers, a steam sauna and a dry infrared sauna, with drop-in time on the hot-side facilities. There are universal family change rooms as well as men’s and women’s change rooms, and the building is on a regional transit route.
Reception hours are typically 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, but swim times vary by program, and the facility closes on some holidays. Check the current swim schedule on the RDN site before you go, especially around public holidays and school breaks. If you are looking for lessons, aquafit or a lane swim, that schedule is the authoritative list.
Forest, river and a suspension bridge
When you want air rather than chlorine, Top Bridge Park is one of the best mid-winter walks close to town. The City of Parksville lists the address as 150 Chattel Road. A walking trail about five kilometres long leads to a pedestrian-only suspension bridge over the Englishman River, with views up and down the water, and a connection to the Regional District trail system on the other side. The route is part of a larger web of parks and conservation land, and it can be linked, for a longer outing, toward Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park.
This is a natural park. There are no plumbed washrooms, change rooms or concessions, so come prepared. In summer the river is a popular swimming hole; in winter it is a forest walk with a river in full voice. Trails can be muddy and roots slick. There is also a specialized mountain-bike trail system at the park if that is your sport; walkers should keep to the walking routes and watch for other users on shared approaches.
On milder days the waterfront promenades in Parksville and Qualicum Beach, and the easy trails at Rathtrevor, are still among the finest walks in town. Layer up, pick a shorter loop if the wind is up, and save the long sand flats for a falling tide. For current recreation programs across Oceanside, the Regional District’s recreation pages are the place to look.
Good to know
- Ravensong Aquatic Centre in Qualicum Beach has a 25-metre lane pool and a leisure pool; confirm the swim schedule at rdn.bc.ca.
- Top Bridge Park is at 150 Chattel Road, Parksville, with a trail of about five kilometres and a pedestrian suspension bridge over the Englishman River.
- There are no washrooms or other services at Top Bridge; dress for mud and bring what you need.
- Beach and park trails remain open through the winter; match the outing to the weather and the tide.
Photo: Kiwibirdman, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
