After years of persistent advocacy, the Manna Homeless Society is thrilled to see Parksville’s Mayor and Council finally approve in letter form support for an extreme weather shelter in our community. For too long, articles in this paper highlighted how City Hall’s refusal to support even basic emergency shelter had left vulnerable residents of the Oceanside area exposed to life-threatening conditions. The lack of care contributed directly to preventable suffering and loss of

Programs Manna Homeless Society’s 20-year proven history in the Parksville area, Robin Campbell’s leadership, the Diamond Jubilee Award from the Queen of England for dedicated work caring for people at risk, Parksville’s Citizen of the Year recognition for working with the less fortunate and people on the street …. And bringing it to the attention of the community, and strong partnerships with Rotary and other service groups all strengthen the credibility and legacy of the or

This winter, the Manna Homeless Society in Parksville has placed a number of men and women into donated trailers, offering them a safe, dry haven amid Vancouver Island’s relentless rains. For those who had endured weeks of being soaked and freezing while rough sleeping or living in tents, the simple gift of shelter has been life-changing. Many arrived wet, cold, and hopeless, their health declining from exposure. Now, with a warm, protected space, they sleep soundly, regain s

Water Warnings Ignored While Housing Booms For over a decade, the Englishman River and our aquifers have shown clear signs of strain—declining groundwater, shrinking snowpack, and recurring droughts. Yet Parksville council continues approving new housing developments, adding hundreds of unaffordable units and drawing more residents to an area already at its limit. Every year, the same pattern unfolds. Spring begins with Level 1 watering restrictions, escalating through the dr

In the shadow of Parksville’s serene coastal beauty, a silent war rages—not against crime or chaos, but against compassion itself. For 20 years, the Manna Homeless Society has been a lifeline for the vulnerable, battling an epidemic of homelessness that has exploded in the last five. More women, seniors, and mothers with children now wander the streets, their lives shattered by economic despair. We’ve watched families fracture, elders endure the elements, and kids go hungry.

Manna Homeless Society is taking a proactive, community-rooted approach to address systemic shortfalls and protect Oceanside’s vulnerable residents—including seniors and families—during extreme temperatures. Manna is working to secure land to develop a stable site that features insulated tiny homes, community gardens, support services, and dignity-focused housing—aimed at ending the cycle of nightly survival and reactive aid. The current situation for people 'rough sleeping'

For more than two decades, Manna Homeless Society has stood as a beacon of hope in Parksville, British Columbia. Day in and day out—365 days a year—our dedicated volunteers have provided essential support to those experiencing homelessness or people at risk . Whether distributing emergency food packages, clothing, hygiene supplies, rain gear, or life-saving medical care through our mobile clinic, we have been there for every emergency, every storm, and every person living in

Five years ago, Manna Homeless Society could comfortably distribute essential survival items—food, clothing, warm blankets, foot care supplies, and temporary shelter support—on the grounds of the Salvation Army Mt. Arrowsmith Church in Parksville. Our weekly two-hour outreach served a manageable number of people in need, with minimal disruption to the surrounding community. Today, the situation is unrecognizable. Homelessness in the Oceanside region has surged, with the 2025

By Robin Campbell, Manna Homeless Society In Parksville—our postcard-pretty coastal haven—a full-blown humanitarian crisis rages on, and city hall does nothing about it. The number of desperate souls crammed into vehicles has exploded, with recent counts showing around 90 unsheltered people and many more living in their cars in the Parksville-Qualicum area (mostly sleeping rough or in cars), scraping by in hunger, freezing rain, and misery. Yet these officials bury their head

In the heart of Oceanside, British Columbia, where the beauty of Vancouver Island meets the harsh reality of growing poverty, one organization has steadfastly shouldered the burden of caring for the homeless and at-risk: Manna Homeless Society. For years, Manna has provided emergency food, clothing, hygiene supplies, temporary shelter, mobile foot care, and compassionate outreach to those forgotten by society—individuals, families, and seniors teetering on the edge of despair

Dear Friends, Community Leaders, Businesses, and Potential Partners in Oceanside, I write to you today with a heavy heart, but also with a spark of unbreakable hope—one that I believe we can fan into a bright flame together. Last winter, I met Tom on a bench near the Parksville waterfront. He was once a skilled tradesman who raised a family here, paid his taxes, and coached minor hockey. A job loss, mounting medical bills, and a string of bad luck left him sleeping in his tru

In the quiet coastal towns of Parksville and Qualicum Beach, where the Salish Sea kisses ancient shores and cedar forests whisper secrets to the wind, something extraordinary is stirring. It is not the work of the flawless or the mighty. It is the work of the Creator, who has always chosen the cracked vessels, the stumbling hearts, the ones the world calls failures, and filled them with living water until they overflow. Long ago, a fisherman named Peter denied his Lord three

In Parksville and the Oceanside region, an insidious weapon silences the cries of the homeless: dehumanization. It’s the quiet, vicious process that strips human beings of their dignity, reducing them to “transients,” “addicts,” or “problems” to be swept away. By labeling the unhoused as less than human—lazy choices, moral failures, or invisible nuisances—comfortable residents and indifferent leaders absolve themselves of responsibility. No need for an all-weather shelter whe

To Whom This May Concern, I write this letter with a heavy heart, sickened by what we’ve become, yet clinging to the faint hope that these words might pierce the darkness we’ve wrapped around ourselves. We call ourselves humans—a title rooted in the earth itself, from the Latin humanus, tied to humus, the soil, the ground we walk on. It reminds us we are earthly beings, formed from dust, meant to be humble stewards of this beautiful blue planet. But that name feels like a hol

In the picturesque communities of Parksville and Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island, a persistent homelessness crisis is tarnishing the region’s reputation as a retiree’s paradise. Despite a recent point-in-time count showing 94 individuals experiencing homelessness—a slight decline from previous years—the lack of an overnight shelter leaves vulnerable residents exposed to harsh winters. Mayor Doug O’Brien of Parksville and Mayor Teunis Westbroek of Qualicum Beach, along with

On Vancouver Island, where winters are defined by relentless rain, high humidity, and bone-chilling dampness, the system for opening extreme weather shelters is fundamentally flawed. Today’s conditions in Parksville exemplify this: temperatures hover around 6°C, but with 100% humidity and winds making it feel like 0.5°C, outdoor survival is unbearable for the unhoused. Yet, shelters remain closed because government thresholds prioritize freezing temperatures over the real dan

Dear Mayors and Councils of Parksville and Qualicum Beach, Last week in Qualicum Beach, as documented with the gas station at the top of the hill and with the RCMP, we at Manna Homeless Society encountered a senior citizen stripped of hope and clothes, disrobing in the intersection as despair overtook him. He’d heard of a shelter in Qualicum but found none. And although the gas station called the police, it was we at Manna who talked him down, offered love, clothed him, fed h

Dear Friend, As Christmas approaches, the streets take on a different glow—lights strung across lampposts, carols drifting from shop doors, the scent of pine and cinnamon in the air. It is the season when our hearts are supposed to open widest, when we are reminded of love incarnate, of a Child born in a stable because there was no room at the inn. And every year, without fail, we notice them more clearly: the individuals on the street who are struggling, at risk, or homeless

In the depths of winter, the sight of a makeshift tent huddled against the cold wall of a building serves as a stark reminder of societal failures. This image encapsulates the raw cruelty of homelessness, where vulnerable individuals endure freezing temperatures, exposed to the elements with little more than thin fabric for protection. Reports highlight how such encampments, often pushed to urban peripheries or against structures for minimal shelter, reflect a broader crisis

By a Concerned Oceanside Resident In the picturesque coastal community of Parksville on Vancouver Island — known for its sandy beaches, retiree-friendly vibe, and quaint downtown — a dark underbelly festers unchecked as winter grips the region. While tourists flock here in summer for Rathtrevor Beach sunsets, a growing number of locals face nights of unimaginable desperation. With no permanent overnight shelter and extreme weather protocols that activate only in the most dire