Coombs

Inland from the popular coastal communities of Parksville and Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island is the charming rural community of Coombs renowned for its heritage buildings, rooftop goats and its eclectic group of stores selling everything from goodies to eat to curios. Check out the Dutch Wooden Shoe Import Store that carries everything Dutch from a wide variety of Dutch licorice candies, Stroop waffles and rusk.

Nearby Butterfly World showcases rare tropical plants and exotic butterflies from around the world showing off their glorious colours. Hamilton Marsh, just north of Coombs, provides a natural habitat for marsh birds and is particularly active in spring and fall with migrations of ducks and geese. Woodland trails and a viewing platform provide closer observation of the marsh inhabitants. Englishman River Falls, provincial parks and Cathedral Grove are within easy reach. Hiking and fishing are popular activities.

Location

Coombs is located on Highway 4, 9 km (5.5 mi) west of Parksville on Vancouver Island. Highway 4 is the main highway across the Island that connects the east and west coast.

A Step Back in Time

During the early part of the twentieth century, nearly a quarter of a million poor English and Welsh families came to Canada as part of the Salvation Army’s immigration program. A handful of families settled in the Coombs area around 1910 under the leadership of the Salvation Army’s Ensign Cargo. The community was named after the Army’s Canadian Commissioner, Captain Thomas Coombs.