What does it feel like to live in an award-winning building in Qualicum Beach?
It’s a little like getting the corner piece of a delicious cake, or a front-row seat for your favourite concert. Qualicum Beach is already a gorgeous place to live, so to experience it from a thoughtfully designed residence with tranquil outdoor living spaces and great views is just the cherry on top.
Berwick Qualicum Beach was a big winner at this year’s Vancouver Island Building Excellence (VIBE) Awards, taking home top honours for Best Multi-Family Community and Best Landscape Design, as well as being a finalist for Best Outdoor Living Space and Best Overall Room (“The Bridge” conservatory).
“We’re lucky to have all these beautiful spaces and take advantage of them every day,” says Berwick’s Krysta Robins. “We’re a vibrant retirement community with engaging programs that support an active and healthy lifestyle.”
Berwick Qualicum Beach’s centrepiece is a landscaped courtyard where you’ll find residents practicing yoga, friends chatting over a coffee or connecting from a safe physical distance during happy hour. In recent months the courtyard has also hosted live music from local performers, which residents can enjoy from their private balconies or on the patio.
Outdoor concerts aren’t the only treat for residents. While fitness centres have been closed to the public, residents of Berwick Qualicum Beach have been lucky to enjoy the gym equipment in the Zoom Room, as well as guided meditation and exercise classes.
“The Zoom Room has great large windows looking out onto a calming outdoor water feature with little waterfalls. It creates a wonderful atmosphere,” Robins says.
On the rooftop is The Bridge, a glass-walled conservatory with panoramic views of Mount Arrowsmith, downtown Qualicum Beach and the sparkling ocean. Berwick’s award-winning landscaping is complemented by the impressive personal gardens of residents, and members of the garden club.
“Qualicum Beach has always had world-class gardeners, and Berwick is lucky to have some of those gardeners living with us,” Robins says. “They grow some of the biggest flowers I’ve ever seen!”
Resident Jack Lowe has gardened for decades, and enjoys connecting with other green thumbs in the garden club.
“We all have a love of the earth and plants in common, so gardening together has brought us joy. We share our knowledge; it’s a cooperative effort,” he says.
Berwick Qualicum Beach is a retirement community that provides meals, housekeeping and engaging programs for Independent Living and Enhanced Living Services. Studio, one bedroom and two bedroom suites are still available. Contact Krysta Robins for more information or to make an appointment for a tour by calling 250-738-6200 or emailing bqb.marketingMGR@berwickrc.com. And don’t forget to follow Berwick Qualicum Beach on Facebook and Instagram for stunning garden photos and live music!