Oceanside Collective

Oceanside Collective Vancouver Island lifestyle magazine showcasing art & culture across the Oceanside communities.

"WiL’s had an amazing career, which he calls “cookie-cutter” within the industry, and perhaps for musicians in general.I...
09/02/2026

"WiL’s had an amazing career, which he calls “cookie-cutter” within the industry, and perhaps for musicians in general.

I disagree, but that comes from admiration, knowing that success as an artist is anything but “cookie-cutter.”

WiL’s career has been packed with writing songs, recording, performing, getting signed by a major record label, making and selling albums, and touring. It sounds like the stuff of Guitar Hero fairy tales, but behind the scenes it’s all endless hard work, commitment, and drive, fuelled by a passion for music, storytelling, and song."

Vol. 1 | A Lifetime Of Music

✍ by Bill Arnott
📷 courtesy of wiL

https://thecollectivemags.ca/wil-mimnaugh-singer-songwriter/ #

"Throughout my life, I have remained intimately connected to nature and consider it my alternate classroom. Retiring fro...
08/26/2026

"Throughout my life, I have remained intimately connected to nature and consider it my alternate classroom. Retiring from my career as a physician and moving to the Island with my wife has allowed me time and space to explore all the natural wonders this unique environment has to offer. Much of this appreciation for the natural world has been cultivated through gardening, and can be seen in the poetry I write.

It is my belief that Mother Nature is both a teacher and mirror. She weaves a gentle reminder that we are not separate from the world we inhabit, but deeply, beautifully, a part of it."

Vol. 1 | Inspired by Nature

✍ by James C. Glassford
📷 by Jenn Dykstra Photography

https://thecollectivemags.ca/vancouver-island-nature-writing/

"Did you know that bunnies make great pets?With some rules and supervision, they can happily live in the house with your...
08/20/2026

"Did you know that bunnies make great pets?

With some rules and supervision, they can happily live in the house with your cats and dogs. They can even use a litter box! Crazy, right?!

Last year, I really wanted a bunny so I decided to look into adopting a rescue. It turns out the SPCA, a place where you can adopt all sorts of rescued animals, also has bunnies along with their cats and dogs. They have online profiles for all of the animals and I came across a bunny named Latte. She was white with some grey patches. She was perfect.

When I asked my mom, she said no. So did my dad. I tried to convince them, but they still said no. One day, I was tricked into coming home to do chores, but instead there was little Latte in my room.

I couldn’t believe it. My dream had come true."

Vol. 1 | Youth Coast: The Bunny Brief

✍ by Henley Shaver
📷 by Time + Tide Photography

https://thecollectivemags.ca/pet-rabbit-roommate/

"My name is Avah Keil Trinidad. I am 11 years old and this is how I became a table tennis champion.When I was five years...
08/13/2026

"My name is Avah Keil Trinidad. I am 11 years old and this is how I became a table tennis champion.

When I was five years old, my dad introduced me to table tennis by showing me a bunch of videos. I spent countless hours practicing on our dining room table in our tiny apartment. We would practice twice a week and on the weekends to develop my skills. I soon fell in love with the sport.

One random Sunday my dad brought me to the table tennis club in Nanaimo to play with other people that were at or above my level. I was insanely shy at first, but as the weeks passed, I started to warm up to the players and finally joined in.

Weeks turned into months. I improves significantly so my dad signed me up for a tournament in the youth category. It was there that I won my first ever gold medal at the age of seven. I remember being so happy that I won first place. My parents took me to a nice restaurant to celebrate!"

Vol. 1 | Little Coast: A Passion for Ping Pong

✍ by Avah Keil Trinidad
📷 by Jenn Dykstra Photography

https://thecollectivemags.ca/youth-table-tennis-nanaimo/

"Baxter Redfern first picked up a camera in high school, snapping photos of his friends while they were all out BMXing. ...
08/11/2026

"Baxter Redfern first picked up a camera in high school, snapping photos of his friends while they were all out BMXing. While he didn’t think much of it at the time, it wasn’t long before he became drawn to the art of capturing a moment. That early curiosity turned into a career that took him across North America, working with a wide range of clients from small, local businesses to larger, household brands.

Baxter is the owner and operator of Redfern Media Co., based in Qualicum Beach, BC. He creates photo and video content for brands and businesses of all sizes, with a focus on delivering visuals that feel authentic."

Vol. 1 | Featured Artist: Redfern Media Co.

https://thecollectivemags.ca/featured-photographer-baxter-redfern/

"Kay Cearns grew up catching frogs in French Creek and building forts in the forests near her house in Oceanside. She ha...
08/06/2026

"Kay Cearns grew up catching frogs in French Creek and building forts in the forests near her house in Oceanside. She has now lived and worked in Coombs for over a decade. A childhood surrounded by the lush nature of Vancouver Island inspired in her an intense appreciation for beauty and whimsy, a driving force in her creative path through life.

Being a multi-hyphenate maker, Kat creates art across many mediums, including digital illustration, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and textile arts. She is most prolific as a painter and illustrator, and her colourful and whimsical paintings are held in collections worldwide. She is also known for her custom pet portraits that honour the personalities of beloved family members."

Vol. 1 | Featured Artist: Kat Cearns

https://thecollectivemags.ca/kat-cearns-coombs-artist/

"A group of volunteers meets every Tuesday morning to remove invasive plants and restore the Nature Preserve to its natu...
08/04/2026

"A group of volunteers meets every Tuesday morning to remove invasive plants and restore the Nature Preserve to its natural state.

The major invasive plants we remove are Himalayan blackberry, spurge laurel, English holly, and ivy. These invasive plants have crept in over the years, taking over, and are now choking and killing native plants that are needed for a healthy forest.

Our mighty group of determined volunteers cut, uprooted, and hauled away truckloads of invasive plants, resulting in two areas of the French Creek Estuary Nature Preserve being fully cleared of “weeds” and restored with healthy, native plants.

In the dry seasons, we water the plants until they’re established. Occasionally, poor weather puts us off, and as many of us are “of an age,” we try not to overwork ourselves—but we sure are a determined lot."

Vol. 1 | Weeding The Forest

✍ by Bonnie Mullin
📷 by Jenn Dykstra Photography

For more information on events & volunteering, see Save Estuary Land Society

https://thecollectivemags.ca/invasive-species-removal-volunteers-parksville/ #

"Inside the SOS Community Services Centre, the smell of homemade muffins and freshly brewed coffee drifts through the ha...
07/31/2026

"Inside the SOS Community Services Centre, the smell of homemade muffins and freshly brewed coffee drifts through the halls. Doors open to smiles and warm greetings from SOS staff and volunteers, while children's laughter and the soft sounds of babies cooing fill the vibrant space. But for Becky Surprenant, it's much more than a safe space where she can relax while her children play.

"TICTAC has been the only place I have been able to make real friendships and connections," says Becky.

TICTAC (Time In Comfort for Tots and Caregivers) is free SOS program, offered to parents and guardians of children ages 0 to 5 in the Oceanside area. It provides snacks, connection, and a chance to recharge, while children play under the care of SOS staff and dedicated volunteers."

Vol. 1 | Finding the Village

✍ by Zoe Compton
📷 by Zoe Compton, Society of Organized Services

For more information on TICTAC and other SOS programs, visit www.sosd69.com

https://thecollectivemags.ca/sos-parent-groups-parksville/

"Diving off the shores of Vancouver Island—especially along the central east coast—doesn’t hit you all at once. It’s not...
07/30/2026

"Diving off the shores of Vancouver Island—especially along the central east coast—doesn’t hit you all at once. It’s not like tropical diving, where everything is bright and immediately obvious. Here, it’s quieter. Slower. More subtle.

You descend into the green.

At first, it can feel disorienting. The water isn’t crystal clear, and the light filters down in a way that makes things feel muted. But then your eyes adjust. Shapes begin to form. Movement reveals itself. What looked empty at first becomes something entirely different.

Rock walls come alive with plumose anemones, stretching out like soft, pale flowers. Rockfish dart in and out of crevices. Puget Sound king crabs sit with quiet purpose on the ocean floor. And if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of something larger—something that reminds you how alive this place really is.

All the while, the only sound you hear is your own breathing."

Vol. 1 | Beneath the Salish Sea

✍ & 📷 by Erik Hansen

https://thecollectivemags.ca/shore-diving-vancouver-island/ #

"At 6:30 in the morning, all is quiet at Little Qualicum Cheeseworks. Just steps from where the cows were milked, fresh ...
07/21/2026

"At 6:30 in the morning, all is quiet at Little Qualicum Cheeseworks. Just steps from where the cows were milked, fresh milk has already arrived in the creamery, ready to be transformed with precision and skill. For the cheesemaker, it’s the beginning of something new every single day.

For Levi Friess, a Swiss-trained cheesemaker at Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, that sense of possibility is what first drew him in. “I love coming in and seeing what kind of milk we’re working with,” he says. “It’s exciting, seeing what chance lies ahead of you.”

Vol. 1 | From Field To Flavour

✍ by Katie Friess
📷 courtesy of Little Qualicum Cheeseworks

https://thecollectivemags.ca/little-qualicum-cheeseworks-farmstead-cheese/

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