A-Life BC Travel Blog

For this newly retrofitted information centre and display area, Parks Canada worked closely with the local Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations people. One of the recommendations of the Nuu-chah-nulth Working Group was that it was not appropriate to use the name of a respected chief for the building (although the beach there will still be known as Wickaninnish Beach). The new name, Kwisitis, means “the other end of the beach,” and it refers to the location where the building sits.

The new sign was unveiled by Huu-ay-aht First Nation Chief Councillor Rob Dennis Jr., Ucluelet First Nation representative Barbara Touchie, Alberni-Clayoquot MP Dr. James Lunney, and Parks superintendent Dave McVetty. First Nations canoes took part in the ceremonies.

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve receives about 800,000 visitors per year, the majority of those visiting the Long Beach section (the only section of the park that has road access). Kwisitis Visitor Centre is the hub of the Long Beach section, and the new displays are designed to give visitors a much deeper understanding of the park: its people, its history, and its wild ecosystems.

Aside from the natural history displays, the visitor centre building also houses the famous Wickaninnish Restaurant, as well as the Kwisitis Gift Shop, which is run by the Ucluelet First Nation.

British Columbia Magazine’s editor Jane Nahirny visited the new Kwisitis Visitor Centre earlier this summer, and produced this 8 minute video that gives a taste of what to expect, both inside and out:

- Text by Jacqueline Windh. Photos courtesy of Louanne Ralston/Parks Canada©