A-Life BC Travel Blog

By Jacqueline Windh

The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States. Its image appears on many American government seals. But when I used to kayak-guide in Clayoquot Sound, I found it ironic that many Americans only see a bald eagle for the first time here in Canada. To residents of Tofino and Ucluelet, a soaring bald eagle is almost a daily sight.

Bald eagle populations fell into decline in the U.S.A. as a result of both DDT pesticide use, which kept the birds from reproducing successfully, and as a result of hunting. By the mid-1950s, a bald eagle population that was estimated to have been in the hundreds of thousands had fallen to just 412 nesting pairs (in the U.S.A., excluding Alaska). The bald eagle was placed on the endangered species list in 1967, and DDT was banned in the U.S.A. in 1972.

By Jacqueline Windh

It’s that time of year when we’re all scrambling around to buy Christmas gifts. We actually have quite a number of talented published local authors in and around Tofino and Ucluelet. So I’d like to suggest a few books which could make great gifts for people who either already love the West Coast, or who you may want to introduce to the West Coast.

Beyond the Outer Shores, by Eric Enno Tamm

Beyond the Outer Shores is an account of the life of Ed Ricketts - scientist, writer, and mentor and best friend to John Steinbeck. Ricketts co-authored two books on the Pacific Coast with Steinbeck, and was working on a third to complete the trilogy when he died. That third book, The Outer Shores, was to be the "northern sequel" to the first two, and Ricketts’ research took him to the Tofino and Ucluelet shores. Author Eric Enno Tamm was born in Tofino and raised in Ucluelet, although he currently lives in Ontario.

By Jacqueline Windh

The Thornton Creek Salmon Hatchery is only a short drive from Ucluelet. This hatchery and creek are one of the best places to observe a miracle of the natural world: the annual salmon spawn. And it is also a great place to watch bears in the wild - especially this time of year.

The hatchery itself is part of a salmon enhancement project that raises baby salmon to be released in streams and rivers throughout the Clayoquot/Barkley Sound region. Scientists still do not fully understand what has caused the decline of the salmon. Some factors include: a history of overfishing; industrial logging, which clogs up streams with mud and logging debris; and salmon farming, which results in non-native salmon species escaping to the wild and which also may introduce and concentrate diseases that pass to wild salmon populations.

By Jacqueline Windh

Vargas Island, Flores Island, Estevan Point, Juan de Fuca Strait, Alberni Inlet… even the town of Tofino! Have you ever wondered why there are so many Spanish names here?

Few Canadians today are aware of how strong the Spanish presence was, here on the west coast, just over 200 years ago. The Spanish were actually the first Europeans to make contact with the First Nations people here - four years before the arrival of Captain Cook.

In 1774, a frigate under the command of Juan Pérez was dispatched from the Spanish naval base of San Blas (in Mexico) to explore the coast to the north. In August of that year, the ship sailed into a small cove on the west coast of the Hesquiaht Peninsula, about halfway between Clayoquot and Nootka Sounds. Although none of the Spaniards went ashore - a strong westerly wind pushing them towards the rocky coast forced them to weigh anchor and depart - some of the Hesquiaht natives paddled out to the ship before it left. Contact was made, and gifts were exchanged.

By Jacqueline Windh

A lot of people think of this time of year, particularly the month of October, as the time of the salmon spawn. But here on the west coast, the salmon spawn actually goes for well over half the year - although the peak of activity is definitely through the autumn months.

There are seven species of Pacific salmon here - that is including steelhead and cutthroat trout, which used to be classified in the trout genus, but are now considered to be salmon.

Unfortunately, we also now have Atlantic salmon out here too. They have been escaping from salmon farms for years and surviving in the wild. Fishery workers have observed them ascending spawning streams, where they may disrupt the eggs of the native salmon when they spawn on top of their nests.

By Jacqueline Windh

It surprises me how many west-coasters do not know about the salal berry. I’m not saying all of them - there are lots of locals who head out salal berry picking at this time of year. But there are also lots who don’t even know that it’s edible. It’s as if they assume that something that is this abundant can’t possibly taste good.

And that’s the great thing about the salal berry - it is so abundant that you can collect lots of it for very little effort. Salal is the main shrub growing on the rainforest floor here on the west coast. With its tough and leathery leaves, it is actually a member of the heather family.

Because of its abundance, it was one of the few plant foods that were mainstays of the traditional Nuu-chah-nulth diet.

By Jacqueline Windh

This week marks the second annual Carving on the Edge Festival, a celebration of the west coast carver which takes place in numerous venues in Tofino and Ucluelet, as well as in between, in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

It only makes sense that the west coast of Vancouver Island, with its abundant oldgrowth forests, has spawned generations of wood-carvers. Some of the local woods available to carvers and woodworkers include red cedar, yellow cedar, alder, Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, big-leaf maple, and yew.

Carving here started millennia ago, with the Nuu-chah-nulth people, who carved items that served them in daily life such as canoes and bentwood boxes and bowls, to artistic pieces that also had educational and ceremonial uses, such as totem poles and masks.

Today, Nuu-chah-nulth carving lives on. But there are generations of other west coast carvers here, too, who carve in a range of styles. The Carving on the Edge Festival celebrates them all.

By Jacqueline Windh

For the creatures that live near the ocean shores, the rhythm of the tides is an important part of life. Just like the rising and setting of the sun, or the cycle of the seasons, the tides dictate what they do, and when, and how.

For humans here in Tofino and Ucluelet, this is no different: Paying attention to the tides (something that comes naturally once you have lived here a while) makes life easier.

By Jacqueline Windh

Tofino and Ucluelet tend to attract visitors who value healthy living: clean air and water, keeping active in the outdoors, and nutritious foods. For people who value health and wellness, it helps to know where to find local and organic products.

Each town has a supermarket—the Co-op Grocery stores—with a small organic section and some organic produce, so you may be able to find what you are looking for there. But each town has specialty shops too, and even some local products.

By Jacqueline Windh

This is Tla-o-qui-aht canoe carver Joe Martin. Tla-o-qui-aht are one of the Nuu-chah-nulth tribes, and their traditional territory extends from the Tofino region, to northern Long Beach, and to Kennedy Lake (Haa’uukmin).

Joe is holding a traditional whale-hunting harpoon head. It is traditional in every respect except for some of the materials. The cutting edge of the harpoon head, instead of being made of finely sharpened but fragile mussel shell, is made of metal.