Infrastructure in Remote Communities

Commuters, tourists and those traveling to and from Vancouver Island’s west coast no longer have to endure long traffic delays or schedule conflicts now that the Kennedy Hill Safety Improvement Project is substantially complete.

Improvements to the stretch of Highway 4 adjacent to Kennedy Lake and approximately 14 kilometres northeast of the Tofino/Ucluelet junction have to a large extent wrapped up after more than five years of construction.

The University of Victoria has received a $1 million grant to develop a clean, renewable energy source using the power of ocean waves to supply energy to Yuquot, the ancestral home of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht people.

In a statement dated March 3, the University of Victoria said its Pacific Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery (PRIMED) has received a grant from the 2022 TD Ready Challenge to develop a clean energy project that captures the power of wave energy at Yuquot, BC.

The Ahousaht Wellness Center, under construction on the site of the former Ahousaht Indian Residential School, is near completion and plans are to have it up and running by the end of May, according to elected Chief n̓aasʔałuk (John Rampanen).

“Construction has been ongoing for just over two years and there was a financial hiccup but that has been resolved,” he told Ha-Shilth-Sa.

Pet owners living in remote communities have a tough time accessing veterinary care, leading to exploding pet populations. But that could soon change with the launch of a mobile veterinary clinic from Tofino that will go to places like Ahousaht, Ty-Histanis and Toquaht to offer pet care at a substantial discount.

BC Hydro has announced the installation of a second fast-charging electric vehicle (EV) unit at the Pacific Rim Visitor Centre. The centre was originally built in 2018 with one charging unit. The second was installed in December of 2022.

The site, which was funded as part of a collaboration between BC Hydro, the provincial government, and Natural Resources Canada, is one of 81 sites with 133 units across British Columbia, operated by BC Hydro. Including privately operated charging sites, there are now nearly 20 in the Tofino-Ucluelet area alone.

The small and remote Nuu-chah-nulth village of Ethlateese is working towards relying less on fossil fuels for electricity thanks to a grant from the province’s Community Energy Diesel Reduction (CEDR) program.

The First Nation village, located in the Uchucklesaht Inlet near Barkley Sound, is home to about 25 residents.

Ethlateese is one of 12 First Nations communities throughout British Columbia receiving $7.1 million to develop alternative-energy projects and advance energy efficiency through the CEDR program, a CleanBC initiative.

With recent flooding, Ditidaht members cautiously and safely used the nearly complete bypass road to access grocery shops and attend medical appointments in the nearby towns of Port Alberni and Duncan.

“It worked quite successfully [and] made people very happy that they had the availability to go to Port Alberni or Duncan for their… medical trips [and] grocery shopping,” said Brian Tate, Ditidaht’s chief counsellor.

Just as west coast residents began scrambling for alternative transportation after Tofino Bus announced suspended services last month, Islandlink comes to the rescue.

“Islandlink will start offering bus service between Nanaimo and Tofino three times a week starting on January 30, 2023,” they stated in a news release dated Jan. 12.

This comes as welcome news to residents of outlying communities who rely on the bus service to get to medical appointments in the region’s cities. The bus will also stop at intermediate points in Ucluelet and Port Alberni.

At its Dec. 14 board meeting, the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD) passed resolutions on initiatives aiming to increase local Indigenous influence at the Long Beach Airport. And the Board also announced that it will be applying for a provincial government grant aimed at more fully developing the 835-acre airport site.

There will be no bus service between Port Alberni and the west coast communities of Tofino and Ucluelet from January to May 2023.

A statement on the Vancouver Island Connector website reads:

“To our Valued Customers, after much consideration, we regret to inform you that the Tofino Bus and Vancouver Island Connector, will be pausing services on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023, and will not resume services again until May 2023 as we look to move towards a more seasonal service.”