One of Canada’s most iconic ocean storm watching spots has a new interpretive centre with a wraparound observation deck.
Located at the end of Coast Guard Drive in the town of Ucluelet on Vancouver Island, B.C., the public space overlooking the Amphitrite Point Lighthouse on the legendary Wild Pacific Trail was officially unveiled at a ribbon cutting ceremony on March 25.
“This place is called ʔič̓aačišt and it means, ‘One sees the place rise up out of the water as one approaches it’,” said Jeneva Touchie, Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government manager of language services.
“It’s an old placename. My grandma used to make us come all the time to go for a quick walk before the trail was built. She just loved being here. I like to come here in the summertime to do my morning prayer,” said Touchie.
Operated by the District of Ucluelet, the new 50-60 capacity venue creates a special space for non-profits to run daily programming.
“Amphitrite centre is an 11-year dream come true,” said Barbara Schramm, president of the Wild Pacific Trail Society.
Naturalists with the Wild Pacific Trail Society and Raincoast Education Society will be around daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to chat to visitors and west coasters about wildlife, surf conditions and all the wonders of the coastal rainforest.
“With district support, we can actually take the leap of faith into year-round programming, which is a huge financial leap forward. If we had to pay high rent, it would be impossible,” said Schramm.
Touchie says she’d like to offer Nuu-chah-nulth language classes in the new space.
For Ucluelet Mayor Marilyn McEwen, who is a 28-year board member of the Pacific Rim Whale Festival Society, the spot has always been her favourite place to see whales, especially during the March migration.
She said “no tax dollars were spent” on the roughly $1.3 million Amphitrite interpretive centre, with costs being split between by the province (33 per cent), the federal government (40 per cent) and Resort Municipality Initiative revenue (27 per cent).
The price tag included site prep, building renovation, the new wraparound deck and the installation of an accessible washroom, according to McEwen.
B.C. Minister of Health and MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim Josie Osborne was home visiting her riding and helped cut the ceremonial red ribbon.
“We owe a lot of gratitude to the Nuu-chah-nulth for stewarding this place and sharing it with us,” said MLA Osborne. “This is a really remarkable achievement that can only come about with partnerships; the district, the province, the federal government, and all these local partners.”
Ucluelet and Area Historical Society (UAHS) is currently working on more informational panels with the help from Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government language department.
“What’s really exciting about right now is all of this together represents almost 6,000 years of history, right here on this spot,” said Phil Hood, UAHS board member.
He shared that the region has always been a diverse cultural centre with its incredible First Nations heritage, as well as the Japanese and colonial history.
“We are here because of the colonial history right now. Our job with the historical society is to make sure we balance those three cultures and balance the good and bad with all of it and not take a position that places the colonial history over the other histories. That’s a real challenge,” said Hood.
District of Ucluelet’s director of community services Abby Fortune has championed the revival of the old lightkeeper’s house at Amphitrite Point for years.
“We’re just really excited that it’s open and operating. This is just the start of things to come,” said Fortune. “We’re getting weddings booked here already.”
The Amphitrite Point interpretive centre is fully rentable during evening and early morning hours. For inquiries, contact the District of Ucluelet: 250-726-7744.
