History
Ucluelet
Harbour is rich in cultural and natural history. The name "Ucluelet"
comes from the Nuu-chah-nulth word meaning "safe landing place".
There are five communities around the inlet: Ucluelet First Nation (Ittatsoo),
Toquaht Nation, Millstream, Port Albion and the District of Ucluelet.
The harbour has sustained First Nations for thousands of years. Oral histories
describe several independent groups occupying the area around Ucluelet
Harbour. Each group had a Chief (Haw'iih), a namesake village
and its own territory (hahuuti). European diseases and intertribal
warfare decimated native populations, forcing the groups to unite to survive.
Present day Ucluelet First Nations is a consolidation of seven formerly
independent groups. Toquaht Nation held two villages at the mouth of Ucluelet
Inlet. Toquaht and Ucluelet are related socially and culturally, yet maintain
their respective tribal identities.
In 1860, the first white settler, Captain Stuart from Nanaimo, arrived
in Ucluelet, closely followed by the Sutton brothers from Seattle. The
Suttons pre-empted huge tracts of land around Kennedy Lake and opened
the first sawmill, ushering in the industrial age of Ucluelet Harbour.
In
the 1920's, Japanese fishermen came to Ucluelet, leaving the lower mainland
due to poor sockeye returns and restrictive fishing policies. By the 1930's
there were 60 Japanese families and 18 white families in Ucluelet. The
communities collaborated well until the Great Depression caused divisions.
Japan's attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941 shattered the thriving Japanese
community in Ucluelet, with the eventual internment of Japanese inland.
Following the war, a fraction of these families returned to the area to
resume their livlihood.
With the arrival of Europeans in the 1800's, sealing and whaling became
important industries. For the last century, fishing and logging have been
the main economic drivers. Now, as with many coastal communities, tourism
is having its turn. Ucluelet Harbour is a well-known safe haven for commercial
fish boats and a popular launch site for sport fishing boats. Wildlife
abounds, both above the water and below. Tours of the harbour are available
by sea kayak, canoe, Zodiac, sea-plane and converted trollers.
