ABC Wednesday
December 2nd, 2015
The letter is U

U for Ucluelet

Pronounce it "Yew-Kloo-Let.

In the language of the aboriginal Nuti-chah-nulth it means " Safe Harbour"

from stormy seas...

Northwest Native Canoe

Ucuelet seems to have been a fishing village forever, - it was
a First Nations settlement when fur sealers first arrived in the 1870s
Archaeology traces the presence of the Nuu-chah-nulth here
to 4,300 years ago, so when visitors to the area so often
find a kind of spirituality with this breathtaking coast
it's no surprise.

Those who live on this edge of the world are irrevocably tied to the ocean.
The people fished for salmon, cod, halibut and shellfish
and hunted sea lions, seals and whales.

Ucluelet today has a small aquarium, but the nearby Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre
houses a collection of Nuu-chah-nulth artifacts.

Europeans discovered Barkley Sound in the 1770s, in pursuit of whales and seals,
but it took another hundred years for settlers to reach the 'edge'
and confront the challenges of daily living.

Since then Gold Rush miners, foresters, Japanese fishermen, soldier, dreamers
and entrepreneurs have all contributed to Ukee's 'rough and tumble soul'
Ukee is what the natives call the village

The new wave is tourists, and there is much for them to see and do
in this amazing natural community.

Whale watching

Bear watching

kayaking

fishing

surfing

camping and boating

or just making castles on the beach...

nearby is the Wild Pacific Trail, for hiking.

 a birdseye view of the village - downtown Ucluelet

copywrite noted

the lighthouse

You know you want to come!!!!

how to get there - a three hour drive from Nanaimo's Departure Bay ferry,
a five hour drive from Victoria, or for leisurely travellers a cruise of the
scenic Alberni Inlet/Barkley Sound to Ucluelet

For more interesting "U"s visit here at ABC Wednesday
with thanks to Denise, Roger, and their Utterly delightful helpers.