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Ucluelet

Small community-big adventure

Ucluelet - small community-big adventure

10/24/2019

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Ever since moving to Alberta from Ontario in 1975, the mountains have been my go-to destination. Any time I headed out for a day trip or whenever I planned a camping trip, I always headed towards the majestic Canadian Rockies. There isn’t much that can compare to the calming scene of a cold mist rolling over a glassy mountain lake at sunrise.
​Somewhere out there, the loon calls, breaking through the silence of the clean, crisp air whilst the campfire coffee brews on an open fire. Just reflecting on those moments makes me want to pack up my sleeping bag and hit the road. Although my affection for the peaks is not lessened, Canada does, however, offer other geographical delicacies that I am starting to appreciate just as much.

I wrote a piece a short time ago about a jaunt I made to the Stettler Museum and Big Valley and how there was something about the prairies that appealed to me. Maybe it’s the feeling of freedom I get when I look out to the horizon or, maybe it’s in my blood. My father was born in Saskatchewan—maybe there’s a genetic connection. Whatever the reason, there is something about the flat land that comforts me. And now it’s the ocean--its rugged shorelines, the richness of life that lies hidden just under the surface and, I suppose, the same feeling of freedom I get when looking out to the horizon.

This time last year, I was wrapping up my seven week visit to the east coast. I loved it there, not just because of the beauty of everywhere, moreover the incredible friendliness and generosity of the folks I met there. Wherever I went I said, “I could live here.” So, this month I spent time on the west coast, and I felt just as contented.

The summer of 2011 was the second time I visited Ucluelet—my first visit to that small, west coast community was a couple of years before that. I wasn’t really all that captivated during that first visit, mainly because I didn’t take time to explore. I did venture down to the waterfront and looked around a bit, but that was it. I think I was more interested in getting to Tofino to check out the surfing there. Not that I planned to participate in the activity, but I was interested in checking out the surfing capital of Canada. It’s like Banff in winter except people walk around with surf boards slung over their shoulders instead of snow boards. Tofino is a cool place.

During my 2011 visit to the coast, I decided to rent a room in Ucluelet for a couple of nights and explore the area a little more. I realized then that you could get right down to the ocean (I should have known that on the first visit. Afterall, it is a coastal community). I discovered there was a lot more to this little community than I initially realized, and I vowed to return to explore some more.

This past summer, I worked as a shuttle driver in Lake Louise, a job that exposed me to a multitude of international visitors every day. Although I thoroughly enjoy meeting and chatting with people from all over the world, there does come a point near the end of the season when you just need a break. With the month of October off, all I needed to do was decide in what direction to point the Jeep and start driving. Winter had already revealed herself in Alberta and I suppose I could have considered a more tropical destination, but my goal is to explore as much of Canada I can.

Intentionally traveling to a place where the weather is awful might seem counter-intuitive to most, but I have always wanted to check this out—storm watching season on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The best time to go, I hear, is between November and February. Doesn’t sound like the most pleasurable winter getaway, right. It is, however, a tourist attraction in Tofino and Ucluelet. When I checked on-line, I discovered that storm season typically begins in October, so I hoped it might be a good time to witness some crashing waves and get my fill of dramatic photos. Either that or the weather would be much nicer there than in Alberta, so Ucluelet it was. Either way, I win.

Ucluelet is home to about 1800 people and has become a major tourist destination. In summer, I’m sure the Wild Pacific Trail is packed with hikers and the harbor is bustling with visitors gearing up for a whale or bear watching tour or getting ready to venture out on a guided fishing trip hoping to land a big halibut or salmon. However, as in Lake Louise, October in Ucluelet is quiet time, relatively speaking. That was just fine with me. No crowds to fight, still lots to do and bonus, cheaper.

I did mention that October might be a good storm watching month or it might offer milder temperatures than I left in Alberta. Milder won out, and in the end, I am happy for that. Warm temperatures and calm seas suited me just fine. One day, however, I will make the trip when the weather favours storm watching over whale watching.
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If you’re looking for beautiful scenery, adventure and small-town hospitality, a getaway to Ucluelet might just be what the doc ordered.

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Jamie's Whaling Station and Adventure Centre

10/24/2019

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Another I’m sure you’ve read about this reminder--on the Everyone has a Story page. I wrote about a young man named Dylan Nakagawa, tour guide extraordinaire. Dylan was the guide on my second whale watching tour of the trip. I assume most tour companies in the Ucluelet/Tofino area are reliable and responsible operators and I did enjoy my experience on the first tour with a company out of Tofino. I did, however, get the shots I wanted while out with Dylan on a Jamie’s zodiac. I did mention in Dylan’s story that my intuition told me to make my first booking with Jamie’s. By not doing so, I likely missed an even greater opportunity to get more spectacular shots of both grey whales and hump backs.

No second-guessing next time. It’ll be Jamie’s. So, this plug is for Jamie’s Whaling Station operating out of Ucluelet and Tofino. And again, all the best to Dylan as he embarks on new adventures in Australia.
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www.jamies.com 

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Zoe's Bakery and Cafe - a fortunate find

10/24/2019

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I’m not sure how I missed this place. I had been touring around Ucluelet for five days and was always on the lookout for new places to eat. It wasn’t until the second last day of my stay that I came across Zoe’s. I’m not sure how I missed it before—I probably drove by it ten times and the building does have some noticeable distinguishing features. But, I did. I am, however, glad that the bakery caught my eye on a casual drive-by that day.

The aroma of freshly backed treats filled the room and Zoe and her staff were busy kneading and stirring up yet more tasty treats in the open kitchen. I was momentarily distracted as I watched Zoe mix a delicious looking blend of colour—a new batch of cake batter, I assumed. I looked up at the menu board and carefully deliberated before choosing the autumn kale salad. Delicious, and filling. Not filling enough, I guess. That big piece of apple crisp in the display case was way too tantalizing to pass up.

Zoe was kind allowing me to snap a few pics inside her establishment and despite being up to her elbows in pastry dough, she did take a few minutes to chat. Zoe told me that she is a native British Columbian but was born far from the rugged shores of the Pacific Ocean. She hails from the Kootenay Region, just south of Nakusp. She opened her bakery five years ago and has obviously made her mark as one of the most popular establishments in Ucluelet. Still not sure how I missed it. From our brief chinwag, Zoe struck me as a determined woman and like most folks in this small community, I know that she is a staunch supporter of the environment and to living a healthy lifestyle. Well, I did confirm that last part from her website and the Zoe Bakery and Café Facebook page.
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Zoe’s is a whole foods bakery that uses organic when possible as-well-as locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. Zoe also encourages customers to bring their own to-go containers, anything that reduces the need for single use packaging. She observes creative food waste reduction practices in her kitchen and anything not useable is turned into compost that in turn, is used to grow her own organic ingredients. My kind of eating establishment.
 
I will return to Ucluelet someday and to be sure, I won’t miss Zoe’s Bakery and Cafe again. Check out the bakery at: www.zoesbakeryandcafe.comwww.zoesbakeryandcafe.com and when you make your visit to Ucluelet, tell her I sent you.

Zoe whipping-up more delicious treats
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Ucluelet Aquarium - education and conservation

10/24/2019

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PictureThe new aquarium
​I’m sure you’ve read about Laura Griffith-Cochrane on the Everyone has a Story page. I first met Laura in 2011 when she was an enthusiastic young woman working at the aquarium. When I returned this year, I was pleasantly surprised to find that she is still at the aquarium, now holding the position of curator.

The new, larger Ucluelet Aquarium operates the same way as the old structure did, which prior to 2012 was not much more than a plywood shack. Periodically, specimens are collected from the waters around Ucluelet and put into tanks. Water is pumped directly from the bay into each tank, constantly recirculating, providing an environment for the aquatic critters as close to natural as it gets. After they have astonished, educated and wowed guests of all ages, those sea creatures are returned to their natural homes and a new batch of animals is collected. The whole process is designed to offer visitors a peak at some of the most amazing and mysterious animals on the planet while applying careful and thoughtful conservation techniques.

Since the new building opened in 2012, the aquarium has become a major international attraction in Ucluelet welcoming thousands of visitors through its doors each year. Visitors to the aquarium not only get a close-up view of these amazing animals, they get a hands-on experience, or at least a gentle touch experience, with some of the smaller critters. Education is the name of the game and the aquarium offers educational programs for school and tour groups.

This is a list of some of the aquatic creatures you’ll find at the aquarium: Octopus, Painted Anemone, Plankton, Scallops, Urchins, Green Surf Anemone, Sponges, Rockfish, Striped Surf Perch, Squat Lobster, Longfin Sculpin, Tubesnout, Bat Star, Turban Snail, Chiton, Strawberry Anemone, Umbrella Crab, Nudibranch, Sea Cucumber, Leather Star, Sand Dollar.

There is also a microplastics display that demonstrates the damage we are doing to this--not just precious but necessary ecosystem called the ocean.
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Go to: www.uclueletaquarium.org to read more about the aquarium. It will necessarily need to be on your list of places to visit if you are anywhere near Ucluelet.

Laura Griffith-Cochrane - Curator
The Terrie family getting the hands on experience
The micro plastic display
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