Ucluelet

District of Ucluelet
District
Surfing on the beaches of Ucluelet Surfing on the beaches of Ucluelet
Nickname:  Ukee
Location of Ucluelet in British Columbia
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Region	Vancouver Island
Regional district	Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District
Incorporated	1952
Government
• Governing body	Ucluelet Council
Area
• Total	6.55 km2 (2.53 sq mi)
Elevation	20 m (70 ft)
Population  (2006)
• Total	1,487
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
Postal code span	V0R 3A0
Area code	250
Highways	4
Waterways	Barkley Sound
Website	Ucluelet.BC.ca

Ucluelet (Template:Pron-en) is a community (population about 1,500) on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Ucluelet means "safe harbour" in the indigenous Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) language.

Demographics

Both Ucluelet and nearby Tofino have become target sites for the construction of retirement resorts in the past 10 years, although the local population has been historically fishing and logging-based . Very important in local society is the presence of the Yu-cluth-aht people ("people of the safe landing place" or "people of the safe harbour" in Nuu-chah-nulth), whose government is the Ucluelet First Nation. Their community is based at Ittatsoo (Ucluelet Indian Reserve), which is located 28 kilometres from the town of Ucluelet.

Travel

Ucluelet has an airport, Tofino Ucluelet Airport, about twenty minutes drive from town. Long Beach Airport is accessible to small passenger planes and the harbour in Ucluelet, Ucluelet Water Aerodrome, is accessible to floatplanes. Coastal fog is a common morning phenomenon in the summer, complicating access by air until the weather clears.

Accessing Ucluelet by car from the North American mainland involves taking a ferry to Vancouver Island from Vancouver or Seattle or Port Angeles, then driving a little over 3 hours northwest across the island, along Highway 4. Ferry access from Vancouver to the island is provided by BC Ferries.

Tofino Bus also services Ucluelet from Victoria, Vancouver, Nanaimo and Port Alberni.

Geography

It is located at the northern edge of Barkley Sound between two sections of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve: the Broken Group Islands and Long Beach.

Like its neighbour Tofino, Ucluelet is making the transition from a resource-based economy to a tourism-based economy.

Festivals and Events

Every March, the Pacific Rim Whale Festival is a week of celebratory events hosted by Ucluelet, Tofino, and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. The end of July or the last weekend are Ukee Days, a local celebration with several events such as a salmon barbecue on Friday, pancake breakfast on Saturday and a Ukee Days dance.

Broadcasting

It is possible that in the near future that the town may become a centre for high power international broadcasting, because of its remoteness (an important issue considering the radio frequency interference produced by shortwave transmission sites) and easy access to a reasonably reliable power grid. Radio Canada International has proposed the construction of a relay station in Tofino-Ucluelet.

• RCI Proposal
• 
  Targeting Australasia
• 
  Targeting Indonesia
• 
  Targeting Latin America
• 
  CBC-SRC domestic SW proposal that could also be placed on this part of Vancouver Island

Dining

Restaurants

• Matterson House
• Black Rock Resort
• Romans Pizza
• Cruisin' Chicken
• Canadian Princess Resort
• Delicado's Surfside Cafe
• BigSwell Westcoast Eatery
• On Shore
• Norwoods
• The Floathouse Restaurant
• Driftwood Patio Restaurant
• Eagle's Nest Pub
• Gray Whale Ice Cream & Delicatessen
• Ukee Dogs
• Rooster's Cafe
• Wickaninnish Restaurant on Long Beach

Activities

• The Wild Pacific Trail, a popular wilderness trail that begins near the mouth of Ucluelet Inlet at Amphitrite Point, follows the rocky headlands north into the Weyerhaeuser lands, recently rezoned for residential and commercial development.
• Various marine tours and charters including sea kayaking, whale and wildlife watching and sports fishing can be hired in Ucluelet.