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James Douglas, shown ca. 1861, was governor of the colony of Vancouver Island from 1851 to 1864, and governor of the mainland colony of British Columbia from 1858 to 1864. Image A-01227 courtesy of the Royal BC Museum.
Miners pan for gold near Yale in the 1870s. Though the Fraser River gold rush was long over, some men still tried their luck in the waters. Image A-01958 courtesy of the Royal BC Museum.
Roadbuilding was a leading priority of James Douglas, who knew that British Columbia’s many natural resources would remain inaccessible, and thus unprofitable to Great Britain, without “a great system of roads” to connect the many remote communities of the colony. Image D-08062 courtesy of the Royal BC Museum.
Appointed governor of the mainland colony of British Columbia in 1864, Frederick Seymour was named governor of the merged colonies of British Columbia and Vancouver Island in 1866. He was photographed visiting the Heron mining claim in the Cariboo near Barkerville the following year. Seymour is at far right. Image F-08565 courtesy of the Royal BC Museum.
Bishop George Hills, shown here ca. 1860, came to Victoria in January 1860 as the first Anglican bishop of British Columbia. He remained in that position until 1892. Image G-05683 courtesy of the Royal BC Museum.
A severe shortage of white women in British Columbia meant that partnering with an Indigenous woman was the only option for most miners, like these photographed at the Mucho Oro claim at Stouts Gulch ca. 1868. Image A-00613 courtesy of the Royal BC Museum.
Comatatqua Joseph (at right in front row), daughter of Chief Tsil.Husalst, married Edmund Shepherd (second from left in front row), originally from New Brunswick, in the early 1860s. Among their children were (back row, left to right) Agnes, Frederick, William, and Cecelia; (front row) Julia and Adelaide. Edmund earned his living through gold mining, working on the Fraser River steamships, and working for the Hudson’s Bay Company. He stayed in British Columbia, and the descendants of Edmund and Comatatqua still live in the province. Photo courtesy of Donna Sweet.
Securing pensions for British Columbia’s many civil servants , including members of the Legislative Assembly, pictured ca. 1870, was one of the preconditions of Confederation. From left to right on porch: W.A. Franklin, house messenger; Henry Holbrook; Wymond Ogilvy Hamley; Edward Graham Alston; Philip J. Hankin; Montague William Tyrwhitt-Drake; Joseph M. Trutch (sitting on porch at top of steps); Thomas L. Wood; Henry Maynard Ball; Edgar Dewdney; Arthur Thomas Bushby. From left to right in foreground: Amor de Cosmos; Henry Pering Pellew Crease; D.B. King (seated on steps, with dog); Thomas B. Humphreys; John Robson. Image C-06178 courtesy of the Royal BC Museum.

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Calm Harbour, Turbulent Seas

A History of Ucluelet

Shirley Martin

Shirley Martin weaves accounts of shipwrecks and sea serpents, settlement and dispossession, tragedy and resilience, unsolved mysteries and surprising revelations to depict the rich and vibrant history of Ucluelet and surrounding area.

Once an isolated outpost, now a touted tourist destination, Ucluelet sits at the gateway to Barkley Sound, epitomising “life on the edge.”

The history of Ucluelet begins with stories shared by local Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ (Ucluelet) and t̓uk̓ʷaaʔatḥ (Toquaht) people about life before European contact. The arrival of fur traders, whalers and missionaries brought cataclysmic changes and compelling personal stories of the settlers and the pre-emptionists who followed. Drama abounds in the depiction of shipwrecks, lifeboat rescues and the building of the iconic Amphitrite Point Lighthouse. Martin describes the ships that were once a lifeline to the outside world, and details the struggle for the long-awaited road.

Chapters on mining, fishing and logging demonstrate Ucluelet’s roots as a resource-based town and examine the profound changes brought about by the “War in the Woods.” With the turnaround from resource-based employment, Ucluelet shifted into tourism.

Calm Harbour, Turbulent Seas captures the essence of Ucluelet, including an account of the still-thriving art scene, and concludes with a look at the present-day community—what has changed and what remains the same.

Calm Harbour, Turbulent Seas is available in hardcover from your favourite bookstore or directly from Harbour Publishing.

ISBN 13: 9781998526161
6 × 9 – 448 pp
CAD$39.95 • USD$34.95

An ebook edition is also available from Amazon, Kobo, Apple iBooks and other ebook retailers.

An illustrated map of the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

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