All new events and happenings

Rough seas calming: Tin Wis, past, present, and future

Tin Wis is within Tla-o-qui-aht Ḥaaḥuułi and the Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks, and like the ancestral village site that existed here for tens of thousands of years, the 85-room beachfront hotel stands facing one of the oldest highways on earth – the ocean. Connected to this deeply storied place, Tin Wis Best Western Resort’s own evolution relies upon the resilience of the Tla-o-qui-aht people, ancestral land and identity, and the perseverance of Cultural Lifeways as well as the Indigenous laws which protect biological diversity.

Read More

The return of the whales is a timeless celebration  

Every spring along the west coast of Vancouver Island, something remarkable happens . . . the whales return. From the warm waters of Baja California to the rich feeding grounds of the north, Eastern North Pacific grey whales and humpback whales make their long journey back along the coastline. For thousands of years, these migrations have passed through the waters of Clayoquot Sound, returning to Nuučaan̓uł/Nuu-chah-nulth territories where people have lived in relationship with the ocean since time immemorial. For the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ (Tla-o-qui-aht) people, the return of the whales is more than a seasonal spectacle. It is part of a much larger story of connection, stewardship, and respect for the marine world. Here in Tofino, visitors and locals alike gather along the shoreline, watching for the first spouts on the horizon, a timeless celebration that signals the changing of the seasons and the enduring rhythm of life along this coast.

Read More

Celebrating the return of the whales

Whale Festival offers something for everyone from educational opportunities to learn more about whales and their west coast environment with hands-on seines and beach cleanups to an inspiring film about conservation-in-action, The Whale and The Raven, narrated by iconic artist-activist, Roy Henry Vickers, to all-out fun at the Spout Ball showdown between volunteer firefighting departments and the festival closer, the Baleen Bash.

Read More