BC Marine Trails Network

If you are planning a trip north of Tofino, to Vargas, Flores, surrounding islands, or Hot Springs Cove, visitation is subject to a $15 / day stewardship fee payable to the Ahousaht Stewardship Fund. The Fund supports the Ahousaht Stewardship Guardian Program, combining western science and Ahousaht knowledge to support the preservation, restoration and protection of Ahousaht resources and culture for generations to come.

See a full territory map, and find out more at https://mhssahousaht.ca/stewardship-fee/

Help us improve photo coverage of sites on the BC Marine Trails map!

Site Condition Reporting can be as simple as photo submission! Check the map for sites without photos, subpar photos, or lacking certain angles or features – then, add them to your next trip. Or, click the link below to see which sites need your help!

- Ensure identifiable people are not present in site photos
- Ensure campfires are not present in site photos
- Include shots of landings (at multiple tide heights if possible), tent sites, hazards, infrastructure, and features of interest

Sites with one or fewer photos: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gTi6hZyg4oeh1bKaqv4WpXG0ahCBe4f-Lyjr-wodeAU/edit?gid=0 =0

Shane Pollard has been the We Wai Kai First Nation Guardian Manager since 2022.

The We Wai Kai Guardians initially focussed their work on lands-based research and monitoring in their Nation’s territory, such as research into elk habitat and behaviour and surveys of cultural sites and culturally modified trees in potential logging areas, but Shane also co-led work in 2023 and 2024 on revitalizing a 4,000-year-old clam garden in his Nation’s territory.

“Being a Guardian and doing this kind of work is so important,” says Shane. “Our people have cultivated clam gardens for millennia and they still are a vital food source for us, culturally and physically. It’s exciting to be part of these efforts to protect our special places.”

On June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day, we recognize and celebrate the history, heritage, resilience, and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Canada.

Today, BC Marine Trails invites you to join us on a journey in citizen-based reconciliation. Start with Nation’s Engagement Committee member Camille Boulianne’s article on Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) and their significance for the recreational community: https://www.bcmarinetrails.org/ipca/

Looking to dive deeper? Explore our suggested reading and listening list!