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UCLUELET – Spring is spring up in Ucluelet after a successful and rather pleasant winter. Our visitor centres finished the year up with some impressive visitor statistics. Our downtown office went from 4,950 visitors in 2014 to 11,060 in 2015, while our Pacific Rim Visitor Centre at the junction went from 58,084 in 2014 to 78,742 in 2015. Our staff have been working hard!
At the Annual General Meeting in November of 2015, we welcomed new board members; Sarah Duncan of Coastal Community Credit Union, Damien Storm of Playground of the Senses and John Duncan of John Duncan Consulting. They join our executive; Dave Christensen, President, of Remax; Cathy Whitcomb, Vice President, of Whiskey Landing Lodge; Nicky Ling, Treasurer, of Ukee InfoTech; and Marilyn McEwen, Secretary, of Anchors Inn.
The Chamber of Commerce, along with Ucluelet Co-op, Whiskey Landing Lodge, Harbour Manager Kevin Cortes and family, and Grey Whale Deli, hosted a fantastic Christmas sail past in mid December under a clear, crisp starry night. With well over 300 spectators watching from shore, and 14 decorated boats sailing past, the evening was enjoyed by all. This annual event has inspired local artist Marla Thirsk to create an amazing painting that has been recreated on our recent banner installation in our town.
Earlier that month, the Ucluelet Aquarium held its annual release party which saw community members and visitors converge on the aquarium to return the creatures back to the ocean. This event continues to grow in popularity.
The chamber has been busy with its partner organizations preparing for the annual Edge to Edge marathon, this year scheduled for June 12. We are happy to announce that this year’s event will begin at Long Beach with a healthy “trail mix” of beach, bike path, and a section of our magnificent Wild Pacific Trail.
Also, this year we have added a 10km run for those not ready for a marathon but still wanting to be part of the event. Again, along with our partner organizations, we have been meeting regularly to plan for our hosting the 2016 Tourism Vancouver Island Conference and AGM. The event looks to have something for everyone – we encourage everyone to bring their families and enjoy all Ucluelet has to offer!
In our most recent Business Walk, council and chamber board members joined forces to canvas local business on how local government and the chamber of commerce can help in their success and help the business community to thrive. One of the questions involved the implementation of a form of tax exemption for businesses making significant improvements to their property. This has now gone back to council and District staff for further investigation and discussion. Another business walk is planned for April 12.
March looks to be an incredible month to be in Ucluelet. We will be hosting the Vancouver Opera in two performances of “Stickboy”, March 10 and 11. March 12 – 20 sees Black Rock Oceanfront Resort home to the annual Arts Splash, featuring a fantastic display of local and regional art and special times for artists in action. For a complete schedule see www.pacificrimarts.ca Also beginning March 12 is the 30th annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival with a full two-week schedule of events. Their schedule is available at www.pacificrimwhalefestival.com.
– Sally Mole is Executive Director of the Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce at 1604 Peninsula Rd.
