The Nootka Sound region on Canada’s west coast is best known as the “birthplace of British Columbia” - a title referring to the pivotal role the area played in the struggle between Spain and Britain in the late 18th century over territorial control of the entire west coast of North America, from Mexico to Alaska. Today, the area is sparsely populated and characterized by its reliance on resource-based industries - forestry, fishing, and mining.

The challenge

The Nootka Sound communities of Tahsis, Zeballos, Gold River and Kyuquot felt that their modern day history was important, and worth preserving. They also wanted to foster a sense of community pride and strengthen what they saw as the region’s immense tourism potential.

Using a rich blend of personal accounts, old photographs, and breathtaking scenery, Nootka Sound Explored tells the story of the Nootka Sound region on Vancouver Island's west coast, as experienced by the people who have lived and worked there. Click here to order and find out more.

Strategy and execution

Working with the local regional district and town councils, Whalebone Productions documented and recorded the region’s modern-day history through extensive interviews and archival research. Travelling by floatplane and boat, we visited remote, outlying Aboriginal villages, explored working gold mines, visited logging operations and fish camps, and toured pulp mills and sawmills. We interviewed hundreds of people, from pioneers and old-timers to community leaders, business owners, and townspeople.

Whalebone Productions produced a 90-minute video and a book, “Nootka Sound Explored,” the first regional history of the area. Using a rich blend of personal accounts, old photographs and written records, both the video and the book chronicle the development of the region, from the time of European contact to the present. They tell the story of the modern forestry communities of Tahsis, Zeballos, Gold River and Kyuquot, and their links to the past.

Results
Published by Ptarmigan Press, “Nootka Sound Explored” received the annual Writer's Award from the British Columbia Historical Federation for best community history. Both the book and the video were sold in bookstores as well as through the local town councils, and were made available in schools and public libraries.

In addition, the Nootka Sound history project inspired each of the communities to start their own local museums, visitor centers, and economic development organizations to help strengthen and revitalize the region’s economy and sense of community.

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