After 3-5 years post-completion, the additional campsites, trails, and related activity are projected to generate an additional $775,000 of tourism spending annually.
Nitinaht Lake, located on the traditional territory of the Ditidaht First Nation, is a growing destination for tourism. The lake is frequented by kiteboarders for its strong, reliable winds, and in 2016 became a formal access point to the West Coast Trail. The Ditidaht has established a number of businesses catering to the adventure-tourism market and enhancing the destination’s overall tourism appeal, most recently by securing a license to operate the provincial campground at Nitinaht Lake.
The Caycuse Recreation Site project will double the existing campground with the creation of 52 additional campsites, 12 RV sites, beach access and other campground facilities. Cultural tourism elements, such as entrance arbours and a carving shed, will provide opportunities for the Nation to share their culture and history with visitors. The project will also include a trail to the Looper Creek Canyon, a spectacular limestone gorge, serving to attract broader and more family-based demographics.
Through expanded capacity and improved amenities, this project is anticipated to capture new markets in support of a tourism hub at Nitinaht Lake. Anticipated benefits include long-term growth and support for existing Ditidaht business, as well as serving as a catalyst for new opportunities in eco-tourism, artisan sales, guiding and equipment rentals.
Island Coastal Economic Trust approved funding for this project in 2021 through the Capital and Innovation program.
We work in reciprocal relationships with coastal communities across the ancestral territories of the Kwak̓wala, Nuučaan̓uɫ, Éy7á7juuthem, Ligwilda'xw, Pəntl'áč, She shashishalhem, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, Hul’q’umi’num’, diitiidʔaatx̣, SENĆOŦEN, Lekwungen, and T’Sou-ke speaking peoples.
