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On the beach; Tofino/Ucluelet area on

Vancouver Island includes $500M project

The following is the second of a six-part series on Vancouver Island. This week, we look at the Tofino/Ucluelet area.

It was raining -- not a lot, but enough to make the ground wet, the skies hazy, and the water colder still.

But, hey, it was spring at the most westerly edge of Canada at a time when it was snowing in Calgary.

Besides, two whales had come into the bay the day before to frolic and perform for the locals for about an hour before wending their way back on their migratory trail north.

Life was good, and slow, and peaceful.

There's something about the tranquility of Vancouver Island's most famous spots, Tofino, Ucluelet, and Long Beach -- and areas between and amongst -- that are good for the soul. And hardy souls have come for just that reason.

The population of the two centres of Ucluelet and Tofino together is under 3,000, but more than one million people actually visit the area in the year, mostly in the summer, when the beautiful, pristine sandy beaches beckon.

It's hard to resist.

The latest census from Statistics Canada shows that 1,655 residents live in Tofino, up from 1,466 in 2001, and 1,487 people live in Ucluelet, down from 1,559 at the last census.

Not much of a difference, but that could change soon as new developments come on stream.

The biggest news is the start of construction of Wyndansea Oceanfront Golf Resort, the $600-million golf

course and resort community in Ucluelet being developed by Marine Drive Properties Ltd.

The first phase of the development includes the construction of the 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course and the construction of the first lots in the exclusive " Signature Circle" -- an enclave of 30 lots of 0.3 to 0.4 hectares in size, some with ocean fronts, some with seaside views, and some with golf course vistas.

Prices of these lots start in the $1.5 million range.

"These lots are spectacular," says Stephen Duke, director of sales and marketing for Marine Drive Properties. "The eight-acre (3.2 hectare) park is the most exclusive in the whole development (which consists of 148 hectares overall) and it has all the toys, including a lake in the middle of the circle, a private putting green, a gated entry, special zoning that permits rental if desired through our hotel management program, and the most important benefit, membership in the Jack Nicklaus Golf Program."

Wyndansea will have the fourth Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in Canada, and the first on the West Coast.

All owners of lots in Signature Circle will have a chance to utilize any of the other 25 Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses in the world, a program that is limited to 35 members per club.

Membership also includes the ability to stay in a Jack Nicklaus Signature house which is built in each community, as well as access to a fractional jet program by simply paying mileage fees.

"Reservations for these lots will be open April 11," says Duke.

Information can be obtained through S and P Destination Properties in Vancouver -- 1-888-898-8568 or online at www.wyndansea.com.

"The next phase of development will be this summer when we begin to sell our strata properties in the internationally-branded hotel on site," says Duke.

"We can't announce which hotel that is yet, but the hotel will have 200 oceanfront units in what is termed a strata property in B.C., but is called a condo hotel in Alberta. The hotel will be full service, with everything from an international spa, to restaurants, pools, a fitness centre and more."

The whole development will include more home sites on the waterfront and with oceanviews, vacation home villas, hotels, resort amenities such as a marina and sports courts, walking and hiking trails, and the golf course.

Wyndansea will be developed with a view to the environment, says Duke.

"We're taking a serious, sustainable approach to development, which is a philosophy of the developer," he says. "We're trying to make it better every day by working with groups such as Audubon International as we go."

The Jack Nicklaus Golf Club is the first golf course on Vancouver Island to work with the international, non-profit environmental organization that promotes environmental stewardship and sustainability in more than 24 countries on five continents.

The resort will also be built to gold standards through the LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) -- an internationally-recognized program that's the benchmark for design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.

Elke Loof-Koehler, president of Marine Drive Properties, is a pioneer of Ucluelet, says Duke. "She saw the long-term development of the area and came to Ucluelet by choice in 2000, developing the first condo resort in the whole area -- Tauca Lea Resort and Spa."

Before that, Ucluelet was known as a traditional fishing village, while Tofino became the funky, cute little tourist destination.

The success of Tauca Lea changed the village forever. "Tofino is essentially built-out, at least as far as oceanside resort property is concerned -- and at the same time, interest is growing in resort properties, and Ucluelet's economy is welcoming tourism and development," says Duke.

From there, the company built another area, Big Beach Estates which includes Black Rock hotel, being built by Boutique Hotels of B.C. whose strata units sold out in one day.

Weyerhauser, which owned the land which is now Wyndansea, recently announced another development adjacent to Wyndansea.

Oceanwest, a 92.5-hectare site, will include a mix of permanent residences, vacation homes, rentals and hotels.

Several other developments are underway as well, although none as big as those two.

The municipality of Ucluelet has won many international planning awards for its environmental and sustainable design, including the silver award for community sustainability and for natural projects, the UNESCO-sponsored LivCom Awards, and the Sustainable Community Award from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

The official community plan was developed by the people of the community, says Geoff Lyons, chief administrative officer of the district of Ucluelet.

"It recognizes the need to maintain diversity, while accepting that the two fundamental

legs of our stool have been fishing and forestry," he says.

"It adds the third leg to the stool in the form of tourism. We will retain our sense of community, and the locals who create the fabric of our village -- while welcoming in tourists to show off our friendly community --will, in doing so, entice many to actually make this their home."

Many of the newcomers are from Alberta, but also Vancouver and the U.S., he says. "People seeking to get out of the rat race, and/or make an investment in some ever-increasing real-estate values."

He sees the population doubling within the next 10 to 15 years.

On the Tofino side, the village was one of the fastest-growing communities in B.C. in the 1990s, but development has been more cautious of late.

Because of the restraints -- it's surrounded by water on three sides -- projects are limited and smaller.

Still, several sites are now selling with a few more in the planning stages.

Of course, the area is a magnet for tourists due to the scenic and spectacular Long Beach between Ucluelet and Tofino.

Temperate and lush old-growth rain forest skirts the area, and the volcanic, rugged rock on the shoreline provides spectacular views and ideal habitat for all manner of marine life, including whales, sea lions, seals, fish and birds of all descriptions.

The area is a mecca for surfers, kayakers, fishermen, hikers and storm watchers alike.

In the heart of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve -- an internationally recognized area that includes terrestrial and marine environments bordering the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve -- it's pristine, picturesque, and unique. It's a large area of close to 50,000 hectares of land and sea.

The Pacific Rim park consists of three parts:

Long Beach, the longest of a series of sandy, pristine beaches on the western coast of Vancouver Island and a landmark for surfers looking for large and fierce waves;

The Broken Group of Islands, an archipelago of over 100 islets in Barclay Sound;

The West Coast Trail, a rugged 77-kilometre trail that was created for shipwrecked mariners battling the elements of the west coast.

The centres of Ucluelet and Tofino also contain part of the Wild Pacific Trail, started in 1999 to give people a safe vantage point to see the ocean storms.

Still under construction (with newest phases running through the new developments now underway), the trail will be 14 kilometres when finished, winding along the tops of the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.