Project Investment:

• Island Coastal Economic Trust: $200,000
• Total Budget: $2,435,742

Project Highlight:

Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation (MMFN) is developing a renewable-diesel hybrid microgrid at Yuquot (Friendly Cove) on Nootka Island to provide clean, reliable energy for community and visitor facilities while supporting long-term economic self-sufficiency and cultural revitalization.

Yuquot, located within MMFN’s traditional territory, is a place of profound cultural significance and is recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada. Despite its importance as a cultural and tourism destination, unreliable power infrastructure has limited tourism operations, community use, and growth.

This project establishes a centralized energy system that includes a powerhouse, distribution network, and diesel/fuel infrastructure to support a renewable-diesel hybrid microgrid. The new system will serve tourism infrastructure such as cabins, campsites, and cultural facilities, replacing reliance on portable generators with a more reliable and efficient energy source.

Reliable electricity will help unlock year-round tourism opportunities, support cultural and community activities, and prepare the site for future integration of solar power and batter storage technologies. The project will also enhance access to ancestral lands for Nation members while creating opportunities for cultural learning, tourism experiences, and community gatherings.

The Trust is investing in this project through the Capital and Innovation funding program under the Renewable and Low-Carbon Energy priority area.

Wellbeing Impact

The Trust invests in projects using a Wellbeing Impact Framework that looks beyond traditional economic metrics. This approach evaluates how each investment strengthens economic prosperity, cultural vitality, climate resilience, and social empowerment. By focusing on outcomes that matter to people and place, the Trust works to spur new investments that create meaningful, lasting benefits across Vancouver Island and the coast.

The microgrid will provide foundational infrastructure that supports economic diversification, strengthens tourism capacity, supports long-term environmental sustainability, and strengthens MMFN’s capacity to steward and share an internationally significant cultural site.

Economic Prosperity 

This project strengthens the local economy by enabling:

• Attracting $2,435,742 in new investment to Nootka Sound from diverse sources including Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, private Indigenous investment, the provincial government, and Island Coastal Trust
• Expansion of four tourism and community-serving businesses, including water taxi services, tour operators, accommodation providers, and artisan-based tourism activity
• Seven new partnerships connected to tourism, infrastructure development, tourism operations, and technical delivery

Social Empowerment

The project supports social empowerment through:

• Creation of two permanent full-time jobs
• Creation of two seasonal jobs
• Creation of 10 temporary construction jobs
• Creation of three volunteer positions supporting project implementation and community activities
• Workforce development and inclusive employment opportunities connected to tourism and site operations at Yuquot

Climate Resiliency

The project contributes to climate resiliency by:

• Reducing diesel consumption by approximately 95%
• Building infrastructure designed to withstand extreme weather events

Cultural Vitality

The project contributes to climate resiliency by:

• Increasing opportunities for Elders and Nation members to access and spend time on ancestral lands
• Incorporating signage sharing Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation history, language, and land-based knowledge