Project Investment:

• Island Coastal Economic Trust: $200,000
• Total Budget: $1,006,300

Project Highlight:

Redd Fish Restoration Stewardship Centre combines ecological restoration, cultural celebration, and sustainable tourism to enhance community wellbeing and economic prosperity in Ucluelet, BC.

Redd Fish Restoration Society, a registered charity focused on ecosystem restoration, research, and education, is creating the Redd Fish Restoration Stewardship Centre. The facility will be dedicated to promoting ecological restoration, environmental education, and cultural heritage in collaboration with the five nuučaanuł Nations located in Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds.

The project is supported through the Island Coastal Economic Trust’s Capital and Innovation Program with its focus on Culture and Nature Based Tourism.

Community Wellbeing:

The Restoration Stewardship Centre initiative welcomes strong support from local communities, including Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, Toquaht Nation, Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ Government, District of Tofino, and District of Ucluelet.

Economic Prosperity:  Redd Fish Restoration Stewardship Centre is a year-round tourism attraction, which will help extend the local tourism season and contribute to the growing tourism economy across the region.

Through entry fees, a retail store, coffee bar, rental space, and restoration project tours, the Society will gain a sustainable revenue stream to support its ongoing restoration activities.

Social Empowerment: The centre will create numerous jobs during its construction phase. Once complete, it will create at least two full-time positions, including a manager rile and educational coordinator.

Redd Fish currently employes 38 people, including environmental scientists, non-profit managers, and community engagement professionals.

Cultural Vitality: Over the past 27 years, the Society has worked in collaboration with the nuučaanuł First Nations to employ both scientific methods and traditional Indigenous knowledge to address environmental challenges effectively.

The Restoration Centre will highlight the cultural histories and practices of the five nuučaanuł Nations, while also enriching visitors’ understanding of the region’s First Nation’s heritage. By offering a venue for community events and meetings, the centre will also serve as a cultural hub, strengthening community bonds and cultural expression.

Media Contacts:

Jeff Bartlett
Communications and Impact Manager
Island Coastal Economic Trust
250-871-7797
jeff@islandcoastaltrust.ca

Jessica Hutchinson
Executive Director
Redd Fish Restoration Society
250-726-2424
jessica@reddfish.org