Ittatsoo Bay…a safe, independent, healthy and sustainable living environment. A place rooted in history: for thousands of years a refuge of the Nuu-chah-nulth people; from the 1950’s the creek-side homestead of a pioneer, Jack Day. Now to become a community that will endeavour to enhance the natural ecology and environment in all of its aspects: flora, fauna, forest, wetlands, tributaries, creeks, Ittatsoo Creek, the Pacific Ocean foreshore and the Pacific Ocean itself. A place premised upon respect for life, nature, human health and ecological integrity.

The Bay Itself
Ittatsoo Bay faces south/south east at the north-western tip of Barkley Sound, two kilometres south of Ucluelet Harbour, (http://www.ucluelet.ca), overlooking the Broken Islands, the centrepiece of the Pacific Rim National Park (http://www.longbeachmaps.com/parkset.html).

Ittatsoo Creek flows from Ittatsoo Lake, cascades the Ittatsoo Waterfall, then winds to the head of Ittatsoo Bay where it forms an inter-tidal zone crowned by crescent beaches. “Ittatsoo” is derived from the indigenous Nuu-chah-nulth language and means calm, warm waters. The gently sloping tidal Bay fills and recedes twice each day. Shore-life abounds. In summer, with tide out, sometimes one thousand, the sand bakes and the sea warms on return. The ocean waves in this tranquil bay seldom exceed one foot in height.

As the Ittatsoo Peninsula and the Beg Islands block the prevailing westerly winds more characteristic of Long Beach the name Ittatsoo is deserved… a very special place is created: a warm, calm, safe, protected beach experience for all ages.

With the Bay and Beaches at its heart the Ittatsoo Bay community, distributed over three hundred twenty eight acres, will be multifaceted.

Each Uplands home site is serviced by a drilled well and approved waste disposal field. All Uplands community members will have use of a private marine access facility consisting of a wharf and dock, a boat and trailer ramp, a boat trailer parking area and a kayak centre in Hunt Bay, a separate protected cove located at the foot of the Uplands. As well, an integrated trail system will link the Uplands to both Hunt Bay and the Beaches of Ittatsoo Bay itself. In order to “kick start” the broader community goal to achieve restoration of the historic Tofino to Toquaht “Telegraph Trail” easements have been dedicated so as to facilitate the integration and construction of this future community hiking infrastructure into the Ittatsoo Bay Lands.

The regulatory approval for this limited first release of fourteen ten acre home sites, encompassing approximately one hundred & fifty acres of the Ittatsoo Bay Lands, is premised upon the legal concept of “water access”, as the existing “Barkley Main” de facto road access route has yet to be designated a “Provincial Highway” or “Forest Service Road” by the Province of British Columbia.  Although the First Nations and residents of Barkley Sound have requested that the B.C. Government develop a Provincial Highway along the Barkley Bench no agreement in principle with the Province has yet been achieved.  However, in the interim, B.C. Hydro, Uplands and Oceanfront Corporations have developed detailed plans to construct a Hydro distribution line to the Uplands and Oceanfront in 2010.  In the event a Provincial Highway along Barkley Main is ultimately developed then traditional subdivision of the Uplands pursuant to public road access will be permitted.  At that time, as the ACRD Area C Official Community Plan has designated the Uplands and Oceanfront lands as a “Comprehensive Development Area”, the applicable Country Residential zoning will permit the creation of lot sizes of a minimum of five acres.  Then, as the Bylaws of the Uplands Strata authorizes each Uplands lot owner the privilege of the one time subdivision of each ten acre lot into two five acre lots such subdivision potential will become legally available to each Uplands lot owner.  The applicable Country Residential zoning permits the construction of a primary residence, which can include up to three bed and breakfast suites, as well as a cabin, in addition to associated outbuildings. The Country Residential zoning also permits craft and “local living” commercial activities.

In turn, as described in detail in the Uplands Disclosure Statement (click here to view), each Uplands lot owner is bound to support the implementation of the overall Ittatsoo Bay development plan and the Uplands strata building scheme, including its greenbelt, forest retention, and in-ground installation of hydro electrical services policies.

In sum, early purchasers of the Uplands may reasonably anticipate both capital appreciation in consequence of the completion of road upgrades, the installation of hydro electric services, and the benefit of the potential for one time controlled subdivision. Equally important, Uplands owners will be early participants in the overall Ittatsoo Bay community which will include that envisioned within the Oceanfront Lands.

The Oceanfront
The Oceanfront will consist of 170 acres. Provincial law requires that 5% of these Lands be dedicated to public parkland. The intent of the Wild Pacific Group, however, is to create much larger green space corridors and in doing so to protect all significant wetlands, streams and watercourses within the property.

It is intended that the twelve five acre Oceanfront estates, serviced by the twenty acre Ittatsoo Farm, will all be independently serviced. All hydro electric services will be installed underground. Access roads will be of minimum dimension.  Salmon enhancement measures will restore Ittatsoo Creek to its historical productivity. An extensive trail system will link all beaches, green spaces and dedicated public viewing platforms. The Ittatsoo Kayak Centre will provide easy access to the marine facility at Hunt Bay and beyond.

All Oceanfront home sites have been carefully laid out so that each retains its privacy and enjoys its own beach, cove, or private promontory. The Oceanfront will be a place where time is measured by the tides and the phases of the moon.

The Oceanfront community will be secured and serviced by the family/caretaker with stewardship of the Ittatsoo Farm. Ittatsoo Farm will provide the foundation for the completion of the requirements of healthy and independent living. The Farm is located on a south facing terrace overlooking a vibrant watershed. Greenhouses will perch above the watershed. As Ittatsoo Bay is located south of the 49th parallel the greenhouses will produce abundant organic salad greens all year long and will explode into productivity from spring to fall. A flock of Shetland sheep will supplement the extraordinary diversity of the seafood that is abundant in Barkley Sound. Finally, the Wild Pacific Group has dedicated a ten acre view site proximate to the Telegraph Trail for the development of the Wild Pacific Lodge.

The Ittatsoo Bay Lands provide a rare and unique opportunity. They are the largest of a very limited supply of private lands available on the North Shore of Barkley Sound. They are located within close proximity to the Tofino – Long Beach – Ucluelet isthmus, enjoy the infrastructure of the Pacific Rim National Park, the Long Beach Airport and yet they are…in a very profound way…a place apart. A place where privacy and serenity can be assured yet where community can be embraced. The Uplands are higher, brighter, warmer. The Oceanfront is calmer, more protected, more diverse. Both provide front row seats to the majesty of the Pacific Ocean and the foundation for a healthy and sustainable life.