History of the WCT
The West Coast Trail (WCT) was built in 1907 to help the survivors of shipwrecks along this treacherous piece of coastline. This area is part of the so-called Graveyard of the Pacific, where unpredictable weather and dangerous coastal features have caused thousands of shipwrecks over the centuries.
First Nations
The WCT cuts through the traditional territories of the Pacheedaht, Ditidaht, and Huu-ay-aht Peoples, who inhabited this area for thousands of years before European settlement.
This interactive map shows each of the First Nations communities that make up Vancouver Island. The WCT passes through the lower portion of the Nuu-chah-nulth region (in red on the map) and there you can see the location of the Pacheedaht, Ditidaht and Huu-ay-aht Peoples. Each First Nations group has a website that provides rich insights into their history, culture, language, and much more.
Shipwrecks
From the 1800s, more and more ships started to travel past the west coast of Vancouver Island, and the difficult conditions resulted in hundreds of shipwrecks along this small stretch of coast. This website painstakingly lists details of 25 shipwrecks that occurred along what is now the WCT. Remains of some of these shipwrecks can still be seen by WCT hikers, such as the anchor from the 1888 shipwreck of the Woodside. In 1906, the passenger ship SS Valencia (shown in the photo below) was shipwrecked with a loss of 140 lives.
Building the Trail
The sinking of the SS Valencia caused a public outcry, which spurred the Canadian government to come up with a plan to help prevent future shipwrecks, and to assist the survivors of those that did occur. A new lighthouse was built at Pachena Point, a lifeboat station was constructed at Bamfield, and a trail with shelters at 8km intervals was established as a lifeline for survivors. It is this trail, albeit with improved infrastructure, such as cable cars and suspension bridges, that hikers enjoy today.
Trail Guardians
Groups of trail guardians from each of the Paheedaht, Ditidaht, and Huu-ay-aht First Nations have worked for the past 30 years to maintain the WCT, repairing boardwalks and ladders, removing fallen trees, and leaving occasional leaf faces to puzzle hikers. This article interviews Kelly Jeffrey, a trail guardian from the Ditidaht First Nation.
