HISTORY
The Evolution of Our Coastal Tradition
Our non-profit society began over 30 years ago with a group of concerned citizens who wanted to create awareness about our pristine ecosystem, the endangered Grey Whale population, and our coastal traditions. Our festivities each spring are centred around these great ocean giants while focusing on their incredible migration and long-term protection.
In the beginning:
It all started in the 1980s at a Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce meeting where Brian Congdon, owner of a whale watching company, suggested a whale festival - like California celebrated. The details may have blurred over the years but the idea was a great one; the towns got together with the National Park and started the Pacific Rim Whale Festival. Over the years, the festival has grown from a group of volunteers to a registered society. The organization is run by many volunteers including a working Board of Directors and has one staff person, the beloved festival coordinator. Although the formula has been adjusted from time to time, the steady focus and main attraction is the annual spring migration of 14,500+ Grey whales.
A Chapter in the history of the Pacific Rim Whale Festival
Each year, the air is heavy with mist and ethereal magic.
It’s the first Sunday of the Whale Festival, and it’s impossible to avoid the contagious energy of the crowd - mostly locals brushing elbows with visitors - spoons in hand, waiting for the next ladle-full of what could be the winning Chowder Chowdown concoction of the year! Eyeballing the crowd, I catch a wink of satisfaction from local west coast resident Brian Congdon. He’s between spoonfuls, comparing secretive chowder votes scrawled on a napkin with his grandkids.
Brian’s grin is widespread. He’s watched the Festivities unfold for the last 23 years. His family, his business, and Ucluelet - the community he calls home - have embraced and supported the Whale Festival from the beginning. In fact, the concept itself fell straight from Brian’s mouth at a Chamber of Commerce meeting in the mid-eighties. As a pioneer for the whale-watching industry on the coast, Brian has been taking folks out on his zodiac since 1978. He heard of the celebrations off of Mexico and California coasts as the grey whales came past, and was all too familiar with the enthusiasm, awe & wonder that encounters with these incredible creatures could evoke. “Why not celebrate their annual return right here on Vancouver Island”, he thought. Through community collaboration, his idea was turned into action, and the Pacific Rim Whale Festival was born.
The community hall clock tells me it’s time to head down to the lighthouse - if it’s anything like last year, there’ll be groups of migrating whales visible within a mile from shore - a few spouts, and maybe a breach again if I’m lucky. Sporting my gumboots, I cast my chowder vote on the way out the door. As I leave Brian kicking up his heels to the live maritime tunes, I feel a renewed faith in the power of ideas! This just might be my favourite time of year.
