Nitinaht Lake, a world-renowned destination for windsurfers and kiteboarders, will soon be home to new visitor recreation amenities. Developed by the Ditidaht First Nation, the Caycuse Recreation Site project is receiving $237,000 in funding support from the Island Coastal Economic Trust.
The Caycuse Recreation Site project will feature the development of new facilities including 52 new campsites and related cultural tourism amenities. The project will also include the development of 5.1 km hiking trail access to the Looper Creek Canyon, a unique cave system characterized by limestone karsts and watery narrows that has potential to gain regional and provincial recognition.
“We have long-term aspirations for this area, defined in our “Unleashing the Nitinaht” plan, a tourism initiative to transform Nitinaht into a world-class tourism destination,” says Ditidaht First Nation Chief Robert Joseph. “The project will enable us to build on our existing expertise in cultural recreation and trail management, and serve as a stepping stone to attract new visitor markets while continuing to build our vision where we are leaders of change, not recipients.”
The project, with a total budget of more than $1.2M, is designed to integrate employment and skill training opportunities for the community. An economic analysis of the project demonstrates that within five years of their completion, the additional campsites, trails, and related activity will generate an additional $775,000 of tourism spending each year, leading to new permanent jobs. During the six-month construction phase, temporary full-time jobs will also be created.
Construction is now underway with completion anticipated by the end of November. For more information, visit the news section of the Island Coastal Economic Trust website at https://www.islandcoastaltrust.ca/news-press-releases
