This is an archived event from Culture Days 2022.
Images
Ucluelet's Seaplane Base: Defending Canada's Coast
Digital
Self-guided Tour History & heritageDate and time
This activity runs the duration of Culture Days.
Location
Ucluelet, BC
Access
Free.
Offered in English.
About
During the Second World War Ucluelet was home to a Royal Canadian Air Force seaplane base. It was one of a network of air bases and radar stations that was British Columbia's first line of defence against Japanese military incursions. Protecting Canada's long, treacherous, and sparsely populated west coast was an immense challenge, and the flexibility of seaplanes, being able to take off and land without air strips, made them ideal tools for this task.
After the war the base was abandoned, and little remains of it today. Much of the former grounds have been reclaimed by the forest. While this area is mostly quiet today, the photos in this tour can help reconjure the hive of activity that was once here.
Links
- Website onthisspot.ca
- Download App apps.apple.com
Organizer
On This Spot
The On This Spot app takes people on guided walking tours through the history that surrounds them.
At each stop on their journey users will find themselves standing on the spot a historic photo was taken. They can view a then and now photo comparison, use the built in camera to create their own, and read about local history and how it ties into the broader human experience.
Based in Vancouver, On This Spot is working with heritage, tourism, and business organizations across Canada to expand the app's coverage.