Clayoquot Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island is not only a place of extraordinary raw beauty, but also a region with a rich heritage and fascinating past.

Tofino and Clayoquot Sound delves into all facets of the region's history, bringing to life the chronicle that started with the dramatic upheavals of geological formation and continues to the present day. The book tours through the history of the Hesquiaht, Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht as well as other nations that inhabited the area in earlier times. It documents the arrival of Spanish, British and American traders on the coast and their avid greed for sea otter pelts. It follows the development of the huge fur seal industry and its profound impact on the coast. It tracks the establishment of reserve lands and two residential schools. The coming of World War II is discussed, as is the installation of a large Air Force base near Tofino, which changed the town and area dramatically. From here the story spirals into the post-road period. With gravel and asphalt came tourism, newcomers, the counter-culture of the 1960s, the establishment of Pacific Rim National Park and, of course, surfing. The book also addresses logging—which became the main industry in the area—and its questionable practices, going into detail about the War in the Woods: the world-famous conflict and largest mass arrest in Canadian history.

A place is shaped by its people, and Horsfield and Kennedy highlight notable figures of past and present: the merchants, missionaries, sealers and settlers; the eternally optimistic prospectors; the Japanese fishermen and their families; the hippies; the storm- and whale-watchers; the Indigenous elders and leaders.

Offering an overall survey of the history of the area, Tofino and Clayoquot Sound is extensively researched and illustrated with historic photos and maps; it evokes the spirit and culture of the area and illuminates how the past has shaped the present.

Margaret Horsfield is the author of several books including Voices from the Sound (Salal Books, 2008) and Cougar Annie’s Garden (Salal Books, 1999), which won the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. She has also worked in radio and print journalism. She lives in Nanaimo, BC.

Margaret Horsfield's profile page

Ian Kennedy is the author of several books about BC history including Sunny Sandy Savary (Kennell Publishing, 1992) and he co-authored Tofino and Clayoquot Sound (cloth edition, 2014; paperback edition available in fall 2023). For many years, he has also served as one of Canada’s few rugby journalists and has written for numerous magazines around the world. He currently lives in Comox, BC.

Ian Kennedy's profile page

• Short-listed, Roderick Haig-Brown Regional BC Book Prize