page_title: West Coast Trail
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: West Coast Trail / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Another picture I took of the West Coast Trail.
context_page_description: The West Coast Trail, originally called the Dominion Lifesaving Trail, is a 75 km backpacking trail following the southwestern edge of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It was built in 1907 to facilitate the rescue of shipwrecked survivors along the coast, part of the treacherous Graveyard of the Pacific. It is now part of the Pacific Rim National Park and is often rated by hiking guides as one of the world's top hiking trails.
  The West Coast Trail is open from May 1 until September 30 by reservation only.
context_section_description: The West Coast Trail passes through the traditional territory of the Pacheedaht, Ditidaht, Huu-ay-aht, and Nuu-chah-nulth peoples, who have inhabited the area for more than 4,000 years. Native trails, used for trade and travel, existed in the area before European settlement.
  In the 1800s, Europeans began to use the area to build and maintain a telegraph line between Victoria and Cape Beale. As well, more and more ships began to travel past the west coast of Vancouver Island, particularly between San Francisco and Alaska. The reefs and breakers off the coast posed a serious danger to navigation. One source cites almost 500 shipwrecks around Vancouver Island alone, part of a series of Pacific Northwest wrecks that led the region to be nicknamed the Graveyard of the Pacific 
  At the start of the 20th century, lifesaving infrastructure on the sparsely populated island was still primitive. Although some plans were already underway to improve the infrastructure, the public outcry that followed the wreck of the SS Valencia in January 1906 spurred the Canadian government to undertake a comprehensive plan for improvements.
  The plan included:
  The construction of a new lighthouse at Pachena Point (12 km or 7.5 mi south of Bamfield), near where the Valencia had run aground.
  The introduction of wireless telegraphy on the BC coast through the construction of five wireless stations at Pachena Point, Estevan Point (where a lighthouse was added in 1910), Cape Lazo (near Comox, on the eastern coast of the island), Point Grey (in Vancouver), and Gonzales Hill (in Victoria). Among these, only Pachena Point is located on the Dominion Lifesaving Trail. Each station was initially expected to have a range of about 150 km (93 mi), hence their spacing. The introduction of wireless service led to the rapid adoption of this technology by vessels plying the coastal trade.
  The construction of shelters at 8 km (5.0 mi) intervals on the trail. Each shelter had a telegraph with instructions for use in several languages, survival provisions like blankets and rations, and directions on navigating the trail.
  Establishment of the Bamfield Lifeboat Station. In 1908, the station was equipped with a state-of-the-art 36-foot (10.97 m) motor lifeboat built to a United States Lifesaving Service specification by the Electric Launch Company (Elco) of Bayonne, New Jersey. it was the world's first purpose-built motor lifeboat , and over the next half-century hundreds of similar boats would be constructed for lifesaving stations in the US and Canada.
  The trail allowed shipwreck survivors and rescuers to travel the forest making use of the telegraph line and cabins. In 1973 the trail became part of Pacific Rim National Park and has been continuously upgraded.
  The current trail passes through numerous Indian Reserves (Pacheedaht: Gordon River #2 & Cullite #3; Ditidaht: Carmanah #6, Claoose #4, Wyah #3 & Tsuquanah #2; Huu-ay-aht:  Masit #13). In the 1970s, a lack of regulation resulted in hikers trespassing on culturally important and environmentally sensitive First Nations archaeological sites, such as villages and refuges on Reserve lands. As a result of this trespass on the traditional territory and cultural property of First Nations living in the area, hikers are now required to remain on the trail when passing through any Reserve areas. To accommodate the growing interest in off-trail historical sites, the Ditidaht First Nation now offers guided adventure tours through their traditional lands.
  Canadian Coast Guard Station Bamfield is still in operation and now hosts the CCG's Rigid Hull Inflatable Operator Training School.
caption: A view of the Pacific coast from the West Coast Trail
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