Harbour Air is hoping to start offering air travel services in and out of Ucluelet this summer, using a public dock as a marine airport for its floatplanes.
Jessica Dunn of Harbour Air began a presentation to the town’s municipal council on Feb. 15 by touting the company as “the largest seaplane operator in the Americas.”
“A huge part of our success is due to the beauty of the West Coast experience, which is why we are strongly committed to being an industry leader on sustainable initiatives and mitigating our climate impact,” Dunn said.
She said the company has 470 employees and operates over 280 flights a day, carrying over 400,000 passengers a year in 45 aircrafts in and out of 12 destinations.
“We’re the first airline in the world to fly an electric plane and we are known for our on time performance,” she said. “We’re also positioned to be the first Canadian airline to utilize GPS IFR flying directly to the water runways, which will also support us to be a more reliable airline.”
She said Harbour Air is proposing a “triangle schedule” in and out of Ucluelet expected to begin in the summer of 2024 with four flights a day—Tofino to Ucluelet, Ucluelet to Vancouver, Vancouver to Ucluelet and Ucluelet to Tofino, seven days a week.
“This schedule would allow for quick day trips from Tofino to Ucluelet to bring in those daytime travellers to explore what Ucluelet has to offer,” she said, adding the service would be seasonal from June - October.
“We are still right now confirming storefront location options for check in and ticketing services, but are connecting with local shops close to the docks where we could find a reasonable partnership,” she said.
She said the NavCanada Water Aerodrome Supplement designates the Ucluelet harbour’s northwest end as the preferred takeoff and landing area.
“That’s strategically situated away from the bulk of vessel traffic,” she said.
She added noise abatement procedures could include ensuring takeoffs stay over the water until reaching an altitude of at least 1,000 ft. and she noted neither the arrival or departure paths will fly over the Wild Pacific Trail’s Amphitrite Point location.
“Our aircraft also have three-blade propellers, which produce a lower noise signature compared to two blade propellers used by some of the commercial operators,” she said.
She added the benefits to the community would include offering transportation in and out of town during Hwy. 4 closures as well as linking the peninsula with quicker connections.
“Harbour Air will provide an additional way for visitors in Tofino the opportunity to explore Ucluelet in a unique, 10-minute seaplane experience,” she said. “Harbour Air is looking forward to partnering with local businesses and associations to find the best ways to promote Ucluelet as an attractive destination.”
She added flights connecting Ucluelet to Vancouver will provide valuable links to medical appointments, business meetings and leisure trips.
“We’re offering visitors an opportunity to fly directly to Ucluelet, reduce travel time and spend more time in the beautiful place and Harbour Air is investing in critical infrastructure to the community to support Ucluelet as a destination that, in turn, will elevate economic value to the businesses within the community.”
Coun. Mark Maftei asked about the next steps for the company and if there would be any community consultation or public input scheduled.
“We would love to have a thumbs up from Mayor McEwen and councillors that this would be a good service to bring into the community,” Dunn responded. “Ultimately, we want this to be very successful. We think this is a win-win for both ourselves and the community.”
She added Harbour Air operates in Tofino and helped Ucluelet’s neighbour out with transportation options during the summer’s highway closures.
She said the company plans to meet with Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ (Ucluelet First Nation) to discuss its service plan.
“We’re happy to have that conversation. We do acknowledge and respectfully want to work in the community the best we can,” she said.
Coun. Shawn Anderson asked if there was any infrastructure the company would need, or if they would be using the government-owned Whiskey Dock.
Dunn confirmed the Whiskey Dock would be used to tie up and an initial inspection by the company yielded not much needed to make the dock ready.
Maftei asked again about public input.
“I’m not trying to reiterate my question, I just wanted to get a clear understanding of whether or not there will be an opportunity for public input before your plans progress,” he said.
Dunn responded that she was advised that the company needed to come before council to bring the opportunity and talk about the service.
“Ultimately, if the decision is granted by mayor and council today, then our next steps would be to find out where we can set up shop,” she said.
“Ultimately, if it’s required that we need to get public input, maybe that is something we can move forward with and figure out if that means we need to do a public hearing. Again, we’re here to support any actions that you request us to do to make this work.”
McEwen noted Harbour Air has been flying in and out of Tofino for “quite a long time” and asked how the service was set up in that community.
Tom Rattray of Harbour Air stepped in for Dunn and explained the company worked with Tofino Resort and Marina to set up the service and has been flying in and out of Tofino since 2018.
Maftei noted the resort’s dock is privately owned.
“One of the immediate differences between what you’re proposing in Ucluelet and what you’ve been doing in Tofino is that in Tofino you operate from Tofino Resort and Marina, which is a privately owned dock that’s the property of a business,” he said. “The facility you want to use in Ucluelet is the Whiskey Dock…It’s a public facility, not a private one.”
Rattray responded there would have to be discussions with the community about how the arrangement would work. He noted Harbour Air uses Powell River’s float plane dock as an example of working with a public asset.
“There’s compensation there and all that kind of stuff that can be worked out,” he said.
McEwen said it was likely too early in the process for specifics to be known.
“I think it’s early days and a lot of details have not been figured out quite yet, but it was great to have you come in and introduce yourselves and tell us about this exciting prospect,” she said.
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