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Once an isolated outpost, now a touted tourist destination, Ucluelet sits at the gateway to Barkley Sound, epitomising "life on the edge." I have written Calm Harbour, Turbulent Seas from love of place, weaving accounts of shipwrecks and sea serpents, settlement and dispossession, tragedy and resilience, unsolved mysteries and surprising revelations, to depict the rich and vibrant history of Ucluelet and surrounding area. My goal is to leave the reader enlightened, intrigued, and wanting to learn more, because when it comes to history, the stories never end. |
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Can you tell a book by its cover? I hope so! I hugely appreciate talented west coast artist
Mark Hobson permitting me the use of his gorgeous painting, "Amphitrite Light."
I also acknowledge graphic designer Libris Ferraz for his striking cover design.
Mark Hobson permitting me the use of his gorgeous painting, "Amphitrite Light."
I also acknowledge graphic designer Libris Ferraz for his striking cover design.
Reviews
A review by Eric Enno Tamm:
"Martin has written an epic and intimate history of Ucluelet, told with the authority and salty candour of a writer whose family was among the areas' first settlers. Martin's 'turbulent seas' are both literal and metaphorical, from harrowing shipwrecks and souls lost at sea to the injustices of colonialism on the local Indigenous peoples. She punctuates the storytelling with childhood vignettes, calming moments of family and friends, of love and longing. It's a seminal work that will hopefully spark more dialogue on Ucluelet's past to better inform its future."
Eric Enno Tamm has a long career in west coast fisheries, is a journalist, an analyst, and the author of Beyond the Outer Shores, and The Horse That Leaps Through Clouds.
"Martin has written an epic and intimate history of Ucluelet, told with the authority and salty candour of a writer whose family was among the areas' first settlers. Martin's 'turbulent seas' are both literal and metaphorical, from harrowing shipwrecks and souls lost at sea to the injustices of colonialism on the local Indigenous peoples. She punctuates the storytelling with childhood vignettes, calming moments of family and friends, of love and longing. It's a seminal work that will hopefully spark more dialogue on Ucluelet's past to better inform its future."
Eric Enno Tamm has a long career in west coast fisheries, is a journalist, an analyst, and the author of Beyond the Outer Shores, and The Horse That Leaps Through Clouds.
A review by Caroline Woodward:
"What makes this comprehensive history of Ucluelet so absorbing is the clear and compelling voice of historian and author, Shirley Martin. Her inclusion of First Nations’ history and contemporary cultural and language preservation achievements are integrated meaningfully from start to finish. This book illuminates the WWII sacrifices endured as well by Japanese-Canadian families and celebrates their contributions after their welcome home. Ucluelet’s safe harbour has for centuries attracted fishing families of diverse origins. We read about other inhabitants and visitors as well; traders, priests, ministers, mariners, midwives, telegraph workers, loggers, lightkeepers, grave robbers (well, just two brothers as far as we know), artists, including Emily Carr, and of course, tourists. Shirley Martin’s history of Ucluelet is based on decades of research and interviews, along with her own fourth generation experiences, delivered with a delightful sense of humour. Her abiding sense of justice and respect for all members of her community shines through this major contribution to West Coast history, often turbulent, like the seas which pound its shores."
Caroline Woodward is a retired lightkeeper and the author of ten books for adults and children including Light Years: Memoir of a Modern Lighthouse Keeper, and Have You Ever Heard a Whale Exhale?
Calm Harbour, Turbulent Seas documents the incredible changes Ucluelet and area has undergone over many years,
and the text is supplemented with 140 black and white photographs, including this one of Ucluelet Harbour, circa 1924.
Photo courtesy Ucluelet and Area Historical Society, D'Arcy Thompson collection.
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Many of the photos in the book are from my own collection, including this one of a much younger me, taken at Ucluelet's Kennedy Lake Division, the logging camp where I
spent my early childhood in the 1950s. |
I wrote this book to document Ucluelet's fascinating and extensive history, to bring it alive
and to preserve it for future generations. The research process could have gone on forever
(I went down many a rabbit hole!) but at some point I had to call it "done".
I will, however, continue to pursue my passion for local history.
I am extremely grateful to Harbour Publishing for embracing my project
and publishing this substantially-sized (448 pages) tome.
(If I had kept on with it, it would now quite possibly be approaching the size of an encyclopedia.)
Harbour Publishing has, for over 50 years, published books with BC content, and preserved
important local histories, and I was thrilled to hear they were interested in my book
about Ucluelet, my beloved home town.
and to preserve it for future generations. The research process could have gone on forever
(I went down many a rabbit hole!) but at some point I had to call it "done".
I will, however, continue to pursue my passion for local history.
I am extremely grateful to Harbour Publishing for embracing my project
and publishing this substantially-sized (448 pages) tome.
(If I had kept on with it, it would now quite possibly be approaching the size of an encyclopedia.)
Harbour Publishing has, for over 50 years, published books with BC content, and preserved
important local histories, and I was thrilled to hear they were interested in my book
about Ucluelet, my beloved home town.
Whether calm harbour or turbulent seas, the waters surrounding Ucluelet always serve as a source of inspiration, and a walk on the wild side invariably jumpstarts creativity.
Find my book here:
After the official book release on July 22, 2025, Calm Harbour, Turbulent Seas will be available at Blackberry Cove Bookstore in Ucluelet and Mermaid Tales Bookshop in Tofino, as well as at numerous stores and galleries in Ucluelet and Tofino.
Copies will also be for sale in a large selection of independent bookstores.
Click the link below to find participating bookstores in your area. Many have a preorder option.
https://shoplocal.bookmanager.com/isbn/9781998526161
Calm Harbour, Turbulent Seas ISBN 9781998526161 Hardcover. $39.95
After the official book release on July 22, 2025, Calm Harbour, Turbulent Seas will be available at Blackberry Cove Bookstore in Ucluelet and Mermaid Tales Bookshop in Tofino, as well as at numerous stores and galleries in Ucluelet and Tofino.
Copies will also be for sale in a large selection of independent bookstores.
Click the link below to find participating bookstores in your area. Many have a preorder option.
https://shoplocal.bookmanager.com/isbn/9781998526161
Calm Harbour, Turbulent Seas ISBN 9781998526161 Hardcover. $39.95