ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

AHOUSAHT NATION ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF AHOUS ADVENTURES - AN ECO AND CULTURAL ADVENTURE TOUR COMPANY OWNED

AND OPERATED BY THE AHOUSAHT NATION

February 23, 2023

TOFINO, BC- the ʕaḥuusʔatḥ Haw’ił (Hereditary Chiefs of the Ahousaht Nation) are pleased to announce the official opening of “Ahous Adventures” on May, 1 2023. Ahous Adventures, an eco and cultural adventure tour company owned and operated by the Ahousaht Nation, will offer an exciting variety of excursions within Ahousaht haḥuułii (territorial lands, waters and culture) including hot springs tours, whale watching, and bear watching. Ahous Adventures invites visitors to explore Ahousaht territories through the lens of the people who have lived on and stewarded these lands and waters since time immemorial. The additions of Ahousaht’s Indigenous culture, language, history and storytelling is a unique tour experience in the region. We believe by openly sharing Ahousaht knowledge, locals and visitors can deeply connect with the true spirit of this remarkable ecosystem. We hope our guests will feel called to honor the sacredness of the territories and seek to experience a guest-host relationship that is rooted in traditional Ahousaht values of respect and reciprocity. Visitors can offer the gifts of openness, patience and respect to Ahousaht in return.

Ahous Adventures is managed by the Ahousaht Haw’ił through the Maaqutusiis Hahoulthee Enterprises Inc. (MHEI) and Maaqutusiis Hahoulthee Stewardship Society (MHSS). Ahous Adventures assets include the adventure centre and retail space at 368 Main St, Tofino, BC V0R2Z0, a mechanic shop, staff accommodation and a growing fleet of five, 12-passenger vessels. MHEI led the purchase of assets from former tour company, Ocean Outfitters in February 2023. Ahous Adventures is core to Ahousaht’s economic development plans in the tourism sector - a sector the Ahousaht have been historically marginalized from - with the intent to build a sustainable conservation economy, further the Ahousaht self-determination, create training, employment and mentorship opportunities for Ahousaht community members, and partnerships with non-Ahousaht businesses and crown governments.

Operating in tandem with the Tofino Wilderness Resort (purchased by MHEI in 2022), the two businesses will connect visitors to Ahousaht led tourism offerings and destinations in the haḥuułii, including Lone Cone Mountain, the Wildside Trail, Nismaquin Park (Maquinna Marine Park), culture and healing programs, and more.

For further information about Ahous Adventures, please contact Corene Inouye, Ahous Adventures General Manager, at adventure@mhssahousaht.ca, 250-726-8596 and visit www.ahousadventures.com. For further information Ahousaht MHSS stewardship programs visit www.mhssahousaht.ca and for more information on Tofino Wilderness Resort visit www.tofinowildernessresort.com.