A New Place for Adventure is Coming to Ehthlateese
Soon, children in Ehthlateese will have a new place to climb, explore, imagine, and create memories together.
This fall, a brand-new natural playground will begin taking shape in the village, creating a space where children can challenge themselves, friendships can grow, and families can gather for years to come.
Designed with adventure, creativity, and community in mind, the playground will feature a large timber climbing structure, rope elements, a tall slide, swings, and natural play features inspired by the surrounding landscape. Built primarily from wood and natural materials, the playground will encourage outdoor play while reflecting the beauty of Uchucklesaht territory.
For Deputy CAO and Director of Lands and Resources, Ryan Anaka, the project is about creating opportunities for children and families to connect, play, and enjoy the outdoors.
“As a parent and someone who spends a lot of time coaching youth sports, I’ve seen how important spaces like this can be,” said Anaka. “Kids need places where they can challenge themselves, be creative, and simply have fun. I’m looking forward to seeing children and families in Ehthlateese make this space their own.”
The playground’s centerpiece will be a Crow’s Nest Climber, a large natural timber structure featuring climbing routes, rope elements, elevated platforms, and a stainless-steel slide. A swing set and additional nature-inspired play features will offer opportunities for children of different ages and abilities to explore, learn, and play together.
The playground is being built by Vancouver Island-based Kinsol Timber Systems, a company recognized across British Columbia for designing award-winning natural playgrounds that encourage imagination, movement, and outdoor adventure.
Bringing the project to life has been a true team effort. Over the past year, UTG staff worked closely with partners to secure funding, refine designs, coordinate logistics, and move the project through approvals. From the earliest concept drawings to the final design, the goal remained the same: creating a special place for Uchucklesaht children and families to enjoy for generations.
Funding Specialist Tricia Bryant said reaching this stage is an exciting milestone for the community.
“We are very excited to make it past this last hurdle and get the wheels in motion to get a playground in the village,” said Bryant. “We’ve worked hard to get to this point and it’s exciting to see the vision becoming a reality.”
Beyond swings and slides, the new playground represents something bigger.
It will be a place where children test their courage climbing a little higher than they did the day before. A place where cousins and friends invent games, tell stories, and spend long summer afternoons outdoors. A place where parents and grandparents can gather nearby while the next generation creates memories of their own.
Years from now, children may not remember the funding applications, approvals, or construction plans that made the playground possible.
They will remember racing their friends to the top of the tower.
They will remember soaring through the air on the swings.
They will remember the adventures they imagined among the logs, ropes, and climbing structures.
And for many families, those memories will begin right here in Ehthlateese.
We can’t wait to see the laughter, stories, and adventures that will begin here.
Story contributed by Tricia Bryant
Written and edited by Rippon Madtha