Tahsis

Tahsis is a small town on the north west coast of Vancouver Iceland, the Canadian province of British Columbia. The community is located about 60 kilometers northwest of Gold River and is part of the Strathcona Regional District. Tahsis is located along the Tahsis Inlet, an arm of the Nootka Sound.

History

Originally the land was inhabited by the First Nations, so the story goes back further than that dominated by European immigrants historiography. In the area around present-day Tahsis lived and live the Mowachaht - Muchalaht. In one of their reserves, which reaches up to the community, still live some of the members of the tribe. Here, and especially in the countryside then also include relevant historical evidence. The existence of the First Nations can be detected in this region for some 4,200 years.

The "European" part of history in this region begins with the arrival of Spanish explorers in 1774, and the British in the year 1778. An important regional sources for the following time John R. Jewitt, who from 1803 to 1805 at the Mowachaht - Muchalaht lived.

Except through the fur trade, was this part of Vancouver Iceland largely untouched for the next 100 years by European settlers. This changed in the early 1900'er years, when the timber industry began to spread even after here. Opened in 1938, in what was then still called settlement Port Tahsis, a post office.

Various companies have attempted on the west coast of Vancouver Iceland to build sawmills. The area around Tahsis offered the advantage that the location is protected from the weather here. Therefore, the sawmill was built here also hold. From the start on the water floating lodges the woodcutter then the present town developed. In the 1950ies Tahsis had grown into a bustling village with two churches, a school and a doctor. A public road from Tahsis to Gold River after, however, was only opened in 1972. Until then, the settlement could be reached only by boat or plane. Over time, the population then up to 2,500 inhabitants to grow. Since the late 1970's but then the population declined slowly to its present number, the reason is the decreasing number of jobs in the wood manufacturing industry ( closure of the sawmill ).

Demography

The census in 2011 showed a population of 316 inhabitants of the settlement. The city's population has thereby decreased from 2006 by 13.7 % compared to the census and is thus the opposite trend to the average for the entire Province of British Columbia, where the population grew by 7.0 % at the same time. With an average age of 52.5 years, the population is also much older than in the rest of the province, with 41.9 years.

Education

Tahsis is one of School District # 84 - Vancouver West Iceland. In the small community there is only one school, a combined elementary school / secondary school.

Policy

The granting of local self-government for the settlement took place only on 17 June 1970 ( incorporated as a Village Municipality ).

Mayor of the municipality is Jew Schooner. Together with four other citizens, it forms for three years the Council ( council) of the community.

Economy

The main economic activities in Tahsis is the forestry.

The average income of employees of Tahsis in 2005 was well below average at C $ 16,960, while it was at the same time the average for the entire province of British Columbia 24 867 C $. The difference in earnings between men ( 21,395 C $ ) and women ( 12,822 C $) is larger than average in Tahsis, which on the one hand by the difference in pay in the main areas of employment ( men = wood manufacturing and forestry; women = trade and catering sector) and other explained by the different degree of employment of men and women.

Traffic

Tahsis has no direct access to a highway, nor is there here a railway line. The connection to the East Coast takes place over a long about 64 km, narrow road to Gold River ( the Tree to Sea Drive) and from there via Highway 28

On the southern outskirts of Tahsis Tahsis Inlet is located on the water, the local airfield (IATA: ZTS, ICAO: -, Transport Canada Identifier: CAL9 ). In the eastern part of Tahsis there is also a small heliport.

Tahsis is the starting point for ferry services to other small towns on the west coast of Vancouver Iceland. From here, ferries depart for Yuquot, Kyuquot or Port Eliza.