People’s History & Indigenous Acknowledgment

Located on the Northwestern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Yuquot Village—also known as Friendly Cove to European settlers—is both historically significant and fascinating. This fjord, carved by a dramatic geological fault line, has been home to the Mowachat/Muchalaht First Nation for over 4,300 years. It was once the capital for 17 tribes in the Nootka Sound region and played a central role in the social, political, and economic interactions among the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples. In 1923, it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

Yuquot is also historically notable as the site of the first contact between Indigenous peoples and European explorers and traders in British Columbia. It was at the heart of the Nootka Sound Controversy (1789-1794), where Spain and England nearly went to war over rival claims. In 1793, a treaty was signed at Yuquot, placing the region under British control.

At the turn of the 20th century, Yuquot/Friendly Cove was a thriving community of both Indigenous and European peoples. For many years, gravestones made from local marble—used by both the Mowachat/Muchalaht and early settlers—remained hidden in the forest near the old white church, which now serves as the cultural centre for the Mowachat/Muchalaht First Nation near Tahsis.

In 1980, Dennis Zanatta, an Italian immigrant and stone expert, and his son Ivo—owners of Matrix Marble & Stone—began investigating the local marble used in architectural buildings in Victoria, B.C. Their search led them to an abandoned quarry in Hisnet Inlet, near Tahsis, where they discovered a high-quality white and blue-grey marble. Quarrying operations began in 1996, and since then, the site has supplied marble for exceptional building projects across Canada.

Today, Vancouver Island is celebrated worldwide for its stunning landscapes and abundant wildlife, famously captured in the paintings of West Coast artist Emily Carr. Her iconic piece, Church of Yuquot, exemplifies the region’s natural beauty. Carr also spent time in Yuquot, where she formed close relationships with the Indigenous communities and wrote her first novel, Klee-Wyck—a name given to her by the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples. The book earned her the Governor General’s Award in 1941.