Text by
Melanie Ransome, Aryze Director of Marketing & Communications
Photos by
Aaron Bergunder, Helpful Design Co.
Rising tides float all boats—It’s a metaphor for collective prosperity and shared growth. When a community thrives, it creates momentum that can lift everyone up for the better.
This spirit of shared progress underpins our ongoing partnership with Pacheedaht First Nation—one grounded in collaboration, economic opportunity, cultural renewal and meaningful long-term impact.
The Aryze Approach
You might know us from projects like Rotunda in James Bay, Pearl Block on Shelbourne or Project Albero by Banfield Park. We are a group of forward-thinking developers, builders and urbanists, but at our core, our team is a group of values-driven collaborators and problem-solvers, deeply committed to design and meaningful community outcomes.
Design is central to our work, but it’s only part of the story. We believe development should be a tool to deliver social impact, and that means listening, learning and building long-term partnerships with people who know their communities best.
Whether it’s supporting Anawim House’s first women’s transition residence or working with The Land Conservancy to downzone Abkhazi Garden and protect its legacy, our partnerships aim to create lasting impact far beyond buildings.
Partnership with Pacheedaht First Nation
One of our most meaningful partnerships is with Pacheedaht First Nation—“The People of the Sea Foam.”
As a Nuu-Chah-Nulth community, they’re located on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island with territory that spans from Bonilla Point to Kirby Creek, stretches inland toward Lake Cowichan and extends out into the open ocean to include Swiftsure Bank. Vast and abundant, the extent of the territory is a testament to the strength of the Nation.
Visit Pacheedaht: A Destination Brand
Over recent years, Aryze has supported the Nation as it expands a growing economic development portfolio focused on self-sustainability, self-determination and sovereignty over their lands and future. Pacheedaht currently operates several businesses including Seafoam Seafoods, Queesto Sawmill, San Juan Market, Pit Stop Gas Station and Soule Creek Lodge—a growing constellation of businesses fueling community reinvestment.
You may be familiar with one of their enterprises: the Pacheedaht Campground. Have you ever driven out on a warm summer weekend hoping to score a last-minute campsite? You’re not alone—the campground has been operating at maximum capacity in summer months and is a cherished destination for me and my family and many others. Pacheedaht leadership saw the need to evolve and to amplify the Nation’s voice in tourism by launching a consumer-facing brand and modern booking platform for the campsite.
As Aryze’s Director of Marketing and Communications—and with a background in destination development initiatives like the BC Ale Trail and BC Farmers’ Market Trail—I was thrilled to lead the effort to bring the Nation’s tourism vision to life. Over the past two years, I’ve collaborated with Helpful Design Co., local First Nations anthropologist Kevin Neary, artist Keisha Jones, and the Pacheedaht Chief & Council to create a brand identity that is both authentic and deeply rooted in place.
Inspired by the landscape itself—rolling hills, winding rivers and gently sloping shores—the brand offers a true reflection of the land and its people.
Infrastructure That Empowers
Brand identity was just the beginning. We also brought in local web developers Gearbox to create a robust, scalable digital platform—one that not only supports online bookings but also eases administrative work for staff and ensures a predictable revenue stream for the Nation.
More than a website, this system represents infrastructure—one that will grow with Pacheedaht’s tourism vision, from shoulder seasons to new accommodation types. This system is designed to anchor Pacheedaht’s broader tourism vision for many years to come.
As a critical evolution in the tourism marketing sector, Visit Pacheedaht provides an example of a Nation-led initiative to promote their land and territory, allowing the community to continually define how their stories are told and shared.
A Call to Action
My call to action for you: go to visitpacheedaht.ca. Book a stay. Plan a trip. Support local tourism that respects place and people while keeping economic benefits in community hands. And the next time you visit, remember—you’re not visiting Port Renfrew. You’re visiting Pacheedaht Territory.
Looking Forward
What’s next? Two years ago, the land at Middle Beach was returned to Pacheedaht Nation, which now rightfully links their reserve lands. This opens new possibilities to reimagine the campground as a cornerstone for their tourism goals.
With the brand and bookable website in place, we are working with the Nation on a hospitality land-use plan that will appeal to new audiences and drive measurable visitation to the area.
At Aryze, we don’t just build structures. We build relationships, trust and platforms for others to thrive, and partnerships like these remind me why I do what I do.
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