On the far western edge of Clayoquot Sound lies the Sydney River Valley, a fully intact rainforest watershed at the head of Sydney Inlet.
The steep, dramatic walls of Sydney Inlet have been protected since 1995 as one of Vancouver Island’s most striking fjord landscapes. But beyond the inlet, tucked deeper inland, lies an even greater rarity: an intact, roadless old-growth valley stretching unbroken from tideline to mountaintop. The Sydney River in Ahousaht territory is one of only five unlogged primary watersheds over 5,000 hectares remaining on western Vancouver Island — the rarest of the rare. Originally, there were 60.
The Sydney River is a true rainforest jewel, home to towering ancient trees and extraordinary biodiversity. The valley provides critical nesting habitat for the threatened Marbled Murrelet, supports rich runs of spawning salmon, and shelters black bears, cougars, Roosevelt elk, and coastal wolves. It also harbours one of the rarest plants in Canada: the dwarf or Hibberson’s trillium (Trillium hibbersonii). Found in just seven sites across the country, three of them within the Sydney Inlet/River, this tiny, delicate flower stands as a powerful emblem of this vast rainforest.
For decades, the valley’s fate hung in the balance. While the steep fjord walls and estuary were protected in the existing provincial park, the expansive valley forests remained unprotected and were under the potential threat of clearcut logging. In 2024, after years of advocacy, much of the watershed was permanently protected under the leadership of the Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, with support from conservation financing from government and conservation sources. The creation of the Kiišḥniqʷus Conservancy marked a monumental victory for old-growth conservation.
Although few will ever set foot in this remote valley, it is reassuring to know that its ancient forests and wild creatures will continue to thrive, as they have for thousands of years — a reminder of hope in a challenging time for biodiversity worldwide.
