Parks Canada is reminding visitors that temporary dog bans are in place along the Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, near Tofino, due to wolf encounters.
A wolf warning has been active in the area since September 2025, and on Feb. 11 a dog ban was put in place for part of Long Beach. The dog prohibition area expanded just two days later following a report of a wolf attacking a dog on Willowbrae Trail.
This week, Parks Canada said the dog ban would remain in effect for the foreseeable future.
“Human-wolf interactions have increased over the past year in and around the Long Beach Unit,” said Parks Canada in a social media post.
“To reduce harm to people, pets, and wolves, a wolf warning remains in effect, along with area closures for the former Goldmine Trail and Wickaninnish Dunes, and a dog prohibition from the south boundary to Green Point Rocks,” said the organization.
In areas where dogs are still allowed, Parks Canada is reminding owners that pets must be leashed at all times.
“Wolves see dogs as competitors and as prey, and off leash dogs significantly increase the risk of serious encounters,” said Parks Canada. “We recognize this means changed routines and we appreciate your cooperation.”
(Parks Canada)
On Friday, Dennis Hetu with the Toquaht Nation and Francis Bruhwiler with the national park reserve weighed in on the recent wolf interactions.
Hetu said it was important to give the wolves their space.
“I think the importance to coexist with the wolves is just to lessen the amount of interactions, because every time somebody or something interacts with these wolves it shifts the balance, their balance, and when that balance is shifted it puts their lives in jeopardy,” he said in the video.
“The wolf is a very habitual creature, and it is going to try to interact with us, which we don’t want.”
Wolves have lived in the region for thousands of years and co-existed with local First Nations.
“What is new is the confirmed increase in wolves in the Long Beach Unit,” reads the Parks Canada website.
Bruhwiler echoed the same message as Hetu on Friday.
“Our opinion here with wolves in particular is that any interaction we have is not a good one,” he said.
“The ultimate goal is, you would see tracks on the beach and you take photos of those tracks – and that would excite you – but for the wolves’ sake, for them to be seen in the middle of the day out in the open amongst a lot of visitors is really unhealthy,” said Bruhwiler. “That’s the bottom line.”
More information about dogs and pet rules in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve can be found on the Parks Canada website.
