TOFINO – Preparations for a busy tourist season are well underway. The District of Tofino’s improvements to Main St. have begun, and the first phase will be completed early in June. Paving to Hellesen Rd., the access road to Crystal Cove Beach Resort and Ocean Village Beach Resort, has been completed and along with it a new beach access point and public washroom.
Also in preparation for the summer tourist season, the Chamber and the Raincoast Education Society have started Tofino Ambassador Program classes for 2016. The Ambassador Program is a free educational program with three classes: Introductory, West Coast Ecology and Nuu-chah-nulth Landscape.
The Intro program is ideal for new and returning front-line staff as well as residents as it provides an amazing baseline of knowledge about Tofino: its history, ecology, businesses and activities, festivals and events, volunteering and civic services, bylaws and host etiquette, and much more. It’s really the go-to source for information for those who are new to the area, and even long-time locals have learned a thing or two in these classes.
Many local businesses participate in a discount program offered to program participants through the Ambassador Card. This gets participants into businesses and encourages them to shop locally as much as possible.
The Chamber partners with the Raincoast Education Society to administer the program with Resort Municipality Initiative funding through Tourism Tofino and the District of Tofino.
The goal of the program is to create a responsible and informed citizenry who add to the quality of life in Tofino and also make it a great place to visit. So you can be sure when you’re visiting Tofino that your accommodation hosts, restaurant servers and surf instructors all have the correct answers to the many of the questions about the area you may have.
For more information about the program, please visit the Chamber website: www.tofinochamber.org.
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Thanks to Samantha Hackett, Chef Ian Riddick, Megan Hall and the rest of the team at Long Beach Lodge Resort for hosting the April Chamber Members’ Luncheon on April 27th. Chef Riddick prepared a Greek feast for roughly 50 members, and we welcomed the Vancouver Island Green Business Initiative, the Pacific Rim Leadership Group, and David Innes, a housing consultant for the District of Tofino, as speakers. Our hosts’ job was further complicated by a power outage just before the luncheon started but the team handled the challenge with aplomb. A huge thank-you!
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Thanks are also due to new Chamber member, Cable Cove Inn, for hosting our first Business After 5 event on May 25th at their newly renovated property. Food was provided for the occasion by two of Tofino’s newest restaurants – Calypso Roti Shop and Sea Monster Noodle Bar. Thanks as well to Smashing Glasses Event Rentals for providing dishware. We are thankful for our local business community’s continued support of Chamber events.
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And finally, a big welcome to our newest Chamber members in April and May: Surfrider Pacific Rim, Marcie Dewitt, Sea Monster Noodle Bar, Calypso Roti Shop, Ladies Legion Branch 65 Auxiliary, Tofino Saltwater Sports, Cable Cove Inn, Tofino Fishing Adventures, Tony’s Pizza, The Wedding Place, Slack Tide Inn, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, and Tofino Bike Company. Welcome to the Tofino Chamber!
– Jen Dart is Executive Director of the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at 250.725.3153. www.tofinochamber.org.