Vision to Action: Tofino's Sustainable Community Action Plan

Building on the sustainability vision and goals of its Official Community Plan and other strategies, the District of Tofino will develop a sustainable community action plan (SCAP) to establish specific actions for balancing economic goals with environmental and social priorities. A rural, remote community on Vancouver Island’s west coast, Tofino’s economic base in forestry and fishing has shifted in recent decades toward tourism and the service sector. As the permanent and seasonal population grows, Tofino wishes to ensure that there is a sustainability-based community vision and a clear action plan to achieve it. Tofino will develop a comprehensive SCAP that will integrate the vision and goals of the Official Community Plan and create specific actions that can be undertaken by the municipality as well as by community partners. Titled Vision to Action, the SCAP will be developed by district staff and consultants with guidance from an advisory committee. Tofino’s mayor and two councilors will sit on the advisory committee along with representatives from various groups with social, environmental and economic interests, such as Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, Coastal Family Resource Coalition, Friends of Clayoquot Sound, Clayoquot Biosphere Trust, the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Tofino. Following the Natural Step planning framework, the project team will establish goals, outcomes and targets in five categories: homes and neighbourhoods, transportation and infrastructure, community life, economic development, and natural environment. The team will conduct a SWOT analysis, propose actions in each category, and consider potential impacts from a triple-bottom-line perspective. Actions will address energy, waste and water management, sustainable transportation, land use, and local economic development, such as providing a community shuttle service and researching a potential district energy system. They will also create tools to support the plan’s implementation, performance monitoring and reporting, and will keep the district council informed as work progresses. A Partners Implementation Group will be created to encourage local groups and businesses to participate and see how they can align their own operations with those of the district. Broader community consultation will also take place through surveys, open houses, planning workshops, presentations, social media and web-based communications. A partner-focused planning approach is innovative and unique for this region. It sets the stage for implementation by seeking partners’ commitment at the beginning of the process. Knowledge gained and tools created during the process will be helpful in other municipalities, particularly for BC’s other resort-based municipalities. (Project description from original funding application)