Tofino to consider ban on beach fires

The District of Tofino is considering a ban on beach fires.

Two local politicians recently introduced a motion for a bylaw amendment that would prohibit fires at popular destinations like MacKenzie and Chesterman beaches.

A majority of the committee of the whole voted in favour of the ban during a Sept. 28 meeting. The motion will now go to council, which meets next on Oct. 13.

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Coun. Duncan McMaster said the motion stemmed from complaints of smoke, noise, and trash on beaches, as well as a lack of enforcement of regulations.

However, an online petition opposing such a ban on a “cherished pastime” had garnered more than 1,700 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon.

“Not only will this negatively impact the hundreds of thousands of visitors that keep Tofino’s tourist economy going, it unfairly punishes local residents that like to responsibly enjoy their own beach fires while spending quality time with their friends and families,” the petition reads.

According to the petition, Tofino council will accept public input on the proposed ban until Oct. 7.

During the summer, Mayor Josie Osborne, now an NDP candidate in the riding of Mid Island-Pacific Rim, said a surge in tourism amid the COVID-19 pandemic forced the town to crack down on illegal campers and partiers who left piles of garbage, including human waste, on its beaches.

— With files from Kristen Robinson