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Template:British Columbia municipality infobox Tofino is a village of about 1,600 residents on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada, located at the western terminus of provincial highway 4. (49°9′N 125°54′W / 49.150°N 125.900°W / 49.150; -125.900)

Tofino was named after a Spanish mathematician and scientist, Jefe de Escuadra Tofino, who died in 1795. It is located at the tip of the Esowista Peninsula, and is thus a part of Clayoquot Sound. Islands in the vicinity include Meares, Vargas and Flores. Tofino and the nearby town of Ucluelet are the closest towns to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

A popular tourist destination in the summer, Tofino's population swells to many times its winter size. It attracts surfers, nature lovers, campers, whale watchers, or anyone just looking to be close to nature. In the winter it is not as busy, however, many people visit Tofino and the west coast to watch storms on the water. Close to Tofino is Long Beach, a scenic and popular year-round destination, at the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

Accommodation in Tofino includes bed and breakfast lodging, independent locally-run inns, and up-scale luxury resorts which are locally owned and operated.

Transportation

Tofino has a small airport about ten minutes drive from town. Tofino Airport is accessible to very small passenger planes, with floatplanes landing on the inlet in town. Coastal fog is a common morning phenomenon in the summer, complicating access by air until the weather clears.

Accessing Tofino by car from the North American mainland involves taking a ferry to Vancouver Island from Vancouver or Seattle or Port Angeles, then driving several hours northwest across the island. Ferry access from Vancouver is provided by BC Ferries.

2006 water shortage

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On August 29, 2006, the town's mayor declared that all local food service and lodging businesses were to shut down September 1, 2006 due to a severe water shortage. Other commercial water users were ordered to cease water consumption. Additionally, parts of the town were subject to a boil water advisory. The town usually relies on a reservoir filled by rainwater, but a recent drought and an increase in the population due to tourism had depleted its supply. Water was transported to the town to prevent total evacuation, and residents were warned to boil all drinking water. The Labour Day weekend shut-down was later averted, with a limitation that consumption could not rise above 250,000 gallons a day (half the daily average.) This after a local businessman offered to pay for 50,000 gallons of water to be trucked in daily and put into the local water system.

Cultural references

• Montreal ska band The Planet Smashers recorded a song on their album Life of the Party entitled "Surfin' in Tofino".

Reference

1. District of Tofino homepage:
2. CBC.ca: "Visitors scramble as water shortage shuts Tofino businesses"

External links

• About Tofino
• Tofino from travel.bc.ca
• WikiTravel.org on Tofino
• VancouverIsland.com on Tofino
• Tofino campgrounds
• Discover Tofino (vacation guide)
• Tofino and Long Beach Visitors Comments
• Tourist's report about Tofino and Long Beach
• BC Ferries

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