By Melissa Renwick, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, HA-SHILTH-SA
On a community bulletin board outside of the Tofino Co-op Food Store, Shed restaurant advertised a $500 signing bonus for line-cooks and dishwashers.
Live to Surf, TOFINO Kombucha and Wolf in the Fog also had job postings on display.
Meanwhile, the Dockside Smoked Fish Store has closed for two days a week.
B次元官网网址淪taffing is the main issue,B次元官网网址� said owner and Ahousaht Tyee HaB次元官网网址檞ilth Maquinna Lewis George. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 super busy. We shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be closed, but weB次元官网网址檙e having to close.B次元官网网址�
Without enough staff to keep the business running full-time, George said the decision was made for him.
ItB次元官网网址檚 a problem nearly every business in Tofino has been grappling with this summer, said Tofino Long Beach Chamber of Commerce President Laura McDonald.
B次元官网网址淏usinesses are being impacted by labour shortages to a significant extent,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淢any canB次元官网网址檛 be open at full capacity during the busy season, when they rely on making enough to carry them through the rest of the year.B次元官网网址�
TofinoB次元官网网址檚 transient population and the townB次元官网网址檚 housing crisis are contributing factors that have carried over from previous years, said Tourism Tofino Chair Samantha Hackett.
COVID-19 compounded those issues by presenting new layers of challenges. When businesses were forced to close in March 2020 to combat the virus, many people who relied on tourism to support their families had to look for opportunities outside the sector, said Hackett.
B次元官网网址淭he whole industry, not just in Tofino, has seen that shift of losing some of those long-term workers,B次元官网网址� she said.
George said a recent hire quit because she couldnB次元官网网址檛 handle the workload. Another resigned because she didnB次元官网网址檛 feel comfortable engaging with so many tourists daily after being exposed to COVID-19.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been really, really hard,B次元官网网址� he said.
Due to travel restrictions, the town has also seen a loss of its international workforce.
B次元官网网址淭ofino is in a remote location and we absolutely rely on working holiday visa type employees,B次元官网网址� said Hackett. B次元官网网址淥bviously, thatB次元官网网址檚 pretty much non-existent at this point. ItB次元官网网址檚 going to take some time. We have to rebuild our workforce over these next few years.B次元官网网址�
Partnering with colleges and universities is one of the ways the town plans to do that, said Hackett.
According to preliminary data from STR, TofinoB次元官网网址檚 hotel occupancy in July was 92.6 per cent, as compared to 75 per cent in 2020 and 94.5 per cent in 2019.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e seen very, very busy years before,B次元官网网址� said George. B次元官网网址淭ofino has always been busy.B次元官网网址�
Yet, the combination of high occupancy rates and staffing shortages have made it difficult for businesses to meet tourism demands, said McDonald.
To address the issue of staffing shortages, the chamber said itB次元官网网址檚 working with other resort jurisdictions and the BC Chamber of Commerce.
B次元官网网址淭he aim is to come up with some short and long-term solutions from a provincial and federal perspective,B次元官网网址� McDonald said. B次元官网网址淭he impact of this issue is being felt everywhere right now. It is not a problem that is unique to the west coast, unfortunately.B次元官网网址�
As the summer season wraps up, McDonald said the chamber will begin to have conversations with businesses to identify short-term solutions that can be implemented locally.
While George continues to cope with a staffing shortage and operational changes resulting from COVID-19, he is trying to stay positive.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e always been told that if you see a negative, try to turn into a positive,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 the way I want to live.B次元官网网址�
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