TofinoB次元官网网址檚 longstanding beach fire ban debate is heating up and the townB次元官网网址檚 municipal council is expected to make a decision next week on whether to pursue a seasonal or year-long prohibition.

During their Sept. 28 committee of the whole meeting, council voted 4-2 in favour of a year-long ban, with councillors Duncan McMaster, Andrea McQuade, Al Anderson and Britt Chalmers supporting the move and councillors Tom Stere and Dan Law opposing it. Decisions made during COW meetings are not official and council will vote again during their Oct. 13 regular meeting.

The day following the COW decision, the district released a survey asking residents whether they would prefer a seasonal or year-long ban and TofinoB次元官网网址檚 Manager of Corporate Services Elyse Goatcher Bergman told the Westerly B次元官网网址 that the public response that survey elicited has been unprecedented.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a tonne. ItB次元官网网址檚 way more than I expectedB次元官网网址�ItB次元官网网址檚 double what we received for cannabis and we did that over a several-month period,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淏y coming out of the gate with what seems to be a very strong policy position on this, council is really forcing the issue in the publicB次元官网网址檚 mind and asking people to respond. ItB次元官网网址檚 created this sort of visceral reaction, which I think is, in a way, really great to see that level of engagement where we might not have seen that same level of engagement if weB次元官网网址檇 just said, B次元官网网址榃hat do you think about beach fires?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

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She said the surveyB次元官网网址檚 results, as well as any written-in comments, will be presented to council prior to their decision on Oct. 13.

She acknowledged that some residents have raised concern about the surveyB次元官网网址檚 only options being a seasonal ban or year-long ban, but explained that those were the two directions council had considered during their COW conversation.

B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 want to be insincere with the community in terms of offering a bunch of policy options that council hadnB次元官网网址檛 put forward for themselves. I wanted to avoid the situation where you give people an opportunity to choose an option thatB次元官网网址檚 not on the table,B次元官网网址� she said.

She added though that those winds could change based on the feedback the survey has sparked.

B次元官网网址淣othing is set in stone in terms of what policy direction [council] might want to go,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淣ow that weB次元官网网址檝e received this much public comment, itB次元官网网址檚 very hard for me to say what they might choose to do. They might take a step back and ask staff to do a little bit more research on other options, or they might move forward with one of the options theyB次元官网网址檝e already selected for themselves.B次元官网网址�

Tofino resident Ryan Orr is vehemently opposed to a beach fire ban and in an effort to convince his local leaders to change their stance.

B次元官网网址淣ot only will this negatively impact the hundreds of thousands of visitors that keep TofinoB次元官网网址檚 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,B次元官网网址� the petition reads, in part.

The petition had gained over 1,900 signatures as of Wednesday morning.

B次元官网网址淏each fires are a huge part of life in Tofino for our family and I knew that a large majority of people would feel the same way,B次元官网网址� Orr told the Westerly B次元官网网址.

He acknowledged beach fires have become a point of contention, drawing in consistent letters from residents to council asking that they be banned, but he believes those letters represent B次元官网网址渁 very, very, very small portion of Tofino.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e watched enough council meetings to know that they get enough letters from a very small, but very vocal, minority, so it doesnB次元官网网址檛 surprise me at all that theyB次元官网网址檇 consider [a ban]. It would surprise me immensely if they do go for it, but maybe IB次元官网网址檓 just being hopeful,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 be shocked if thatB次元官网网址檚 how democracy in Tofino is going to work.B次元官网网址�

The motion to ban beach fires and subsequent COW conversation was brought forward by Coun. Duncan McMaster, who said he has been opposed to beach fires B次元官网网址渇or quite a whileB次元官网网址� and suggested the two beaches where fires are currently permitted, Chesterman and Mackenzie, are being stripped of driftwood and cluttered with debris.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e tried education and it just doesnB次元官网网址檛 seem to be working. I think things have come to a head this year and, I think, now the public has started to get away from that nostalgic West Coast experience that we should be allowed to have a beach fire, so letB次元官网网址檚 stop this,B次元官网网址� McMaster said.

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Coun. Dan Law said he was B次元官网网址渟trongly opposedB次元官网网址� to the ban.

B次元官网网址淏each fires, to me, are a cultural amenity thatB次元官网网址檚 extremely important to the West Coast culture and life,B次元官网网址� Law said adding beach fires are a popular family activity.

Coun. Britt Chalmers said she has previously been opposed to a beach fire ban, but her opinion had changed based on the concerns council has heard from residents B次元官网网址測ear after year.B次元官网网址�

Coun. Andrea McQuade said she was B次元官网网址渞eluctantB次元官网网址� to support a ban, but agreed with Chalmers that enough concerns have been raised for a long enough time to warrant the move.

B次元官网网址淚n the two years that I have been on council, this has been an ongoing issue and it has gotten progressively worse and it hasnB次元官网网址檛 gotten progressively worse from the same people, additional voices have been added every year saying that they reluctantly would support a ban too,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 think thereB次元官网网址檚 a variety of ways we can craft a policy or bylaw around this, but I am in support of banning beach fires.B次元官网网址�

Coun. Al Anderson agreed.

B次元官网网址淚 have to say that maybe this is an exceptional year, but the problem goes back a long, long waysB次元官网网址�ThereB次元官网网址檚 always been some sort of a problem with fires on the beaches,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 unfortunate that itB次元官网网址檚 sort of come to this point, but IB次元官网网址檓 also reluctant to do it. WeB次元官网网址檝e looked into this year after year after yearB次元官网网址�For all that weB次元官网网址檝e done, itB次元官网网址檚 not having any impact on mitigating the impacts and the number of beach fires.B次元官网网址�

Coun. Tom Stere said he B次元官网网址渨ould be extremely reluctant to support a full prohibition,B次元官网网址� but could support a seasonal ban.

McMaster suggested a seasonal ban would not deliver a strong enough message.

B次元官网网址淚 think weB次元官网网址檝e got to start to lay down the law,B次元官网网址� he said.

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Law cautioned against penalizing residents in response to tourism related issues, but the townB次元官网网址檚 fire chief and manager of protective services Brent Baker responded to that by suggesting residents are as much to blame for TofinoB次元官网网址檚 beach fire woes as tourists are.

B次元官网网址淭he number of residents that are having beach fire issues is quite significant,B次元官网网址� Baker said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 people that you wouldnB次元官网网址檛 think would be out there not following the rulesB次元官网网址�We are where we are because of the masses and that includes both groups: visitors and residents.B次元官网网址�

He suggested a beach fire ban would lead to a B次元官网网址渉ealthier environment, a cleaner environment, and one that we actually want to go down, enjoy and have a nice beach walk.B次元官网网址�

Baker also agreed with McMaster that a seasonal ban would miss the mark.

B次元官网网址淧eople can be easily confused by rules and regulations when theyB次元官网网址檙e not consistent across the boardB次元官网网址�If you start a season allowing it and then try to pull that back, thatB次元官网网址檚 very hard to manage and very confusing to people,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淚f we do prohibit beach fires and itB次元官网网址檚 very clear and consistent, in the first year for sure itB次元官网网址檚 going to have to be heavy on the enforcement resources so that we can make certain weB次元官网网址檙e getting out there and the message is clear every dayB次元官网网址�It should ease off year after year as the message is more and more known throughout the community, but what it takes is everybody in town and everybody representing Tofino being aware of this.B次元官网网址�

andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
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