MB Civic

Tofino, the small B.C. surf town known for its natural beauty, has boosted its anti-establishment reputation by banning all franchises within its borders.

After a motion was approved at a council meeting yesterday, the District of Tofino will create a bylaw to ban franchises, including popular retail chains and fast-food giants, from opening up shop in the West Coast town.

Councillor Stephen Ashton, who brought the idea to council, said the vote was unanimous. “We have something very special here,” he said. “We really are incredibly unique in that we we don’t have these franchises to deal with and we’re going to protect that.”

Aside from a CIBC branch and an Esso gas station, he said Tofino businesses are independent and locally owned.

“Some small towns think that getting a franchise or a Wal-Mart is a success,” Mr. Ashton said. “We don’t.”

However, Steve Bernard, president of the Tofino Business Association, said the ban is just a waste of council’s time.

“You need populations of 10,000 to 25,000 people [to support a big franchise]. And at the current growth rate the town is experiencing, that isn’t going to happen for a long time,” said Mr. Bernard, who owns a marine fuelling station and two outrigger clothing stores in town.

“The town isn’t going to be run over by franchises any time soon.”

Although he doesn’t think the local economy would support them, he added that as long as they comply with the building codes (including a ”West Coast funk” aesthetic), franchises would be welcome in his town. “So what if a hotel comes in and it’s a chain or a franchise,” he said.

Tofino, which is the premier surf destination in Canada, is about a five-hour drive northwest of Victoria and is at the terminus of the Trans-Canada Highway.

The town, which has a year-round population of about 2,000, swells during the summer months when most of the million annual tourists visit.

Mr. Ashton said he believes franchises will not only be bad for local businesses, but will ruin tourists’ experience in the town. “When I travel …I don’t want to eat at a McDonald’s when I’m in Venice,” he said. “I want to see what the Italians eat.”

For now, any Tofino residents or visitors craving a McDonald’s hamburger or a Starbucks latte will have to drive more than two hours through the mountains to Port Alberni, B.C., which Mr. Ashton said “can be a pretty scary road.”