About Tofino Community & Stewardship

With a population of approximately 3,000 people in the greater region surrounding Tofino and 600,000 visitors annually, our community relies on organizations to manage tourism responsibly.

For thousands of years, the lands surrounding Tofino were cared for by the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples. With the arrival of settlers and industrial resource extraction practices, the landscape began to change. In the early 1980s, the Tla-o-qui-aht people took a stand with supportive, like-minded residents to protect their traditional territory.

This type of activist mentality lives on in Tofino today and has sparked the creation of more than 30 not-for-profit organizations focused on bolstering community resources, improving habitat, celebrating arts and culture, and promoting inclusion and education. We invite you to join in the activities or donate to these incredible organizations so they can keep doing their great work.

Person with a bucket on the beach doing a clean up
Person planting trees

Get involved

Looking for opportunities to help with local habitat restoration projects, beach clean-ups, or by participating in workshops held in the community or virtually? There are a few events that are easy to join, like sapling planting with the West Coast Triple Plank or the Backroads Cleanup (both of which are put on by Redd Fish Restoration). Multiple beach cleanups happen throughout the year. Educational opportunities are available with the Raincoast Education Society. Follow these organizations on social media to find out about upcoming events. 

(pictured: beach cleanup participant at a Surfrider Pacific Rim event; a tree planter with Redd Fish Restoration Society)

Events calendar
Keep our beaches clean

Give back to the beaches and host your own clean-up. The Tofino Visitor Centre has a marine debris recycling station for hard plastics, ropes, nets, and styrofoam. You can also join local beach clean-up events throughout the summer. 

Child standing on a surfboard with their parent in the background
Singer with a guitar playing in the gazebo

Support culture

There is a large celebration of art, culture, and people in Tofino. The Clayoquot Sound Community Theatre hosts movie nights, live performances, and gatherings. The Coastal Queer Alliance provides inclusive events that are educational and hosts socials that are specifically geared to the queer community. Muthlaa (Rising Tide Surf) supplies Indigenous youth with surfing gear and offers surf lessons with an Indigenous lens and cultural practices. 

(pictured: Muthlaa (Rising Tide Surf) youth surfer catching a wave; performer at the Village Green for the Gust of Wind Concert Series)

Coastal Queer Alliance art night
Community members cleaning out a fishing net

Spread the word

Funding is important to keep programs running, and so is spreading the word. Support these organizations by following their social media channels, sharing their events and initiatives on your social platforms, and spreading the word to your friends (yes word-of-mouth is still relevant in the digital era!).

(pictured: Coastal Queer Alliance Art Night; Pacific Rim Whale Festival beach seine with the Ucluelet Aquarium)

Take Action!

Keep the natural beauty of the region for future generations and maintain the resiliency of this community by supporting these special organizations.

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