Tofino is ready to kick off the second phase of Main Street revitalization pursuit with shovels expected to hit the ground in January.
“As Tofino has grown as a Resort Municipality, we’ve focused on building infrastructure that supports visitor experience, economic opportunity and business growth, and community life,” said Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne.
The Main Street project is aimed at beautifying and restoring the historic waterfront into an alluring area ripe for economic investment and tourism opportunities.
The Island Coastal Economic Trust has poured $117,000 into the $533,000 revitalization project.
ICE-T believes its investment into Tofino’s first phase of revitalization helped generate noticeable and quantifiable benefits like new businesses popping up and an increase in foot traffic that brought more wallets into local shops, according to a recent media release.
“Our investment focus is to provide project funding that spurs further sustainable economic activity, and downtown revitalizations are a proven strategy for doing just that,” ICE-T Chair Phil Kent said through the release.
“This project helps Tofino put its best foot forward for the tens of thousands of visitors it attracts and functions as a catalyst to leverage new business investment.”
Tofino hopes the second phase will create a “pedestrian connection” through the area helping locals and tourists explore Main Street’s historic assets and waterfront. The work will also, according to the release, set the stage for a scenic walkway that’s in the works to highlight Tofino’s working harbour.
“The design will encourage visitors and residents to explore downtown Tofino from a new perspective,” Osborne said. “It will showcase our historic assets and highlight the connection to the harbour which is the jumping off point for First Nations communities, Meares Island Tribal Park and Clayoquot Sound, a UNESCO biosphere reserve.”