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Tourism Tofino could split from chamber

A vote will be held on Monday night to decide if the two bodies should separate.
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Tourism Tofino and the Tofino Long Beach Chamber of Commerce might split pending the results of a vote Monday night.

Tourism Tofino and the Tofino Long Beach Chamber of Commerce could be headed for divorce.

The destination marketing organization is hoping to get out from the chamber’s umbrella and a meeting will be held on July 25 at 7 p.m. to give members a say in whether to seperate.

The vote will be held at the chamber’s Campbell Street office and is open to all members in good standing

In an email to the Westerly News, chamber president Jennifer Steven said the break up is being pursued largely for administrative reasons related to Tourism Tofino’s plans to build a new visitor centre at Cox Bay.

“Tourism Tofino is looking forward to their next five-year planning cycle, which includes the need to rebuild the Cox Bay Visitor’s Information Centre,” she wrote. “As a division of the Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Tofino does not have the ability to own, insure or lease assets.”

She suggested members of both parties would continue to receive the same level of service if the split goes ahead.

“We are hopeful that the effect would be minimal, and even likely unnoticeable to membership,” she wrote.

“We will continue to offer our members the same services from both the Chamber and Tourism Tofino through a separate agreement. Members will still be required to be Chamber members in order to access services from Tourism Tofino.”

She added anyone who cannot attend on July 25 but wants to vote can do so through a proxy.

“Proxy voting is a process where a member can assign their vote to another member,” Stevens wrote. “You can also assign your vote to one of the members of the Chamber or Tourism Tofino board of directors with instructions on how to vote in your place.”

She added anyone wishing to vote by proxy must notify the chamber beforehand at info@tofinochamber.org or 250-725-3153.

“We would like to hear from as many members as possible in this process, even if they are not able to attend the special general meeting,” she wrote. “We are looking for a sense of how members feel about this change and if both boards need to rethink their strategies. It’s vital that we get support from the membership in order to move forward.”

 



Andrew Bailey

About the Author: Andrew Bailey

I arrived at the Westerly News as a reporter and photographer in January 2012.
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