If, Note IF Short term rentals are the reason there's nothing available for housing here in Tofino, I'd like to point out an equally guilty party to the problem: Tourism Tofino. We need to shut those guys down also!
If it wasn't for all these tourists coming here and taking up all the space, there'd be lots of homes available for families, seniors, disabled people, patients in recovery, surf enthusiasts, artists and authors, and aspiring nature photographers, among others, to make themselves a home here in nature's wonderland, the people we actually need to make this a healthy vibrany community. The problem is not a lack of accomodations, it's an overabundance of tourists. And it's all Tourism Tofino's fault. They invited them here, with no thought or concern for the local inhabitants, or for people who want to become such.
Get those tourists out of here, and Tofino can go back to being a "quaint seaside village of 600 souls on the scenic shores of Clayoquot Sound", like it's supposed to be. Like we all want. Tourism Tofino destroyed our dreams. Where are the artists, artisans, musicians and poets that we all came to love and build our community around? They're gone. Driven away along with the true heroes of our west coast culture, by commercialism and greed and selfish individuals claiming that they're "just trying to make a living".
I'm a professional fine art/nature photographer and a full time Tofino resident for over twenty years. Please don't speak for me. Tofino is a unique place in the world that allows me to make my living selling art. Take away the tourists and you will take away how I make my living and I will be forced to move. There are very few places in the world where I can make a living selling my art and the tourists make this possible in Tofino. You see, each one of those cars that make the drive over the hill are spending thousands of dollars to support our local economy. They support the artist, shop owner, bread maker, beer maker, surf school teacher, B&B owner, t shirt maker, co-op employee, gas station employee, burger flipper, dishwasher and yes even Crazy Ron. Making a living as a Photographer is very hard. Why would you want to take that away from me? In all respect, I work hard to make a living and the thought of someone dictating who belongs here and who doesn't makes me think I'm living China or somewhere that doesn't care about individual's rights.
I forgot to mention....I've never been on EI or taken stress leave. I pay my taxes and support myself. I am a true entrepreneur and have been self employed my entire life. I don't collect a pay cheque, I write them. you? ;)
Hi 3:54, Yes of course you're right, anyone with a brain realizes that practically everyone in Tofino makes their living from tourism. Either directly or indirectly. It obvious.
Equally obvious is how ridiculous this "war on short term rentals" is. Like it or not, probably 90% of the money in this town comes from tourism in one form or another, even those high paying positions in the district office, which are dependent upon taxation, which comes from.....tourism.
Tourism Tofino, short term rentals, temporary foreign workers,congestion on the beaches,environmental challenges, jobs, and businesses: it's all a part of the same animal: Tourism. Tofino made a choice to go this route, now we need to find a way to live with it. Shooting oneself in the foot by attacking any particular segment of the local economy is a poor solution.
Hi everyone. Did you know this was going on? What are you going to do when Tofino becomes the next target of these vultures?
....from change.org petition....
Investment companies, such as Toronto-based Core Development Group, are buying up vast numbers of single-family homes, intending to convert these into rental properties. This practice is the antithesis of housing availability and affordability for ordinary Canadians. The Core Development Group alone has announced plans to invest $1 billion in such acquisitions, with a recent announcement to buy an additional 10,000 single-family houses.
The commoditization of housing affects all Canadians and needs to stop. Houses should not be part of ’portfolios’ or ’funds’ open to unknown wealthy investors in Canada, the United States, and abroad.
If, Note IF Short term rentals are the reason there's nothing available for housing here in Tofino, I'd like to point out an equally guilty party to the problem: Tourism Tofino. We need to shut those guys down also!
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't for all these tourists coming here and taking up all the space, there'd be lots of homes available for families, seniors, disabled people, patients in recovery, surf enthusiasts, artists and authors, and aspiring nature photographers, among others, to make themselves a home here in nature's wonderland, the people we actually need to make this a healthy vibrany community. The problem is not a lack of accomodations, it's an overabundance of tourists. And it's all Tourism Tofino's fault. They invited them here, with no thought or concern for the local inhabitants, or for people who want to become such.
Get those tourists out of here, and Tofino can go back to being a "quaint seaside village of 600 souls on the scenic shores of Clayoquot Sound", like it's supposed to be. Like we all want. Tourism Tofino destroyed our dreams. Where are the artists, artisans, musicians and poets that we all came to love and build our community around? They're gone. Driven away along with the true heroes of our west coast culture, by commercialism and greed and selfish individuals claiming that they're "just trying to make a living".
Hi @8:40
ReplyDeleteI'm a professional fine art/nature photographer and a full time Tofino resident for over twenty years. Please don't speak for me. Tofino is a unique place in the world that allows me to make my living selling art. Take away the tourists and you will take away how I make my living and I will be forced to move. There are very few places in the world where I can make a living selling my art and the tourists make this possible in Tofino. You see, each one of those cars that make the drive over the hill are spending thousands of dollars to support our local economy. They support the artist, shop owner, bread maker, beer maker, surf school teacher, B&B owner, t shirt maker, co-op employee, gas station employee, burger flipper, dishwasher and yes even Crazy Ron. Making a living as a Photographer is very hard. Why would you want to take that away from me? In all respect, I work hard to make a living and the thought of someone dictating who belongs here and who doesn't makes me think I'm living China or somewhere that doesn't care about individual's rights.
I forgot to mention....I've never been on EI or taken stress leave. I pay my taxes and support myself. I am a true entrepreneur and have been self employed my entire life. I don't collect a pay cheque, I write them. you? ;)
Peace...out!
Hi 3:54, Yes of course you're right, anyone with a brain realizes that practically everyone in Tofino makes their living from tourism. Either directly or indirectly. It obvious.
ReplyDeleteEqually obvious is how ridiculous this "war on short term rentals" is. Like it or not, probably 90% of the money in this town comes from tourism in one form or another, even those high paying positions in the district office, which are dependent upon taxation, which comes from.....tourism.
Tourism Tofino, short term rentals, temporary foreign workers,congestion on the beaches,environmental challenges, jobs, and businesses: it's all a part of the same animal: Tourism. Tofino made a choice to go this route, now we need to find a way to live with it. Shooting oneself in the foot by attacking any particular segment of the local economy is a poor solution.
Hi everyone. Did you know this was going on? What are you going to do when Tofino becomes the next target of these vultures?
ReplyDelete....from change.org petition....
Investment companies, such as Toronto-based Core Development Group, are buying up vast numbers of single-family homes, intending to convert these into rental properties. This practice is the antithesis of housing availability and affordability for ordinary Canadians. The Core Development Group alone has announced plans to invest $1 billion in such acquisitions, with a recent announcement to buy an additional 10,000 single-family houses.
The commoditization of housing affects all Canadians and needs to stop. Houses should not be part of ’portfolios’ or ’funds’ open to unknown wealthy investors in Canada, the United States, and abroad.