Adrienne Mason’s recently released Long Beach Wild: A Celebration of People and Place on Canada’s Rugged Western Shore is a treasure trove of information about this iconic area. The nearly 200-page volume is also in parts a lyrical essay about Long Beach written by one who clearly loves it well.

The book begins with the author’s solitary walk on Long Beach – here is the beach like most of us experience it. But what follows adds a new layer to the way I see this 10km long stretch of beach. Mason takes her (and our) personal experience of the beach as a launching point for her historical exploration in each chapter. Scientific sidebars add pertinent physical details about this unique area, which as Mason tells us, is only a sliver of land that stuck itself on the larger mass of rock on the west coast of Vancouver Island some 55 million year ago. Life “on the edge” means living in a tectonic hot spot and the author touches on past significant earthquakes in the area.

While Mason maintains the book is not a “definitive history” of the area, she starts with this examination of formation of the land itself and traces the history of Long Beach through to the establishment of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and the beach’s new identity as a tourist and surfing mecca. While not exhaustive, it’s certainly a detailed overview of what was commonplace on Long Beach through many generations.

The shaded area shows the approximate area detailed in Long Beach Wild: A Celebration of People and Place on Canada’s Rugged Western Shore.

Most fascinating are the personal stories of those who lived at Long Beach, which Mason researched through historical material and interviews.

First Nations, who have always inhabited this beach, and their culture, as well as explorers and early homesteaders like Fred Tibbs and many others. There were also fortune seekers in gold and timber, and those who recognized early on the tourism potential here and built resorts on Long Beach like the Whittingtons, the Webbs and the Buckles.

Then of course, World War II and the building of the airport out of the forest, followed by hippies squatting on the beach. Finally camping and cars and the free-for-all that led to calls for preservation in the formation of the National Park.

I knew many of these intermittent details, but certainly not all of them, and it helps to have them presented in a chronological way like this.

The archival photographs add much to the book (it’s hard to imagine getting more cars on the beach!).

It’s amazing to see the history of the area play out against the backdrop of this beach and to imagine it in all its incarnations.

Long Beach photo courtesy of Wildside Grill

The ever-changing “swash line” will continue to bring change to Long Beach, although with its current protected status it seems like it’s rowdiest days might be behind it.

Long Beach Wild is published by Greystone Books. It is available in Tofino at Mermaid Tales Bookshop and Wildside Booksellers for $24.95.

For more information about the book, visit http://longbeachwild.wordpress.com/.

And the road to get here isn’t that inviting or easy to navigate.

This kind of isolation from the rest of the world was obviously more pronounced before Hwy. 4 existed (and boats were the main mode of transport), but it’s still hard enough to get here – and even harder to stay. It definitely makes for an interesting “end of the road culture.”

“Tough City” (or Tuff City) is an alternative name Tofino has enjoyed for years.

Photo credit: Adrienne Mason. Courtesy of The Heart of Tofino Blog

It goes back to the days when work was mainly in fishing and logging, and alludes to the roughness of those jobs and those who did them. Not to mention the bar brawls that apparently ensued.

I’m sure the volume of rain we get also contributed to this moniker, as did the once relative lack of available women. Luckily for Tofino’s guys however, this situation has completely reversed itself in the last 10 years or so and now women outnumber the guys.

Photo credit: Adrienne Mason. Courtesy of The Heart of Tofino Blog

Former Tofitian Malcolm Johnson outlined Tough City’s dating scene and its challenges for Tofino Time magazine years ago.

Local writer Adrienne Mason wrote about Tuff City’s nickname and its potential origins on her Heart of Tofino blog.

The “toughness” of Tofino is also well-covered territory in everyday conversation around town as well as locals discuss travel plans in the winter and being overworked in the summer.

Now that Tofino is mainly a tourism town, there are other elements that make it tough – including seasonal employment, transient workers, and lean rainy winters.

Photo credit: Adrienne Mason. Courtesy of The Heart of Tofino Blog

Then there’s the “Tofino Shuffle,” the incredibly annoying practice of having to move house when it comes time for summer if the place you’re in becomes a vacation rental for the season. Or perhaps you’re living somewhere the owner infuriatingly only comes back to during the summer to enjoy the good weather months.

Anyone looking for reasonable accommodation in the scarce rental market would definitely call it tough. And if you’re looking to get into the housing market, you might think of it as even tougher.

I wouldn’t blame you for wondering what keeps us here in “Tough City.”  Is it that one glorious sunny day that sneaks in the middle of two weeks of rain? Or maybe it’s the ability to surf whenever you want and the incredible surroundings that people come from all over the world to see. The wildlife, the open water, the rainforest and beaches are all not-too-hard-to-take contributing factors.

Photo credit: Adrienne Mason. Courtesy of The Heart of Tofino Blog

Being isolated also has the advantage of keeping out the strip malls, big box stores and traffic. Not having to stop for stoplights doesn’t hurt either.

What it comes down to is the good outweighs the bad and this place will ruin you for less beautiful ones.

Whatever your reason for staying or visiting, “Tough City” is definitely a world unto its own, here at the end of the road.

After the fight for Meares Island another campaign against clear-cut logging began in 1988, when photographer Adrian Dorst discovered that a logging road was being blasted into the Sulphur Passage area and points beyond.

In an emergency meeting it was decided that something should be done to prevent the logging companies from accessing pristine areas such as the Megin river.

Those who opposed the road were fired by strong personal emotions, not just preordained environmental doctrines. The war against logging was just beginning to unfold, and the protest that followed at Sulphur Pass was radical and truly grass-roots—the collective adventures of many individuals. The protest was a pivotal moment in the recent history of Clayoquot Sound.

View the award-winning video of Bob Bossin's song, "Sulphur Passage" here

The protest started with a boat blockade, but quickly became more involved. Soon there were people in the forest and Canada’s first tree-sitters took their positions, hanging in baskets from cliffs, or in hammocks slung between trees, putting themselves anywhere they could stop the blasting.

Fletcher-Challenge, the New Zealand company behind the road building, sought injunctions against the protestors that would make it illegal for them to be present at the blast site. The injunctions had little effect. Both sides dug in. Things became crazy, with RCMP officers chasing protestors around in the woods, trying to arrest them, trying to get them out of the blasting zone.

The anarchy was not confined to one side. In an unprecedented, aggressive move, the loggers cut down one of the trees onto which a protestor’s hammock was tied.

Photo: Mark Hobson source

The environmentalists tried to acquire an injunction against the road and requested a six-month moratorium on logging, during which the future of the sound would be discussed. Their efforts failed.

Another attempt to halt the road came from a different quarter: Earl Maquinna George, hereditary chief of the Ahousaht, came to the disputed site to take a stance against the destruction of trees that were on his traditional lands—lands that remained to be relinquished by treaty. A second injunction was sought on these grounds. It was also denied.

The road-building was never stopped by the courts. It was the negative publicity heaped on Fletcher-Challenge that precipitated the resulting truce. By the end of July 1988, 35 people had been arrested over an issue that had become a regular fireship. Some were jailed for their actions, including several women who languished for one week in the maximum security of Oakalla jail.

Sulphur Passage Provincial Park as it looks today. source

Adrian Dorst himself was arrested, although he didn’t go to jail. His face lights up as he recalls the events of that summer, one of the most powerful of which took place when he was camped right in Sulphur Pass itself. That night, the wolves joined the protest, howling through the midnight hours.

Excerpted from the book Paddling Through Time, Raincoast Books 2000.

It is the self-proclaimed Surfing Capital of Canada after all.

Tamarah Stephens setting up for an ice cold barrel.

Besides being one of the most easily accessible areas with surfable waves on the west coast, the Tofino and Ucluelet area is a novice’s paradise of sandy bottoms and mostly mellow waves.

There are several factors that make this a unique surfing location, including the need to wear thick wetsuits most of the year due to water temperatures in the 7°-12° C range year-round (45°-55° F).

Tofino also stands out because there is a high ratio of female to male surfers in the water. A visiting journalist recently called this one of Tofino’s “pleasant quirks,” and I would have to agree.

During a recent all-female surf contest, I asked a few local women how Tofino’s surf scene came to be so female-friendly.

Catherine Bruhwiler, a sponsored surfer who grew up in Tofino, said when she started at age 12 it didn’t seem very friendly at all. She described flushing suits that were too big, boards that were too small, riding a bike to Cox Bay only to spend an hour paddling out and catch one wave. By sheer tenacity, and wanting to be as good as her brothers, Catherine stuck it out.

Catherine Bruhwiler charging cold water waves. Photo: TofinoSurfShots.com

Jenny Stewart, founder of Surf Sister Surf School, says surfing took a while to catch on in Tofino. When it started to take off, it happened to coincide with the hype around the movie Blue Crush – a movie featuring female surfers.

Stewart said she founded her surf school so she would have more women to surf with. She does concede however, that it may be more difficult for girls to learn: “Well, obviously girls have a harder time because we’re not as strong in general.”

“I know women hate to hear that, but it’s true.”

Luckily, the women surfing in Tofino had and have the stubbornness it takes to stick to it.

One of Stewart’s early employees, Lou Rodgers, agrees that women were there from the beginning of the relatively new surf scene in this area. She feels like the number of girls has grown steadily over the years.

On a recent trip to Costa Rica, Louise Rodgers proves that Tofino's female talent thrives in warm water too.

“[Having a high ratio of women in the water] creates a culture of acceptance,” said Lou. “And I definitely think it mellows out the water.”

The logical consequence of having a vibrant population of female surfers was for there to be a contest dedicated to women, rather than one section of a male-dominated competition.

The Queen of the Peak (www.queenofthepeak.com) debuted in 2010 and has since grown into a two-day contest featuring shortboard and longboard sections.

The contest, which is well supported by many businesses in Tofino, is also very surfer-friendly with a massage tent for competitors, a babysitting service for surfing moms, and a celebration at the end of the contest.

“It’s a natural progression to have an all women surf contest,” said Rodgers. “The stoke is there, the women are there, and the talent is there.”

Photo credit: Tofino Guide

I love this sign – for its campy feel that echoes back to a simpler time when you could do crazy things in Tofino like camp on the beach, but also because it reminds us we really are fortunate to live in close proximity to these amazing sea creatures. You can nearly forget about our cetacean friends during the rainy winter months when boat trips are few and many of the whales leave the west coast for warmer waters.

It also wasn’t that long ago sightings of gray and humpback whales were rare.

After the global whale hunt caused a downturn in the population of various species, a 1966 moratorium on whaling and designations like Canada’s Species at Risk were put in place so whale populations could recover.

They did so slowly; there were only sporadic sightings in local waters until the mid 1990s.

Now some 20,000-22,000 gray whales make an annual three-month 13,000km migration each spring from calving waters in Baja and southern California up the west coast, all the way to Alaska’s Bering Sea, where they stock up on food for the winter. They pass this way and meet up with the healthy population of resident and transient gray, humpback and orca whales in the waters of western Vancouver Island before moving on to their northern summer homes.

To celebrate the annual arrival of the whales and their recovery, west coast communities have been holding the Pacific Rim Whale Festival for the last 26 years.

This year the week long Whale Festival runs from March 17-25th.

Transient orca whales (aka: killer whales) cruise effortlessly offshore from Tofino. Image courtesy of Wildside Grill

The goal of the Whale Festival is to educate locals and visitors about the whales and their habitat, and hopefully inspire protection of both while also providing entertainment.

The many events that make up the festival include events focused on families, food and drink, music, education, and much more. Many of these are free.

For a full list of events, visit the PRWF events page: http://www.pacificrimwhalefestival.com/events.

This time of year also marks the beginning of the whale-watching season. There are numerous local companies that ply the waters of Clayoquot Sound looking for our fluked friends from now until September. Regulations in B.C. insist that tour boats stay a distance of 100 metres away from whales and kill engines while watching them.

As if to celebrate the Whale Festival, a humpback performs a rare full-body breach. Photo courtesy of JeremyKoreski.com

Around here, some of the best places to find whales are in calm bays where they go to feed.

Spend a few hours in a big survival suit on a zodiac boat or in a larger covered boat. You’re likely to see other wildlife during the tour as well, such as eagles, sea otters, seals and more.

There’s a local organization that monitors all the marine creatures of Clayoquot Sound on an ongoing basis. The Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society is a non-profit group that keeps track of which whales show up and when, as well as information about the other marine residents of Clayoquot Sound. The society is under contact with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to get involved in rescues as well, and they’ve successfully helped many whales that became entangled in fishing line or crab traps. SIMRS shares its observations and information with scientists and other organizations. Find out more about this important part of marine life in Tofino here: www.strawberryisle.org.

Thanks to the folks at Strawberry Isle Marine Research and responsible tour operators, the whales are also having a heck of a time in Tofino!

Image courtesy of Wildside Grill

And I’d hazard a guess that most, if not all, Tofino computers have the weather forecast as one of their favourites, (along with the surf reports, of course).

The seven-day forecast is a website I visit a lot, each time with my heart in my mouth.

While the page loads, I wring my hands and pray that the news will be good – that I won’t find myself looking at seven dark rain clouds. Sometimes, I’m scared to look.

Inevitably, there are at least five or six clouds.

My heart sinks. That’s when I remind myself that the weather forecasters have pessimistic tendencies. Maybe they’re depressed. Or maybe they think it’s better not to get our hopes up, in case things change for the worse. I scan for further information. Does it say heavy rain, rain, periods of rain, or showers? This is important information. If it says showers, I mentally change the cloud to a sun, because on the coast any break in the cloud can produce an unexpected sunny period.

If there really seems to be no hope, I check the 14-day forecast. The forecasters for this site must either

a) use a SAD lamp;
b) take anti-depressants;
c) have sufficient vitamin D;
d) be naturally happy, or
e) all of the above.

There are way more suns on this site. Once I even saw 14 suns here. I didn’t believe it, but I whooped anyway.

If this forecast is gloomy, I go to the marine forecast and look for northwest or northeast winds – anything except that rain-laden southeasterly that prevails in winter. With a northwesterly, there’s a chance of a break in the weather. With a northeasterly, it will be cold, but for once Tofino will be in the rain shadow: the clouds will scud over the mountains from the mainland, nice and high above our heads. Sometimes the clouds won’t even make it over the mountains and while the rest of the province wades through drifts of snow, we’ll frolic on the beach in full sunshine.

In the depths of winter, when the clouds have pressed down on us for days, I go outside at night to check for stars or the moon.  On those nights, the feeling of space above my head is almost as good at the feeling of sun on my face. Sounds crazy, but it’s true.

So, I hear you ask, why do I live in such a rainy, rainy place?  The answer is simple. Beauty.

Even after twenty years, when the sun comes out, Clayoquot Sound just takes my breath away.

Image courtesy of Wildside Grill

A commercial fishing vessel explores the water near Tofino. Photo courtesy of Wildside Grill

Important Notes Before you Forage:

Check the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans office (DFO: 161 First Street at Campbell, 250-725-3500)for permission, limits, licensing requirements and edibility when harvesting your own seafood:

1. Make sure you have whatever permit is required.
2. Inform yourself if you could be in a shellfish harvesting region that has been flagged with Red Tide (see below for more on dangerous Red Tide).
3. Understand that there are catch limits for each species of fin fish and shellfish and it is irresponsible and illegal to harvest more than the legal limit. The legal limits are printed in the free guide that you should pick up when you purchase your fishing license. You can also research limits at this DFO website.

Purchasing a Fishing License

(Yes, you need this for shellfish, too!)

British Columbia separates the licensing of saltwater and freshwater fishing. Obviously, lake and river fishing requires a freshwater license. Fishing in the Pacific and harvesting shellfish requires a saltwater fishing license (also called a Tidal Water license).

A Tofino resident shows off his haul of fresh crab that he will keep, thanks to his saltwater fishing license which is required to keep crab. Scroll down to read more about crabbing around Tofino. Photo courtesy of Jeremy Koreski

Freshwater fishing licenses are only available for purchase online: www.fishing.gov.bc.ca

Saltwater fishing licenses are available online here and at the following  locations in Tofino:

Co-op Hardware Store

121 First Street (at Main Street), 250-725-3436

Jay’s Fly and Tackle Shop

561 Campbell Street, 888-534-7422 or 250-725-2700, www.tofinofishing.com

Method Marine

380 Main Street on the pier, 250-725-3251, www.methodmarine.com

Check for Red Tide before Harvesting Shellfish

Red Tide is a colloquialism for naturally occurring algal blooms that are poisonous to humans in high doses. Shellfish absorb the algae in high concentrations, so it is very dangerous and potentially fatal to consume shellfish from an area that has a Red Tide. The only way to know if an area is free of Red Tideis to check with authorities. Red Tide can be present in clear, uncoloured water.

This photo (above San Diego County -- not Tofino) shows the intense red color that sometimes accompanies a red tide. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Red Tide Closures for the Clayoquot and Tofino area are posted on this DFO website and information is available by phone at DFO’s Red Tide Hotline, 866-431-3474.Clayoquot Sound is Area 24. Be warned that the tables and maps on the website may be confusing if you are not familiar with the area, and there is significant risk in trying shellfish without knowing if the area is closed for Red Tide.

Can I eat the Mussels?

YES! Two species of edible mussels can usually be harvested year round as long as you have a license. The blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) is the smaller species and the California mussel (Mytilus californianus) is the larger – both are delicious.

How about a picnic lunch of freshly harvested blue mussels with lemon and pesto?

Generally, mussels can be found on the rocks where there is heavy surf. Wait until low tide and then go picking with a paring knife. Choose medium size mussels and only those that are tightly closed. Clean by removing the beard and barnacles with a wire brush.

Double check that you are harvesting mussels in an area free of Red Tide. You must have a valid license to harvest mussels. See above for more information about Red Tide and licensing.

Where can I find Clams near Tofino?

Although many different species of clams can be found at most beaches, they are most abundant on sandy or pebbly beaches near the tidal mudflats where there is a mix of fresh and salt water. Popular clamming spots are found on the tidal flats around Meares Island, although these are not easy to access.

Different color morphs of manila clams (aka: little neck clams); a common clam foraged near Tofino.

On any beach, look for the telltale holes in the muck or sand about the diameter of a pencil, and/or for heaps of open clam shells, previously pried open by other dextrous mammals. With one quick scoop of your shovel, dig down about 6 inches, turn over the shovel-full and pick out your clam.

Double check that you are harvesting clams in an area free of Red Tide. You must have a valid license to harvest clams. See above for more information about Red Tide and licensing.

Shellfish isn’t supposed to be crunchy

Mussels and clams that soak in cold salt water with a half cup of raw oats overnight become sand free.

Finding Oysters near Tofino

We have plenty of oysters in the area, but they are generally difficult for visitors to harvest. Don’t worry if you can’t find any, as Tofino’s restaurants serve them in every way imaginable: deep fried, baked, barbequed and of course raw on the half shell.

If the idea of slurping oysters is making you hungry, check out the annual Clayoquot Oyster Festival here in Tofino every November.

In Tofino, Pacific oysters are most often served raw, "on the half shell."

Lemmens Inlet is a commercial oyster growing area, with about a half dozen oyster farms, but harvesting oysters from farms without permission is of course illegal.

There are a few places in the Tofino area where oysters can be gathered on rocky shorelines, but finding these areas is difficult and requires boat access. If you do happen upon some oysters, make sure that they are the non-native Pacific oysters, because the native Olympia oysters are protected under Canada’s Species at Risk Act. Olympia oysters are smaller and rounder than their Japanese cousins, the Pacific oysters. A good rule of thumb is to avoid harvesting oysters less than 6 centimetres in diameter. And do not forget to double check for a Red Tide closure in the area that you are harvesting.

What about live Crabs?

Without contest, Tofino’s seafood scene is best known for its Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister). This sumptuously sweet crustacean is available at most restaurants in town or live from one of Tofino’s seafood locations listed here. If you are buying live crab in Tofino with plans to cook it at your vacation rental or bed and breakfast, make sure that you have the proper facilities and ventilation to do so. Cooking crab indoors can stink something awful.

The Co-op Grocery Store

First Street at Campbell, 250-725-3226

Packaged local seafood, fresh wild salmon, halibut, sole, and scallops.

Crab Dock

Bottom of Olsen Road Drive 1.2 km from the Post Office out of town and turn left (east) on Olsen Road. The dock is 100 metres at the bottom of Olsen Road.

If your timing is good, you can get lucky and catch local fishermen just as they return with the day’s haul. Transactions are cash only. Watch for signs on the highway: Jumbo Shrimp, Fresh Tuna, Local Halibut – you get the idea. It is worth driving down and asking at the dock even if you don’t see any signs.

The Fish Store

366 Campbell Street, 250-725-2264

Fresh and cooked crab and a variety of fish are available seasonally. Ask about their exceptional smoking and packaging operation for your fresh-caught fish; an excellent way to preserve your catch for the trip home.

Scott’s Fresh Crab

900 Campbell Street

Watch for the CRAB / OPEN sign across from the Gas ‘N Go / Long Beach Market. Drive in and get fresh crab straight from the fisherman who hauled it up. Cash only. There is an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) across the road at the gas station.

Trilogy Fish Company

634 Campbell Street, 250-725-2233, www.trilogyfish.net

Just next to the Weigh West Marina, specializing in fresh and smoked seafood products. Their Tofino Candied Salmon is droolworthy. Hot and cold smoked salmon, fresh seafood, shellfish and live crab. Vacuum packaging service for your fresh fish ensures a safe trip home.

Wildside Seafood

824 Ocean Park, 250-725-3244

This is hard to find but the quality of prawns and salmon make it worth the hunt. Drive 3.7 km towards Chesterman Beach from Tofino and turn left (east) on Hellesen Drive. Drive 200 metres and turn right at the end of the road. Go straight at the stop sign and watch for the Fresh Prawns and Salmon sign on your right, just past the children’s park. It’s best to call ahead before your visit to make sure that the proprietor is home.

Tofino resident, Duncan Booth shows fine form sampling an oyster creation at the annual Clayoquot Oyster Festival. Image courtesy of www.oystergala.com.

People flock to Tofino for countless reasons; there’s the old growth rainforests, long sandy beaches, hordes of wildlife, and the crashing surf. With all these amazing draws, you’d think that Tofino would be satisfied to rest on it’s well-endowed natural gifts and count the increasing number of year-round visitors as they arrive with surfboards on the roof and binoculars around their necks.

Alas, no. Despite having a relaxed reputation, Tofitians (as residents are often called) have always had an unrivaled entrepreneurial spirit. These days, numerous high caliber restaurants – ranging from food carts to fine dining — are attracting culinary travelers from around the world: Tofino is now getting recognition as a top-notch foodie destination.

An outdoor dining experience to remember. Image courtesy of The Pointe Restaurant.

Although tourism has been an economic staple here for decades (Pacific Rim National Park Reserve was established in 1971), the economy perceptibly shifted in this direction in the 1990s. Always a desirable place to visit, Tofino became well known internationally with the opening of the Wickaninnish Inn in 1996. The Pointe Restaurant at the Inn drew a number of chefs to this area, many of whom stayed and went on to other ventures.

The area has only increased in popularity since then, and many new resort properties and restaurants have been added. Dining in Tofino can have you sitting outside enjoying fish and chips at an outdoor eatery or, at the other end of the spectrum, sitting with a 270-degree view of the ocean enjoying a five-star dining experience.

There are many little gems in between these experiences as well. For a full list of Tofino restaurants, see the following: Fine Dining; Takeout & Casual; Pubs & Lounges.

It certainly helps that local chefs have the opportunity to get fresh salmon, halibut, crab and prawns, as well as locally foraged chanterelle mushrooms, berries and more.

This giant prawn was hauled up by local fisherman and restauranteur, Jeff Mikus. Image courtesy of Wildside Grill

Recognizing the interest in locally sourced ingredients, a collaborative organization in Tofino and Ucluelet is also working to bring more sustainable ingredients from all over British Columbia to the local area and bring this area’s ingredients to others. The Tofino-Ucluelet Culinary Guild has as its mission to bring farmers, fishers, foragers and chefs together for farm and boat-to-table culinary experiences. The food sourced by the TUCG is also available to local foodies, although many of these folks have their own gardens.

Locals interested in bringing organic and sustainable food to town have also formed theTofino Community Food Initiative as a way to share information and work together.

Several culinary events help highlight the culinary strength of this area, and are a reason to visit all on their own.

In March, the Pacific Rim Whale Festival includes numerous food and drink related events, including the ever-classic Chowder Chowdown, the Sweet Indulgences Dessert reception, the Martini Migration and more.

Feast! is a Tofino-Ucluelet food festival that begins in May for the second year in a row. This festival focuses on a different local seafood each week for three weeks, and also involves dine-around menus at local restaurants, specials dinners, tours, and more.

Feast! leads right into the Tofino Food and Wine Festival, a weekend of events, including the signature Grazing in the Gardens when restaurants, food purveyors and wineries come together in the Tofino Botanical Gardens for an afternoon of tasting.

Events like the Tofino Food and Wine Festival bring foodies from far and away to taste the best of Tofino's culinary delights.

The final festival of the year in Tofino is the Clayoquot Oyster Festival — a celebration of yet another local product. Oysters are grown in abundance on long lines in the sheltered inlets of Clayoquot Sound. They are feasted on and celebrated each November by locals and visitors alike.

For a town of its size, the culinary opportunities available in Tofino are unheard of.

The locals are into it, and we hope you are too.

Caffe Vincente

441 Campbell Street, 250-725-2599

With urban design, tiled floors, and a steaming espresso machine this café has a distinctive bistro feeling. The Americano is rich and dark, with a smooth natural creaminess on top. Vincente’s is locally famous for its Big Gun sandwich, served on a croissant or bagel, costing about $9. Expect other café-like food items, like soups and salads in the $8 – $12 range. A good stop, particularly on a rainy day as there is ample room to relax at the tables or in their comfy chair zone. Free wireless internet with purchase, 2 computer terminals for

hire.

Blue Heron Restaurant

634 Campbell Street, 250-725-4266, www.weighwest.com

Just outside the central core of Tofino, you will find the Weigh West Marine Resort on the Meares Island side of the highway. Go past the main hotel office and down the steep hill to find the restaurant on your right, at the water’s edge. Watch for river otters often playing just off the docks here, and the blue heron patiently waiting for fish.

The menu is straightforward and the food is tasty and fresh. Appetizers like shrimp, calamari or chicken wings are offered in the $10 range. The main courses are in the mid-$20 range. You will find a variety of burgers to choose from, and good fries (including yam fries). The location is outstanding, perched over the inlet waters, raised on piers. You can imagine the fish swimming below you as you dine. Lovely.

Chuckling Oyster

1254 Pacific Rim Highway, 250-725-2323, www.c-orca.com

Located near Chesterman Beach in the Clayoquot Orca Lodge, this restaurant and lounge provides a welcome evening getaway if you want to escape the busy downtown restaurant scene. There are two seating areas, the lounge and the dining room. The décor is somewhat dated, but the ambiance of the place is comfortable. One menu services the two seating areas with a variety of standard surf and turf items. There is a full bar and a fireplace to warm your soggy feet on rainy nights. Lounge-style entrees around $15, finer dining entrees around $26

Long Beach Lodge (on Cox Bay)

1441 Pacific Rim Highway, 250-725-2442, www.longbeachlodgeresort.com

This resort opened in April 2002 and its restaurant instantly became a local favourite. With its beach front location and sweeping ocean view to the lighthouse on Lennard Island, the setting is relaxed, despite the lodge’s grand interior. The restaurant is split in two sections: you choose to sit in the spacious and casual Great Room or in the more formal dining room. The menu is extensive here, ranging from a variety of wood-fired pizzas (about $16) to Peace River Country Bison Osso Buco (about $31). The comfortable couches and lounge chairs in the Great Room are popular with guests at the lodge, and with visitors and local residents, all of whom appreciate the view, the extensive wine cellar and the good beer on tap. Be sure to phone several days ahead to secure dinner reservations. Lounge-style entrees around $15, finer dining entrees around $28

Pointe Restaurant, at the Wickaninnish Inn

Osprey Lane, 250-725-3106, www.wickinn.com

Located 5 km south of Tofino off the Pacific Rim Highway, the Wickaninnish Inn and its featured restaurant have been busy building a world class reputation since opening in 1996. The restaurant is situated almost precariously on a bluff overlooking Chesterman Beach. A large copper-hooded fireplace dominates the centre of the dining room, and tables are positioned along a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. The stunning views entice patrons to bring their cameras to the dining room, so they can discreetly snap photos of the summer sunsets as they dine. All of the dinner entrees are around $30 and the appetizers are between $15 and $20. The seasonal menus are usually weighted toward seafood, but you will always find at least one poultry and one red meat dish. If you are lucky enough to catch it on the menu, try the Pan Seared Lingcod & Braised Pacific Octopus. Be sure to phone several days ahead to secure dinner reservations.

Entrées around $30

The Schooner on Second

331 Campbell Street, 250-725-3444, www.schoonerrestaurant.ca

Look for the big maroon building with the ship jutting out of the back. The interior of this veteran Tofino restaurant carries the theme further, with the decor giving you the feeling of dining inside a sailing vessel. The dinner menu relies mostly on fresh seafood, but there are enough non-seafood choices for those looking for alternatives. This is a popular breakfast spot for Tofino residents and visitors, and it is also open for lunch in a casual, publike atmosphere. Their signature dinner dish, Halibut Bawden Bay, is a great choice: a plump halibut filet split and stuffed with crab, shrimp, brie cheese and pine nuts. Dinner entrees priced from $20-$36. Breakfast and lunch items start around $12.

Sea Shanty

300 Main Street, 250-725-2902

Located inside the House of Himwitsa building, almost every table here commands a spectacular view of Tofino harbour. From here you look over the harbour to many local landmarks: Opitsaht Village, Meares Island, Stubbs Island, and even a slice of Vargas Island is visible. The restaurant and adjoining art gallery and lodge are First Nations owned and operated. Sea Shanty is open for three meals and is a great spot to look out over the harbour for a relaxed breakfast. The lunch menu is standard pub fare, with good battered halibut and chips. The dinner menu focuses on local seafood, featuring specials like The Echachis: shellfish complemented with ginger and sambuca cream sauce set on a bed of linguini. But non-fish-eaters need not dismay – the classic 8oz or 10oz ribeye steak is fire grilled and super tasty. Dinner Entrée prices around $20, Breakfast and lunch start around $12

Shelter

601 Campbell Street, 250-725-3733, www.shelterrestaurant.com

If you’re looking for the old Crab Bar, you’ve found it. In 2003, Shelter Restaurant took over the premises of this old Tofino favourite and transformed it into one of Tofino’s most popular restaurants. For information about the comfortable seating in the lounge, see Shelter description under Pubs, page 175. The fireside seats and the upstairs section have intimate candlelit dining. On summer nights, the outdoor heated patio offers a prospect overlooking the famous Eik Tree (p. 45) and Clayoquot Sound.

Shelter serves lunch and dinner from an eclectic menu. A popular lunch item is the Halibut Burger, which arrives garnished with a giant deep-fried onion ring. The calamari is a local favourite, best shared with two or more friends. The dinner menu spans the surf and turf spectrum but one of the more popular items is the Marinated Double-Cut Pork Chop. Entrée prices around $25. Lounge menu prices around $15

SOBO

311 Neill Street at First, 250-725-2341, www.sobo.ca

In its early days, the famous purple SOBO bus served amazing food-to-go to an ever-growing lineup of hungry Tofino visitors and locals who became addicted to feature items like polenta fries and bean burritos. Today this celebrated eatery has outgrown its wheels, left behind the take-out bus and now serves a full lunch and dinner menu. Their new location is downtown, just across from the Common Loaf Bake Shop.

SOBO (short for Sophisticated Bohemian which sums up their culinary style) is famous for its Killer Fish Taco and Crispy Shrimp Cakes, both exceptional if you are in for lunch. Expect excellent fresh salads and soups. The Duck Two Ways is a favourite dinner entrée. Parents will appreciate the play area on the back patio, a structure honouring the old SOBO bus imaginatively constructed by a local father. This outdoor nook is a happy place for the little ones while the parents sip pints of great beer on tap or excellent espresso drinks. Have lunch with kids in relative peace. Lunch menu prices about $14, Dinner menu entrees about $24

Spotted Bear Bistro

120 Fourth Street at Campbell, 250-725-2215, www.spottedbearbistro.com

The much celebrated Raincoast Café closed in 2008 and the Spotted Bear Bistro has done an exceptional job of taking over this space. Since this restaurant opened, its simple, elegant dinner menu has impressed residents, visitors and reviewers. The restaurant is quite small, so you will be close to neighbouring tables if it is busy. If your menu choice is from the sea, expect a fresh and original treat, like the smoked tuna bacon that accompanies the salmon main. The beef striploin with a whole grain mustard sauce is superb. The bistro only serves dinner. A reservation is recommended June through September and year round on weekends. Entrees start around $26

Calm Waters Restaurant at the Tin Wis Resort

1119 Pacific Rim Highway, 250-725-4445, www.tinwis.com

The Tin Wis hotel and restaurant are owned and operated by the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, whose traditional territory includes Tofino and the immediate surrounding area. The owners’ influence is pleasantly reflected in the building design, interior motifs and background music. In the Tla-o-qui-aht language, Tin Wis translates as calm waters. Accordingly, the ocean tends to be unusually calm in front of this restaurant, creating a relaxed ambience. With music playing softly as you dine, you can sense another time and another reality. The Tin Wis serves an excellent breakfast. If you’re a hungry teenager or eat like one, try to eat your way through Tla-o-qui-aht Warrior, an impressively large and tasty breakfast. The dinner menu is a cultural adventure, bringing “the traditional ways of the Nuu-chah-nulth People to share with you the experience of exquisite blends of Ancient spirit and contemporary West Coast cuisine.” The restaurant is closed for lunch. Dinner entrees around $24. Breakfast items start around $12.

Tough City Sushi & Crab Bar

350 Main Street, 250-725-2021, www.toughcity.com

Offering a full sushi menu and Japanese-style entrees on the waterfront, Tough City Sushi has grown every year in sophistication and size. July and August are always crowded at Tough City, so be prepared to wait as the proprietor, a former carnival barker, regales patrons with colourful stories while his fast-moving staff whirl in a dervish of activity around him. Outdoor dining here on a mild Clayoquot evening will ensure picturesque memories, especially when the food is this good. You will find the traditional sushi favourites and West Coast originals like the prevailing favourite, the Dynamite Roll. You might also want to investigate the Spider Roll and the Crazy Ron Roll – the latter named in honour of the proprietor. Entrée prices around $20; Sushi roll prices $5-$15.