PORT ALBERNI/TOFINO
NOVEMBER 2016
PORT ALBERNI CHARRETTE A RESOUNDING SUCCESS
PORT ALBERNI PAT DEAKIN
A
charrette, also known as a planning or design charrette, derives its origin from the French word for ‘cart’. It’s a reference to olden days when French architects would ‘sub-contract’ some of their commissioned work to their students and send out a cart to retrieve everything the students had done from their respective homes in the previous day. In modern-day terms, it refers to an exercise wherein many stakeholders are brought together to conceive a design for a specific place or an area in a short period of time. The Port Alberni charrette for Johnston Road (aka
Highway 4) came about after 5 different groups in the City independently, but coincidentally, submitted unsolicited ideas for a new entry sign within a few weeks of one another. The notion that we need a new entry sign stems from a research finding, an observation and a decision. The research finding is that some people travel through Port Alberni without realizing where they are. The observation is that the current entry a nd way-f i nd i ng sig ns for ou r com mu n ity a re mostly lost in the maze of billboards on private lands outside the City’s boundaries. And the decision was for the current City Council to focus on the look of our ‘front yard’‌ the one that travelers see on their way to the very popular west coast destinations. So, i n late October, a few dozen people gave up their entire weekend to talk about the kind of experience we want to give travelers through the community with the intention of h av i ng t hem decide they need to stop here and
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HARVEST FUNDRAISER A SUCCESS experience our hospitality. One of the interesting aspects of the charrette was that the participants set the agenda and ended up talking about everything except the sign! Instead hours of discussion were invested in the circulation of vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians; the look and feel of the streetscape; support for the emergence of new businesses and events; parking; and the branding of the City’s districts. A full report on the event complete with ballpark cost estimates for each initiative will be delivered to Council later this month in time for their budget deliberations. Thanks are due to the Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce for their financial contribution to the event, Lanarc Consulting for a wonderful job in taking us through the process and of course, the participants. Pat Deakin is the Economic Development Manager for the City of Port Alberni. He can be reached at 250-720-2527 or Patrick_deakin@portalberni.ca
TOFINO JEN DART
S
mall Business Month in October was a busy one in Tofino. The Chamber assisted Courtenay-Alberni NDP MP Gord Johns with Business Walks on October 11th. All businesses reported that business was good and increasing, and most said that location was their favourite part of doing business in Tofino. Many issues and concerns, including parking, housing and regulations, were also raised to the volunteer groups. A debriefing session was held afterwards, and MP Johns’ staff will produce a report to be used by the community and the Chamber for planning and follow-up. Many thanks to the many volunteers who devoted several hours to participating in this valuable event. ■■■The Chamber hosts regular
Mayor’s Breakfasts with Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne and our Small Business Month breakfast was held at Jamie’s Rainforest Inn. The mayor gets the chance to speak about a specific topic or take questions from attendees. This month the discussion focussed on the process currently under way to determine a location for Tofino’s sewage treatment plant. We thank Mayor Osborne for participating in these valuable events. Another favourite Chamber event is our monthly Members’ Luncheon, held this month at the Sea Shanty Restaurant on October 28th and hosted by Parkbridge Lifestyle Communities. Parkbridge is in the process of rezoning a property they own at Cox Bay and representative Chris McClellan was in attendance. We thank Parkbridge for hosting and the crew at the Sea Shanty for a delicious lunch. ■■■We were lucky enough to welcome Deb McLelland from the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 29th for a board governance workshop. Those in the Chamber world know Deb and her expertise well, and we so appreciated having
the opportunity to share her with other organizations in Tofino. Thanks as well to Ocean Village Beach Resort for providing accommodation and to Tourism Tofino for co-sponsoring this event. ■■■We certainly couldn’t put on amazing Chamber events without our generous business community. The recent fundraiser for the Chamber and Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society called Harvest happened on November 3rd. This was a progressive dinner around town featuring some of Tofino’s best culinary experiences. Participants were shuttled around town, stopping at five restaurants for a course and a drink at each. This is the second time we’ve done this popular event. Our gratitude goes out to Shelter Restaurant, Jamie’s Rainforest Inn, Wolf in the Fog, Long Beach Lodge Resort and the Schooner Restaurant. We are so lucky to have such an amazing business community! Jen Dart is Executive Director of the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at 250.725.3153. www. tofinochamber.org
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