The golden arches may never glow over the seaside town of Tofino, B.C., where district council is considering a bylaw that would prevent fast food chains and other franchises from setting up shop.
Councillors voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a motion directing district staff to draft a bylaw banning franchises.
Coun. Stephen Ashton introduced the motion. He told ctvbc.ca that the bylaw would help preserve the unique character of Tofino, an area known for its rugged coastline and laid-back attitude.
"Where in the world can you go that there isn't a McDonald's, a Starbucks, a Tim Hortons?" Ashton asked. "Now you can't go anywhere in the world without seeing the same thing over and over and over."
Beyond one national bank branch and a chain hotel, the vast majority of Tofino's businesses are locally owned. The town's largest grocery store is a co-op, and encouraging non-chain businesses is enshrined in its official community plan.
"When you come to Tofino, people can't entirely tell what's different, because there's something about this place, and that's what it is," Ashton said. "You won't go for a walk on Long Beach and see burger wraps."
Michael Tilitzky, executive director of the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, said that the chamber has not yet taken a position on the proposed bylaw, but said that in general, "we support small businesses.'
Speaking personally, Tilitzky said he supports the idea. "I think it's great. Tofino is unique in character and that's what attracts people."
Bob Long, chief administrative officer for Tofino, said that drafting the bylaw won't be easy. The bylaw would cover both zoning and licensing regulations, and will have to take individual rights into consideration.
"It's going to be a real big challenge for me to write a bylaw that reflects everybody's rights and freedoms under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms," he said.
But despite those challenges, Long said the proposed bylaw is right in line with Tofino's character.
"Tofino wants commercial establishments that are clearly locally significant, locally derived, and locally applicable," he said. "Council wants all of our businesses to reflect that uniqueness."
