Call for nude beach sparks 'lighthearted' conversation in Tofino

A resident of Tofino has an idea to lighten things up following a dark and stormy winter.

Rachel Sutton wants the popular town on the west coast of Vancouver Island to have a nude beach.

"We really need to have reason to laugh and have frivolity," she said.

Some people do already choose to enjoy the region's spectacular beaches in the buff from time to time, Sutton said.

And as the mother of an eight-year-old daughter, she believes adding a bit of formality to the public nakedness would be helpful.

"I would much prefer to know where there is going to be nudity rather than my child stumbling upon it," she said.

Sutton envisions an arrangement in Tofino that would be similar to Wreck Beach, a clothing-optional beach in Vancouver.

She sees other benefits as well.

"I would say on a deeper level, it tackles body-shaming," she said. 

Mayor responds

Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne says no formal proposal has been brought forward, and so far the idea has just been a "lighthearted" conversation point.

"To the best of my knowledge, there is no official designation on public land for a nude beach in British Columbia," Osborne said.

"There are definitely some known informal arrangements around.... If everybody is OK with it, then communities often live with it."

Such an informal arrangement has been in place before at one location in Tofino, she said. But she added that any new agreement would have to respect the various points of view on the issue.