Tofino in the dark: Community coping without power
'We are a resilient lot helping each other out and making do,' says mayor
Many Tofino homes and businesses have been without electricity for two days, but the community is rallying to keep spirits bright.
BC Hydro crews are actively trying to restore power to the area after the town went dark during a severe windstorm at about 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning, according to Tofino's mayor Josie Osborne.
Osborne said power has returned to some homes and hotels and in the meantime, locals are making the best of a tough situation.
"We are a resilient lot helping each other out and making do," said Osborne.
Impromptu community feast
Staff at Lil' Ronnie's Backyard BBQ decided the power outage was the perfect time to cook up a free feast.
Co-owner Matt Oakes realized there was no way to keep all the meat he had in storage from spoiling, so staff decided to grill it all up and throw an impromptu free feast for the community.
"Everyone's fridges are down," said Oakes. "So being able to do this is the perfect solution."
Oakes said 150 people had already arrived to dine before 5 p.m., and he was expecting more people to show up and share in the sausages, brisket and chili Lil' Ronnies is serving up.
According to Oakes, many of the diners are locals and for him, the feast feels like a nice way to give back.
Phenomenal storm watching
And for visitors who flock to the coastal town to storm watch, the last two days have been 'phenomenal' viewing, according to Charles McDiarmid, managing director of the Wickanninish Inn.
"Our cup is overflowing with storm watching activity," said McDiarmid.
He said many people headed to the shore once it was safe to watch large waves crash on the beach.
The Wickanninish lost power on Thursday for about 18 hours, but McDiarmid said on-site generators maintained power at the resort's restaurants, though rooms were in the dark. Some guests dined by candlelight.
"Guests are loving it. It's been very romantic," he said.
Some surfers are also enjoying the big waves the stormy weather has whipped up.
According to Osborne, storm conditions mean experienced surfers can ride at beaches where normally the waves are not adequate, like Tonquin Beach near downtown.
Osborne is grateful to those working around the clock to get the lights back on. She said hydro crews are working to restore power to the community's hospital, which is functioning on generator power.
BC Hydro spokesperson Tanya Fish said Thursday's wind storm was one of the most severe storms to hit the province in 20 years.
According to Fish, 600,000 British Columbians lost power during the storm.