Visitors scramble as water shortage shuts Tofino businesses

An extreme water shortage has promptedtheVancouver Island community of Tofinoto order local businesses closed by Friday, leaving tourists andwedding parties scrambling to make alternate plans for the last holiday weekend of the summer.

The orderissued Tuesday isintended to help preserve theremaining water supply. It applies to all hotels, restaurants and other food service businesses in the district.

Tofino is now drawing ona backup reservoir, but that watermust be boiled before it is considered safe to drink.

Meanwhile, the local tourist bureau is telling people to stay away, and hotels and motels are cancelling reservations, including at least three weddings.

Tofino wedding planner Suzanne May said she received a call from one desperate bride-to-be who had guests flying in from across the country.

May eventually found hotel rooms and a place for dinner in Ucluelet, a community 42 kilometres away.

"I was on the phone for at least two hours, phoning all the different accommodations in Ucluelet, trying to find something for her and her 20 guests," she said.

"Of course, Ucluelet has had a crazy day with everyone from here calling there."

Florist Camilla Thorogoodsaid she spent much of Tuesday consoling brides who had their reservations cancelled.

"There's nothing we can do," Thorogood said. "I just feel terrible for them and I hope they can make alternate plans.

"As for myself, I'm going to have a big sale on flowers this weekend."

Businesses feel pinch

Business owners who depend ontourists say the water shortage will hurt their bottom lines.

Debbie McCartney, who owns Big Daddy's Fish Fry, said the town of 1,500 swells to more than 15,000 in the high season.

"Well, if they stop the tourists from coming, it's going to hurt every individual, all of my employees," said McCartney. "It's going to hurt them drastically."

Crystal Ironside, the president of the Tofino Bedand Breakfast Society, said the town is "basically in a complete shutdown as of Friday."

While no one likes it, Ironside said she believes most people don't want to get to a point where the taps can't be turned on.

"At this point, we have to do what it takes in order to get through this dry period," said Ironside.

A reservoir upgradingprojecttoprovide more water to the community should be in place by next year, she said.

"We hope by this time next year we never have to deal with this again," she said.

Two-month dry spell

Even though Vancouver Island's west coast is considered a rain forest, the District of Tofino's main reservoir on Meares Island is very low because of a two-month dry spell.

Water is so scarce thatthere are concerns about whether there would be enough available tofight a fire in the town, said Mayor John Fraser.

Fraser said it wasn't an easy decision to order businesses to close.

"We saw it coming. It comes every year at this time," he said. "In the past, we've gotten away with it. This is the first year that we haven't.

Officials have said the order will stay in effect until there is significant rainfall.