The Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce

Green Business Initiative

Green Business Initiative

Part of the Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce%u2019s stated mission is to advocate for environmental sustainability, green business initiatives, and business stewardship of the Clayoquot Sound biosphere region. Sustainability is, in fact, one of the Chamber's core values (along with community, collaboration, education and communication). The Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce%u2019s Board of Directors seeks to incorporate a "green" vision into business decisions whenever possible. Part of the Chamber's mandate is to encourage the business community to collaborate with progressive, sustainable values that protect and safeguard the environment while maintaining a strong business ethic.

An example of this type of collaboration in Tofino is the Green Business Initiative (GBI) currently being spearheaded by the Raincoast Education Society (RES) . The GBI is, to date, a collaboration of local resorts working towards sustainable business practices in the following areas: water conservation, energy reduction, and sustainable purchasing.

The four Tofino resorts currently taking part in the initiative agree that they are at different stages on the journey towards sustainability. The group has expressed the wish to work with each other and with guests to create a visitor experience with minimal environmental impact. The GBI is eager to welcome more hotels, B&Bs, and other businesses to join them in this sustainability initiative. Currently, all the resorts which comprise the GBI track their water, hydro, and propane use as well as participate in the annual Green Key Audit. (http://www.hotelassociation.ca/site/programs/green_key.htm ).

The four resorts currently involved:

  • Wickaninnish Inn
  • Pacific Sands Beach Resort
  • Crystal Cove Beach Resort
  • Ocean Village Resort

Some examples of the measures undertaken by these resorts:

Wickaninnish Inn

  • using vermiculture to compost 100% of organic waste
  • sourcing local food through the Tofino-Ucluelet Culinary Guild
  • switched from bottled water to in-room Brita filters and glasses
  • member of Clean the World, an organization that repurposes bars of soap and other amenities for use in areas that experience high mortality due to dysentery and respiratory illnesses
  • received a fourth green key (out of a possible five) from the Hotel Association of Canada's Green Key Program
  • "green" committee made up of representatives from all areas of the hotel meets regularly to discuss sustainable practices

Pacific Sands Beach Resort

  • all gardening is done with rainwater (all automatic watering systems have been removed)
  • member of Clean the World, an organization that repurposes bars of soap and other amenities for use in areas that experience high mortality due to dysentery and respiratory illnesses
  • low-flow shower heads installed in all units
  • water conservation signage in all rooms
  • geo-exchange heating system in place
  • member of the Tofino/Ucluelet Culinary Guild
  • eliminated paper comment cards and promote email confirmations
  • composting of organic gardening material
  • local coffee/tea program
  • exterior lighting on photocell sensors

 Crystal Cove Beach Resort

  • composting all organic gardening material and encouraging guests to compost by collecting organic waste twice daily
  • using rainwater only for watering grounds
  • all of the vehicles used in daily operation are battery-powered
  • providing cloth shopping for guests for in-town shopping and as souvenirs
  • amenities now in dispensers
  • using bio-degradable cleaning products
  • units have low-flush toilets
  • promoting email confirmations rather than "hard copy" ones

Ocean Village Resort

  • low-flow showerheads installed
  • switched to Sea Wench (local) amenities in all rooms
  • sustainable coffee in rooms
  • re-calibrated laundry hot water for 25% energy savings
  • heat pump and heat reclaim retrofit coming soon for the pool/hot tub
  • exterior lighting retrofit coming soon (with photocell sensors)

* Check back on Earth Day (April 22nd, 2011) when the hotels will post their reductions (%) in propane, water, and hydro as an aggregate based on numbers garnered from 2009.

In addition to the Green Business Initiative, The Chamber also hosts a monthly Green Breakfast that is open to all who wish to discuss green initiatives (http://www.tofinochamber.org/sustainability/green-events) .