The District of Tofino opened its first wastewater treatment plant on Thursday. The facility, which took about two years to build, will allow the district to end a decades-old practice of dumping wastewater into the ocean.
Officials called the event a major milestone for the community of about 2,500 residents.
“We are privileged to live here. Anyone who has lived in Tofino for even a minute knows how important it is to take care of this place,” said Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim, at the plant’s opening ceremony. Osborne was Tofino’s mayor when the project began.
I can’t believe this day has come, when we talked about it so much, she adds.
A historic project
The plant is the largest capital project in Tofino’s history, officials say. It ultimately cost nearly $80 million, and the district received two rounds of funding from the provincial and federal governments.
British Columbia and Ottawa initially provided about $40 million for the project, which was originally budgeted at $55 million. That budget proved too low, however, when Tofino received much higher-than-expected construction bids during the pandemic.
In early 2022, the District had to revise the projected cost to nearly $78 million, a 42% increase from the initial budget. A year later, the federal and provincial governments provided more than $12.5 million more to support the project.
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In accordance with provincial and federal mandates, all municipalities in Canada must submit wastewater effluent to secondary treatment before discharging it, says the District of Tofino.
Photo : District de Tofino
An expected infrastructure
At Thursday’s opening ceremony, Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns said the facility is long overdue.
For decades we couldn’t get any money because we’re too far from Ottawa, said Gord Johns. Now it’s our turn. Our priority is to protect the oceans and ecosystems.
Laurie Hannah, who has lived in Tofino since 1998, believes the treatment plant will benefit residents and visitors, especially those who enjoy surfing in the area. She says the issue is top of mind for her because of her role as executive director of the Westcoast Community Resources Society, which aims to promote wellness in the community.
It’s good to see the different levels of government stepping up to finally bring infrastructure to the community.
A quote from Laurie Hannah, Executive Director of the Westcoast Community Resources Society
Environmental activism
Hannah adds that the Tofino region is also known for its environmental activism, particularly due to the protests against logging in Clayoquot Sound in the 1980s and 1990s.
She sees the dumping of untreated sewage into the ocean as a contradiction that is finally being resolved.
We are finally able to carry out the entire operation, she said.
Dan Lewis, who helped organize the anti-logging protests and is now director of environmental group Clayoquot Action, is thrilled about the plant.
There is no reason to dump raw sewage into a biosphere reserve, so we are very happy, concludes Dan Lewis.
With information from Alex Nguyen
