Tofino ~ the cottage, the coffee, the lunch

Tofino is on the west coast of Vancouver Island ~ or on the east coast of the Pacific Ocean, depending on your point of view. It is a beautiful place indeed and a million people visit every year.

There are less than 2000 permanent residents of Tofino, though on summer days the population can swell to over 20,000. Many are from the EU and judging by our recent visit, German could be Tofino's second language. French is also heard, and American and a generous helping of Australian too it would seem.


As history has been written, Tofino was established as a settlement in the early 1900s CE. That there were indigenous people here for several thousands of years before that time is, apparently, less historical. However.

The name of the town comes from the naming of the inlet, Tofino Inlet, by the Spanish commanders and explorers: Galiano and Valdez (names that will sound familiar to British Columbians). They named the inlet after their admiral: Vincente Tofino.





The First Nation in this area is the Nuu-chah-nulth, an affiliation of a number of different family groups. The name means all along the mountains and the sea, and they were among the first people along the west coast of North America to come into contact with Europeans. From the time of first contact until about the mid 1800s, about 90 per cent of the Nuu-chah-nulth were killed by small pox and malaria, and by the cultural conflict resulting from contact with the "intruders."

While in Tofino, we stayed at the Tofino Inlet Cottages, which offered an easy walk into town and some great views of the government crab dock and the inlet. The Cottages are actually quite nice and fully equipped; a great tub, fantastic barbecue and run by friendly folk indeed. A drawback is the fact that the "rooms" aren't quite soundproof, which can be a bit of a bother when someone is waking up at five in the morning to go on a whale watching tour.

There are several coffee shops in Tofino, and absolutely no Tim Hortons or Starbucks. In fact Tofino doesn't seem to have any national chains of any kind, which is certainly to the town's credit. One coffee shop that caught our attention was the Common Loaf Bake Shop, which has been around for ages. It's busy on summer days and there can be a queue to get in the place, and then a wait for service. The atmosphere is great, the coffee is only good. There are some wonderful aboriginal masks on the walls; reason enough to visit for some of us. It is a funky kind of place, and it is local.

For a better coffee, possibly the best in Tofino, and a place that makes a wonderful espresso (slightly sweet), there is the Tofino Coffee Company down the street and slightly out of the town centre, where the owner roasts his own beans almost daily and ... loves coffee and loves to visit (almost to distraction, but that is part of the charm, or not, depending on your perspective).

There are all kinds of food outlets in Tofino and one stands out for its wonderful lunch menu: SoBo (short for Sophisticated Bohemian). Opened ten years ago, SoBo has attracted attention from various foodies in Canada and beyond. The wife and husband team of Lisa and Artie Ahier (she from Texas and he from New Brunswick) offer locally sourced ingredients with flair and great taste.

Our lunch of salmon chowder was incredible (big chunks of wild salmon and fresh vegetables), though it might have been a tad hotter. The halibut cheviche was terrific too. Service is friendly and attentive though when they get busy (which is often), things do take longer. SoBo is casual, yet elegant and clearly inventive and should not be missed.

All photos copyrighted 2013 

by Jim Murray.

Tonquin Beach ~ Tofino

Tonquin Beach is a secluded little beach within easy walking distance of the Tofino's town centre. Many visitors miss this beautiful spot in favour of the more famous windswept beaches further south of town. This beach, and the walking trail leading to it, is a wonderful escape.















Tonquin Beach is named after the 19th century American trading vessel Tonquin. In 1811 the vessel sank nearby after what has been termed a "trading altercation" with the local indigenous people. It was serious enough that a number of the First Nations people boarded the vessel and killed most of the 35 member crew. The following day they returned to the vessel and apparently a surviving crew member ignited the powder kegs on board, killing himself and all the local people who had come aboard. The ship sank without a trace and the wreck has never been recovered.

Today, Tonquin Beach is a relaxing place close to town. Without the waves of Long Beach there aren't really any surfers here. Instead it's a place for relaxing; a beach for dogs, kids and fishers. A place for romantic sunsets too, if only the fog would lift.

All photos copyrighted 2013 by 
Jim Murray.

Bald Eagles in Clayoquot Sound

While staying in Tofino last week, we saw several Bald Eagles. One took up its post near our cabin, keeping watch for an easy meal of fish from the inlet.

We know the plumage of the adult: evenly dark brown with a white head and tail. Males and females are identical in colour, and differentiated only by the fact that the female is 25 per cent larger than the male. 

Plumage of an immature Bald Eagle resembles that of a Golden Eagle: a messy kind of brown with white streaks covering the bird from head to tail, until its fifth year when it becomes an adult. These photos show an immature Bald Eagle in flight. 

All photos copyrighted 2013 by Jim Murray.

Cathedral Grove

Cathedral Grove is one of the most accessible stands of old-growth forest left in BC. Only 16 km east of Port Alberni, along Highway 4, it is a remarkable place to visit.

The Grove is only 157 ha in size, and resides within the 300 ha of MacMillan Provincial Park. Cathedral Grove contains a stand of ancient Douglas Fir, some of which approach 800 years in age.














In 1944, H. R. MacMillan, donated 136 ha to the provincial government "for the perpetual enjoyment of the public in recognition of the unique stand of trees."  The donation was made after years and years of refusing to discuss the possibility of preserving what had already become famous as Cathedral Grove.

In 1997, on New Year's Day, a severe windstorm changed the park forever. Hundreds of trees were toppled and much of the park's trail system destroyed (some have not yet been re-opened). The fallen trees are of significant value as they open the canopy to provide light, shelter and nutrients for the new growth.






















About 1 million people visit the park every year, and there can be an initial sense of congestion : cars and people. That being said, it only takes a few moments to find peace and solitude, and it is worth every minute.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2013 by Jim Murray.

The Falls of VanDusen Gardens

We walk around VanDusen Gardens about two or three times a week. The Gardens are a backyard of sorts for us and we enjoy seeing the changes week to week. We also hear from visitors about the falls. The falls seem to be on every tourist's list of things to see while visiting the Gardens.








There is a tropical flair on the way to the falls at VanDusen; the ferns are nearby and they conjure up thoughts of a more primitive time in a hot and humid rain forest.




























The falls at VanDusen are perhaps 12 m in height, and possibly 2 m wide at best. They are apparently fed by... a municipal water source. Not that there is anything wrong with that.





I remember some other falls, at Argentina's border with Brasil, where we spent more than several days earlier this year. The Garganto del Diablo, at Iquazu, is 82 m high and 150 m wide. It was hot and steamy and everything was wet beyond belief. It was an adventure.



And yet, so too are the falls at VanDusen. The sound of water falling on rocks and the mist in the air, is not unlike Igauzu, and it's slightly closer to home.




You can see some photos from the other falls here: Iguazu Falls

Sunflowers, bees & Colony Collapse Disorder

I think sunflowers are beautiful. They come in several colours, grow incredibly tall, and offer their seeds to birds and other creatures. At VanDusen Gardens, the wonderful sunflower garden is full of bees.

Bees are truly wonderful creatures. They produce honey, a pure food if ever there was one. They also pollinate a multitude of plants. Through pollination, they are, quite possibly, essential to life on this planet. In fact, according to the UN, of the one hundred crops responsible for providing 90 percent of world food needs, seventy-one are dependent on bee pollination. Bees are certainly essential to human life.

Over the past six years, more than ten million bee hives have been wiped out due to something called Colony Collapse Disorder. Investigations continue into the cause of the problem with increasing concern about the use of pesticides and fungicides.

This past winter thirty percent of bee colonies in the US were wiped out. In the UK, almost half of their hives were lost. In Canada, thirty percent declines have been reported annually for the past three years.

CCD has been going on for years with slightly increasing media coverage each year, usually involving the economic impact of the crisis. The crisis is much larger than that and all of us should be aware of the problem. Citizens can make a difference, by making informed decisions when shopping, and in demanding more oversight by our governments in the use of agricultural chemicals .



A recent article in the Globe & Mail is worth a read, as is the weekly series just beginning in The Guardian. It is called Buzzfeeds and appears every Tuesday.

All photos copyrighted by Jim Murray. 

Reproduction, without permission , 

is prohibited.

Faubourg ~ Vancouver Coffee Shops Part 7

In the heart of Kerrisdale, east of train tracks that don't go anywhere, and along busy 41st Avenue, is a remarkable little place called Faubourg. Beside Caffe Artigiano and across from Bean Brothers and Starbucks, Faubourg presents a bit of French culture with pastries, baguettes, cakes and much more.






The coffee is good, not great. Better coffee can be found next door at Artigiano. What is outstanding about Faubourg: breads, cakes and treats. The pastries are simply wonderful, with the croissants being the best we've encountered in Vancouver.




Service is decidedly un-Parisien: efficient and friendly. Faubourg is busy through the day, everyday, and the setting, inside or out (on a very small sidewalk patio), is noisy, but with breads and treats like this, who would complain?