earth day is every day at the wickaninnish inn

April 7, 2009

Years before green came to describe anything other than a colour, the Wickaninnish Inn, set in remote Tofino, B.C., was on the path to sustainability.  The quiet maverick in this greening was a Tofino boy with a dream of bringing the world to his quaint hometown.  Charles McDiarmid, the driving force behind the iconic Wickaninnish Inn, recognized that the appeal of Tofino lay in its pristine natural setting, and spearheaded environmentally friendly practices to be used in building and managing the Inn. Much of the Wickaninnish Inn was built with reclaimed Vancouver Island wood, driftwood collected from local beaches, and from Cedar and Douglas Fir felled to clear space for the Inn’s two buildings. The produce, seafood and meat served in the Pointe Restaurant have always been sourced locally from Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island, and greater B.C.

Thirteen years later, and with Clayoquot Sound as a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2000, McDiarmid and his team continue to find new ways to share the local Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations message of Hishuk isk tsawalk, loosely translating to “we are one, we are all connected”, implying that all we see, touch and use is intimately connected to everything else on the planet.  

In the spirit of honouring this connection and of minimizing footprints, the Inn presents the new Tread Lightly Package. This year-round getaway for two includes:

• Two nights of accommodation
• A locally harvested welcome plate and apéritif  delivered to the guests' room
• 2-hour nature watching safari with local photographer and guide Adrian Dorst
• Wickaninnish Inn take-out Beach Walker lunch for two
• Gift copies of David Suzuki’s Green Guide, and Trees of British Columbia
• A $20.00 donation in the guests’ name to the local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit, grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of worldwide oceans and beaches (www.surfrider.org).
• Rates start at $937.65, based on double occupancy
  

Only a true blue (or green) visionary hotelier like Charles can boast of his very own, on-site WorminatorTM to compost vegetable waste generated at the Inn.  In fact, Tofino’s April 26th Earth Day Fair (www.earthdaytofino.ca) features a silent auction item which includes a conversation on sustainability with Charles at the Pointe Restaurant, followed by a walk to the on-site Worminator.

The Wickaninnish Inn, a Relais & Châteaux property since 1997, is committed to unsurpassed service, accommodations, and culinary offerings.  In 2008, the Inn was voted #1 Hotel in Canada by the readers of Travel + Leisure Magazine.  The Inn joined the Hotel Association of Canada’s Green Key Eco-Rating Program, and launched the Naturally website page within www.wickinn.com as a guide to its environmental initiatives.

For editorial and/or photographic information please contact:

Jane Ince
(604) 987 6047 or jane@wickinn.com