From the pink salmonberry blossoms lining our streets to the migrating shorebirds flocking back to our beaches, springtime always brings a sense of optimism. While the brighter days promise a vibrant summer to come, this spring has arrived at a critical moment in our journey through the COVID-19 pandemic, and we remain a little quieter than normal here on the wild west coast.

On Friday, April 23rd, new travel restrictions were enacted by British Columbia’s Minister of Public Safety, Mike Farnworth under the Emergency Program Act. These measures continue through Monday, May 24th and are intended to limit non-essential travel, which matches and supports our existing provincial health orders. In his statement, Minister Farnworth noted while the majority of our efforts are succeeding and we continue to make progress with our vaccination program, now more than ever, we need to reduce transmissions to ensure we can all enjoy the upcoming summer. Given these restrictions and our continued efforts to best safeguard our staff, community, and guests, we have elected to extend our current closure, tentatively planning on reopening Tuesday, May 25th for existing reservations and Friday, May 28th for new reservations.

We are looking forward to the time where we can open our doors and invite in both the warmer and brighter days, and you, our cherished friends and guests, and we know these days are on the horizon. Meanwhile, there are many exciting changes and reasons for optimism unfolding all around us here in Tofino. Our community members have recently had the opportunity to receive their first dose of vaccine through the Whole Of Community Immunization Approach provided to small and remote communities throughout the province. Our heartfelt thanks go out to the front-line health care workers who made this possible and to everyone for their continued efforts to bring about the end of this pandemic.

We are also pleased to share some news from the world of Relais & Chateaux. If you haven’t already had the opportunity to become acquainted with the Relais & Chateaux Always Be Expected Program and Relais & Chateaux App, we encourage you to explore these offerings. Always Be Expected is a fantastic way to personalize your experience, and the Relais & Chateaux App welcomes you to explore the entire world of exceptional properties and iconic restaurants in the Relais and Chateaux family all at your fingertips. Both are certain to inspire and enhance the wonderful experiences that await you on your travels.

Until we can welcome you back again, please know we are saving the fresh ocean breeze and Tofino views for you and will continue inviting you on as many virtual journeys as possible on our social media channels. We hope these inspire you to feel well and breathe in the fresh spring air around you and all the promise it holds. Thank you for your patience over these last months, we are grateful for your continued support and kind words of encouragement, and we cannot wait to once again greet you with the words: “Welcome back to the Wickaninnish Inn.”