It's amazing to me how quickly time flies, even as the world seems to be at a standstill. It's been just over a year since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic, and our lives changed. The Inn closed on March 17th, 2020, for 100 days in deference to health advisories against non-essential travel, and again in November 2020, when the second wave arrived. However, I don't dwell on this past year too much, even though we missed welcoming so many of you. Instead, I look forward and remain in awe by the adaptability, hope, and support of our team, you our guests and our plucky little town of Tofino.

When we were open in the Summer of 2020, it was under new distancing guidelines, limited capacities of our spaces, and finding ways to offer safety and service. Despite the challenges, I was impressed with how our team managed to provide warm and personalized assistance, and with the understanding and appreciation from those who visited for the efforts we were all making. We truly were, and still are, “all in it together"!

While we remain closed for the time being, we are in regular contact with our team and look forward to the day we reopen to welcome you back in a way that is reassuringly safe and exceedingly comfortable. In the meantime, there is still a lot happening in Tofino and on the coast to look forward to. A significant step in the Highway 4 reconstruction was completed last week, when a large rock formation overhanging the highway's narrowest part by Kennedy Lake was removed. The popular Multi-Use-Path has been extended from Cox Bay to Long Beach at the northern boundary of Pacific Rim National Park, although work continues to finalize the last 25km apsc?iik t?as?ii (pronounced ups-cheek ta-shee), destination trail winding through the park reserve.

We are also pleased to advise that the Vancouver Island Health Authority has designated Tofino and Ucluelet as part of their "Whole of Community" vaccination plan, which will see everyone in both towns vaccinated by mid-April. This new development will allow us to reopen with confidence, knowing everyone will be safe while the vaccination pace more broadly continues to race ahead.

Though eager to get back to what we do best, sharing our passion for this special place, many are making the most of this downtime - walking along Chesterman Beach, spending quality time with family, and of course, enjoying the odd surf session. We are confident these days will soon pick-up in activity as we aim to reopen Henry Nolla's hand-carved doors to welcome you to Tofino and the Wickaninnish Inn.

All the best,

Charles