Coastal Victories
District of Tofino Single-Use Plastics Regulation bylaw: plastic STRAWS AND BAGS
Surfrider has been working diligently on removing plastic straws, bags and other forms of single-use plastics in Tofino since 2016. In April 2018, we presented on the achievements of our Ban the Bag campaign, and following this, Mayor Josie Osborne put forward a Motion to Regulate Single-Use Plastics, which was passed by Council in June 2018. The bylaw banning single use plastic bags and straws officially came into effect on June 8th 2019! Also In 2019, Surfrider Pacific Rim launched the Cut the Cutlery campaign to eliminate plastic and bioplastic cutlery. In February 2022, the Districts of Tofino and Ucluelet unanimously agreed to ban plastic and bioplastic utensils. A bylaw that came into effect in September.
District of Ucluelet Single-Use Plastics Regulation: STRAWS AND BAGS
After Surfrider presented on the Ban the Bag Campaign in a delegation to the District of Ucluelet in May 2018, the Council adopted a resolution to refer to the City of Victoria’s Bylaw to staff for review and to report back to Council on what would be appropriate for Ucluelet. Once the District of Tofino passed the Motion to regulate single-use plastics, the District of Ucluelet agreed to adopt the same regulation to keep policies consistent across the Pacific Rim.
District of Tofino Single-Use Plastics Regulation bylaw: POLYSTYRENE
In the autumn of 2019, Surfrider Pacific Rim launched the Forget the Foam campaign to eliminate polystyrene takeaway containers on the west coast. Our ultimate goal has been to build community compliance and then approach the District of Tofino and District of Ucluelet and ask them to add this item to the Single-Use Plastics Regulation. In October 2020, both Districts passed a motion to add these items to the Single-Use Plastics regulation, constituting another coastal victory!
District of Ucluelet Single-Use Plastics Regulation bylaw: Polystyrene
In the autumn of 2019, Surfrider Pacific Rim launched the Forget the Foam campaign to eliminate polystyrene takeaway containers. Our ultimate goal has been to build community compliance and then approach the District of Tofino and District of Ucluelet and ask them to add these plastics to the Single-Use Plastics Regulation. In October 2020, both Districts passed a motion to add this item to the Single-Use Plastics regulation, constituting another coastal victory!
District of Tofino Single-Use Plastics Regulation bylaw: CUTLERY
In 2019, Surfrider Pacific Rim launched the Cut the Cutlery campaign to eliminate both plastic and bioplastic cutlery. As with many single-use plastics, plastic and bioplastic cutlery have had a negative impact on local coastal environments. In building community and business compliance to eliminate these items, Surfrider then approached the District of Tofino and the District of Ucluelet asking them to add these plastics to the Single-Use Plastics Regulation. In both Districts, a unanimous ban was agreed upon in winter of 2022. Starting in September of 2022, a bylaw was officially put into effect banning plastic and bioplastic spoons, forks, knives, chopsticks and stir sticks!
District of UCLUELET Single-Use Plastics Regulation bylaw: CUTLERY
In 2019, Surfrider Pacific Rim launched the Cut the Cutlery campaign to eliminate both plastic and bioplastic cutlery. As with many single-use plastics, plastic and bioplastic cutlery have had a negative impact on local coastal environments. In building community and business compliance to eliminate these items, Surfrider then approached the District of Tofino and the District of Ucluelet asking them to add these plastics to the Single-Use Plastics Regulation. In both Districts, a unanimous ban was agreed upon in winter of 2022. Starting in September of 2022, a bylaw was officially put into effect banning plastic and bioplastic spoons, forks, knives, chopsticks and stir sticks!
Motion-151
On December 5th, 2018 Canada’s house of commons voted unanimously in favour of M-151: a national strategy to combat marine plastic pollution, marking a historic moment in Canadian plastic politics. This ground breaking success is testament to the tireless efforts of the organizations and individuals who partnered in delivering this to parliament.
The bill was first developed by Courtney-Alberni MP, Gord Johns whose district represents portions of Vancouver Island. MP Johns proposed the motion in the aftermath of the Hanjin disaster which brought to light what he described as “a regulatory and legislative void” when it comes to dealing with marine debris. In November 2016, thirty-five shipping containers fell from the Hanjin Seattle and spilled their contents into the mouth of the Juan de Fuca strait, spewing debris over the surrounding beaches; but the lack of a federal framework to deal with this kind of emergency left local first nations and organizations in the Vancouver Island Marine Debris Working Group to pick up the tab.
Surfrider Pacific Rim were amongst the first responders in the initial clean-up efforts, removing 20 tons of debris from 44 beaches, including the logistically challenging and expensive process of cleaning the badly-affected remote beaches in Clayoquot and Barkley sounds. However the magnitude of resources necessary to tackle this kind of spill clearly demonstrated the urgent need for federal support. Focusing on advocacy, Surfrider Pacific Rim collaborated with Gord Johns, our local MP, and a host of other organizations to strategize and develop M-151. The chapter partnered with Ocean Legacy Foundation in writing a SumOfUs petition to reach the broader Canadian community, and by presenting at conferences, leveraging local and national media, and circulating the petition via all our media channels and events, we steadily garnered public support for the M-151 motion. Hanjin was the catalyst that highlighted the need to create governmental policy and mechanisms for dealing with marine plastic pollution. M-151 is the crucial first step in realizing that goal!
District of Tofino Smoking Regulation Bylaw
In May, 2018, the District of Tofino passed the Smoking Regulation Bylaw to prohibit smoking and vaping in public spaces, including beaches, playgrounds and worksites. The District of Tofino supports reducing the negative health impacts of smoking and second hand smoke, as well as reducing the known environmental impacts caused by littered cigarette butts. Since 2017, Surfrider Pacific Rim has been working to reduce cigarette butt pollution through the Hold On To Your Butt Campaign, supplying businesses and Districts with cigarette canisters where people can responsibly put their butts. All butts are collected and sent to Terracycle for recycling.