Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spent Easter weekend with his family in Tofino.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 a really cool spot that he loves coming back to,sa国际传媒� Tourism Tofino chair JJ Belanger told the Westerly News. sa国际传媒淗e loves to surf and he loves the quiet and the solitude that he gets here. Sure, theresa国际传媒檚 always going to be a few people that are rumbling about it, thatsa国际传媒檚 their choice. But, I think, when he comes here, he enjoys it and thatsa国际传媒檚 what not only keeps him coming back, itsa国际传媒檚 what keeps all of our guests coming back.sa国际传媒�
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Belanger said the Prime Minister is sa国际传媒渙ne of the 599,000 guests that enjoys coming to Tofino annuallysa国际传媒� and that Tofino is well-accustomed to hosting public figures, like politicians and celebrities, graciously.
sa国际传媒淚 think our community does a really good job of letting them enjoy their vacation and thatsa国际传媒檚 something that makes Tofino a very special place for people,sa国际传媒� he said.
sa国际传媒淭hey have a job to do, as do you and as do I. When I go away on vacation, I donsa国际传媒檛 want to think about my job. So, if these people come to our community and wesa国际传媒檙e constantly hounding them, this is not going to be a place that they want to come back to. Obviously we do a good job at that, because [Trudeau] does keep coming back and he invests, as every other tourist does, in our community. He stays where hesa国际传媒檚 staying and he uses the products and services that we have while hesa国际传媒檚 here. Hesa国际传媒檚 just like any other guest and I donsa国际传媒檛 think we should treat him any differentlysa国际传媒hen hesa国际传媒檚 on vacation, nobody should be talking about his job. Let him enjoy his vacation.sa国际传媒�
Prior to a publicized visit to the West Coast last July, Tofino-based environmental group Friends of Clayoquot Sound released a statement encouraging businesses to deny service to the Prime Minister due, in part, to the governmentsa国际传媒檚 Trans Mountain Pipeline purchase.
sa国际传媒淏e bold and creative, it is not often we have the potential to reach a politician whose decisions impact our lives,sa国际传媒� the statement read.
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Friends of Clayoquot Sound campaigner Jeh Custerra told the Westerly News that he had heard Trudeau was returning to Tofino over the weekend and hoped for an opportunity sa国际传媒渢o hold him accountable.sa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淗ow can we hold him accountable? Because this is someone who has the opportunity to influence not only Canada, but the world,sa国际传媒� he said.
Custerra had attended the 35th anniversary celebration of the Meares Island Tribal Park declaration on April 21 and said he ran into the Prime Minister outside a local restaurant after the ceremony.
sa国际传媒淚 stuck around and ended up talking to him before and after his dinnersa国际传媒n our first interaction, I told him we have one earth and that the water, climate and land need to be protected. sa国际传媒楻emember why yousa国际传媒檙e here Justin,sa国际传媒� is what I said,sa国际传媒� he said.
Custera again voiced frustration over the Trans Mountain pipeline decision and also expressed concerns over the Trudeau governmentsa国际传媒檚 absence of charges against mining company Imperial Metals regarding the 2014 Mount Polley disaster.
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sa国际传媒淗e needs to refocus his priorities on phasing out tar sands and investing in green jobs, renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable transit, not buying pipelines and letting corporate polluters off the hook,sa国际传媒� Custerra said. sa国际传媒淭he [United Nations] is saying we have 12 years to change humanitysa国际传媒檚 relationship with energy productionsa国际传媒his is his opportunity and this cansa国际传媒檛 be an opportunity lost. This has to be an opportunity found.sa国际传媒�
He added that he hopes Trudeau got the message during his latest West Coast vacation.
sa国际传媒淥ur hope is that our words remind him of his opportunity to lead and have a positive impact through his leadership in relation to some of the most fundamental issues to humanitysa国际传媒檚 future, including climate change and including environmental sustainability,sa国际传媒� Custerra said noting Trudeau was visiting while the West Coast was celebrating the anniversary of the Meares Island Tribal Park declaration.
sa国际传媒淗esa国际传媒檚 here on this very significant weekend that protected the territory that hesa国际传媒檚 here enjoying and being inspired by,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲hen the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation prevented clear-cut logging on Meares Island, they safeguarded clean water and healthy habitat for everyone who lives in and visits Tofino.sa国际传媒�
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andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
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