Tofino Fourth and Campbell Streetscape Improvement

Tofino is seeking to expand its seasonal economy with off-season visitors to provide year-round economic stability and sustainability. The first stop encountered on Highway 4, after leaving Port Alberni, is the Fourth and Campbell intersection, welcoming visitors to Tofino’s downtown. However, the aging infrastructure was not pedestrian-friendly or conducive to the growing number of visitors exploring and shopping in the downtown area.

This project’s goal was to support commercial development and business expansion downtown. The project included two parts: Fourth Street Lookout Park and Fourth and Campbell Intersection. The lookout park, overlooking Tofino Harbour and Meares Island, accommodates a landscaped sheltered lookout with informational displays about the historic and current use of the harbour. The project also involved a total redesign of the Fourth and Campbell intersection, with enhanced walkways, landscaping, decorative pedestrian crosswalks and heritage-influenced rest areas.

Improvements at this intersection have created a pedestrian-friendly environment that is attractive to locals, visitors, businesses and developers while celebrating Tofino’s historic maritime heritage. A coherent and connected streetscape links the two main commercial streets to one another and to the main government wharf.

Less than a year after completion, the project has been a catalyst for the sale of a key commercial intersection lot, the startup of three new businesses and one rezoning of a lot from residential use to commercial, as well as the redevelopment of the RCMP station. The project’s success was also the catalyst for the implementation of further downtown revitalization phases.