ANDREA McQUADE - running for Councillor
Right now is a pivotal moment in the political and social landscape of our town, and I’m excited at the prospect of making decisions with Tofitians about where we’re going. I want to care for that landscape all the way down to its roots, preserve its natural beauty, and keep families and future generations engaged and thriving in Tofino.
I’m running because I believe municipal governments role is not to curtail progress, but to protect and help guide it into alignment with the values of the people of Tofino. What is at issue for me is the balance between the life of our economy and the life of our town, and bridging the gap between tourism and community. Doing so successfully means helping craft thriving businesses and community infrastructure that support each other. I am running to help build that bridge and do that work.
I know that all of Tofino deserves a strong voice and a council that represents them and acts in an accountable, balanced and thoughtful way. I am running to help to channel our growth while retaining the character and heart of a town we cherish so deeply. I believe I can provide the balanced perspective, the strong voice and the enthusiasm for all of Tofino that will propel us from this pivotal moment forward, together.
I was born on the other side of the country in New Brunswick, and I had the incredibly good luck of spending a large portion of my early life travelling with my military family across Canada and overseas. As an adult I stopped at a midpoint in Canada, settling for a little while in Edmonton to complete degrees in Philosophy and Sociology, specializing in Ethics. Eventually I ended up back on the east coast to pursue an Arabic Studies degree when I met my partner. If you’ll forgive the pun, I became hooked on the fishing lifestyle, which in turn brought me here, “just for the summer” 9 years ago.
Now it’s my home. Mostly recently, I’ve managed Kuma full time until it’s recent close. It gave me an incredible appreciation for the role that our local service industries have as not only economic engines but as community fixtures - they create experiences for guests and our residents, and make everyone feel welcome. It was at Kuma that I witnessed first hand what it’s like to have community connection to business and infrastructure, and have that reciprocity build a sense of belonging for everyone. Tourists get the wave report from our kitchen staff, and locals know that you have to be there at four to get happy hour and my staff gets paid, pays rent, and picks up trash on our beaches in their spare time. There is a space there for everybody, and everyone feels like it’s their home.
I’m running for council because I believe that sentiment should be evident in a restaurant or a hotel, but it should be exemplified by a council, by community plans, by bylaw, by taxes and by an engaged democracy. I believe that we should build our community in a manner that sustains and feeds it not just in and by tourism, but around and for the people that live here.
She has lived in Tofino for 5 years full time and 4 years previous to that part time. This would be her first term.