The Wick Newsletter 
Message from our Managing Director, Charles McDiarmid
My family and I are just back from a winter holiday in Mexico. You know the old saying…. it is nice to go away, but when we live in the most wonderful part of the world, it feels even better to come home again! And we’re in good company – our beloved whales start migrating past Tofino every March, and some Greys have already been spotted breeching from Long Beach – giving us a taste of the months to come on the water!
While Clayoquot Sound and its rich wildlife begin peeking out from winter hideaways, we are always looking for new ways to bring colour and vibrancy into the guest experience at the inn. A couple of years ago, I commissioned Vancouver Island artist Fred Peters to create a collection of paintings, showcasing some of the funky, unique buildings we see around Tofino. He did a wonderful job capturing the eclectic feel of Tofino using mostly vibrant, primary colours in his art. These cheerful paintings now hang in selected guestrooms for our visitors to enjoy. Some of my favorites include our McDiarmid Cabin, Lennard Island Lighthouse, and the Common Loaf Bake Shop. We love to show off Fred’s artwork, as well as many other pieces from local artists and artisans.
Speaking of colour, I’ve been asked through the years why the Inn’s cedar exteriors sport an inconspicuous shade of grey. Well, in keeping with the Inn’s mission to showcase all aspects of the West Coast, this grey is in fact a stain (and not a paint) approximating the natural hue of weathered cedar. This effect ensures that the Inn blends into the natural scenery at this end of Chesterman Beach, not taking away from the majestic canvas created by Mother Nature herself.
As many of you know, we close the Inn just after our special new year’s celebrations each January. This gives us a chance to complete many larger construction projects and add a myriad of special touches that we hope will enrich your stay here. I’m pleased to say that this January, we started work on our new health facility. Fitness buffs will be delighted with the state of the art equipment we have chosen, and right now, I am finalizing the plans for the décor of this new space. Just as in all public areas of the Inn, the new work out room will have a view of the beach and the ocean, and will feature many of the textures and colours of our rugged West Coast. It will be ready for use in time for warm-ups to those spring jogs – or beachcombing expeditions – on Chesterman Beach!
My warmest regards from Tofino,
Charles McDiarmid
Chef's Kitchen with Chef de Cuisine Tim Cuff C.C.C. - Introducing the Brigade: John Waller, Senior Sous Chef
Since my arrival at the Inn’s Pointe Restaurant almost one year ago, the most valuable lesson I have learned is that your team will make or break you. The Kitchen Brigade at the Inn is a unique group of non-conformists! Not only do these team members need to be perfectionists - willing to work long hours, consistently delivering exceptional meals - but they must also enjoy living in a small, eclectic “end of the road” village.
When I started here at the Inn, Chef John Waller also joined the team as Senior Sous Chef. In another kitchen, his title would be Executive Sous… Here at the Inn, we have no “executives” – because what we need are passionate experts. And that’s exactly what John brings to our kitchen brigade.
John assists me in leading the kitchen brigade – creating all plates for the Pointe Restaurant and On the Rocks Lounge, room service, as well as our many banquets. A great deal of his work is behind the scenes, and he tells me he really enjoys ordering food here in Tofino; It delights him to order a salmon from a guy on a boat, knowing that fisherman caught that fish earlier the same day. The local produce suppliers and foragers like selling their selections to John because he can be like a kid in a candy store, and his giddy pleasure is contagious when he is shopping.
John started his career in Toronto as one of the youngest Red Seal Certified Chefs in Canada, achieving this honour at the age of 21. He has since worked at some of the finest restaurants in Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria. John has also owned two restaurants here on Vancouver Island. I love to see him on the line with the rest of our team, as he takes the knowledge he has built on throughout his career, creates amazing plates for our guests, and shares with our brigade. We are lucky to have him here with us, for sure.
Chef Waller says he likes the fresh air and the fresh fish Tofino has to offer. Living in the temperate rain forest, he really appreciates the sunshine when it finally re-appears. One thing he doesn’t miss is the hectic pace of his hometown, Toronto.
What does John like best about the Wick? He said “I love that the entire management team buys into the service philosophy. They sincerely believe the message, and they all walk the walk. I see it in the way I am allowed to buy food for our guests. No reasonable expense is ever questioned if it means our guests will receive an exceptional culinary experience. Many management teams want to offer the best of the best, but they don’t want the hefty price tag. Here at the Inn, every single employee is expected to contribute to the experience of the guests! It really is a team effort.”
I have asked John to offer one of his favorite recipes this month. He is such a creative Chef and I love to share his passion when it comes to food. He decided to offer you a recipe for his apple pork brine:
John Waller’s Apple Pork Brine
Ingredients:
1 cup Kosher salt
½ cup brown sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
1 cup pickling spice
2 cloves
2 thumbs ginger sliced
1 jug of fresh apple cider
1. Combine ingredients in pot, and heat till the salt dissolves.
2. Cool until cold, then pour over the pork (I recommend a rack of pork).
3. Cover, and refrigerate for 4 days.
4. Share with friends, family, and your favorite neighbours.
The 2008 Spring Fling Package
Ah, spring! It’ll soon be time for the return of our beloved wildlife in Clayoquot Sound – welcoming back our Grey and Humpback Whales, eagles, shorebirds, and more! This package is designed with your spring needs in mind: relaxing, reconnecting, maybe some rekindling?
The Spring Fling package includes:
- Two nights accommodation for two in your preferred room type
- A hot breakfast for two delivered to your room each morning of your stay
- Bottle of Champagne, bowl of fresh seasonal berries and six house-made
truffles
And more services, including a luxurious spa option, designed for your own spring renewal. To see all features of this getaway, click here.
If you prefer to speak with one of our Guest Service Representatives, call us at 1.800.333.4604!
Our Tofino Neighbours
Dorothy Baert
This past winter, The Wickaninnish Inn linked up with the former artistic director of the Vancouver Readers and Writers Festival, Alma Lee, in bringing noteworthy writers to the Inn. Each event attracted keen readers to the Inn to meet and chat with the guest writers. The series went as well as it did with assistance from long-time Tofino resident and avid reader, Dorothy Baert.
Dorothy has been operating her kayaking business, book store and waterfront inn in Tofino for the last 20 years. She first visited Tofino in 1977 and felt that an inevitable move to the area would follow. A strong believer that anyone moving to a small town should bring along their livelihood, she moved to Tofino in 1987 and bought the Tofino Hotel, which had operated from the 1920’s through the 50s. Dorothy opened her kayaking store and tour outfitter operation the next year. The Tofino Sea Kayaking Company is one of the many owner-operated businesses in Tofino.
Since her move, Dorothy has been an engaged member of the Tofino community. Although she has no political aspirations, she never hesitates to step up and offer her time, knowledge and passion for the Clayoquot region if she feels it will help her community. Dorothy has been the President of the Tofino Chamber of Commerce, a Board Member of Tofino Tourism, and a key player on the Clayoquot Sustainability Development Committee, which explored long-term solutions to the waning resource-based economy of the area in the 1980’s.
When Dorothy first arrived, the town’s economy was primarily based on the fishing and logging industries. Eventually, objections to the clearcutting of Meares Island brought Tofino and its natural splendour into the media spotlight, impacting the profitability of resource-based industries in the Sound. At that time, tourism in Tofino did not have a strong footing, and its related jobs - what Dorothy recalls being called “pop corn” jobs- were uncommon. Tourism was only a February to October industry, unlike today’s year-round activity.
Dorothy has been in Tofino long enough to have witnessed some remarkable changes. She sees the Wickaninnish Inn’s 1996 opening as the catalyst to the area’s year-round tourism. “Storm watching, part of Charles McDiarmid’s vision for the Wick, changed the perception of the viability of winter activity in Tofino. Storm season is now considered dynamic and energizing, instead of a hindrance to businesses. It is a wonderful change for the community and for the local economy.”
From her home a short boat ride (or kayak) away on Wickaninnish Island, Dorothy loves to watch her community thrive. She continues to operate her year-round businesses and is happy to share her adopted home, teaching visitors to appreciate Clayoquot Sound’s beauty. She also works with Tofino “locals”, offering her knowledge and experience to new residents and businesses while in turn, calling on other residents to aid her in her businesses. In 2007, a former member of the Wick team, Restaurant Chef John Clark, worked with Dorothy in creating menus for the Tofino Sea Kayaking trips. “That is what small towns are all about… transference of knowledge” says Dorothy. “Your friends and neighbours see a need in your business and offer to help.”