Tofino
Tofino | |
|---|---|
Capital City | |
| File:Tofino skyline.jpg | |
| Etymology: Native Catican: Sea Meets Mountain | |
| Nickname(s): Glass and Pine City | |
 Tofino's location within Zamastan | |
| Country | Zamastan |
| Administrative District (Province) | Zian |
| Founded | April 28, 1711 |
| Founded by | Percy Armillio |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Bryan Donaldson (GLP) |
| Area | |
| • Urban | 876.5 km2 (338.40 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 2,878.5 km2 (1,111.40 sq mi) |
| Population (2018) | |
| • Capital City | 12,870,000 (1st) |
| Tofino-Arinals Metropolitan Area (20,483,000) | |
| Time zone | UTC+7 |
| Website | tofinocity.gov.za |
Tofino is the capital city and largest city in Zamastan. With a population of roughly 12,870,000 people within its city limits and an additional 8 million in the surrounding cities, it's one of the largest metropolitan centers in the International Democratic Union, as well as one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities. It is a coastal seaport city, located on the Agrimai Ocean and on the lower side of Horseshoe Bay. Founded by Percy Armillio in 1711, its history spans back over 300 years, though native Zamah St'ani Catica First Nations (specifically that of the Kelownan peoples) settled along the coastal area of what would one day become the famous city. The city is the largest entity of the Tofino-Arinals Metropolitan Area, which also includes the city of Arinals. The metropolitan area has a population of over 20 million people.
Tofino is the site of many important and culturally significant conferences, festivals, and other events, including the Tofino International Film Festival which hosts films from all over the IDU in a fashion similar to the IDU Film Festival, the Tofino Intuition and Ideas Conference which is a media organization conference dedicated to scientific, cultural, and academic topics, and many sporting events such as the Teal Cup. In February, 2019, it hosted the Tofino Leaders Summit, a conference of leaders and diplomats from across the IDU to meet on economic, energy, and military policies.
The government and military headquarters of Zamastan operate in and around Tofino, with the Congressional Hall (legislative), Zian Presidential Mansion (executive, President), and the Zamastanian Armed Forces all located within the city. Tofino is home to many national monuments and museums, primarily situated on or around Gaviria Park. The city hosts many foreign embassies as well as the headquarters and campuses of many international organizations, trade unions, non-profit, lobbying groups, and professional associations.
History
Before 1700's
Archaeological records indicate that Catica First Nations people were already living in the "Tofino" area from 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. The city is located in the traditional and presently unceded territories of the Kelowna, Nuuchahnulth, and Castoni tribes. They had villages in various parts of present-day Tofino, such as Gaviria Park and near the mouth of the Zian River.
Settlement
Hespian explorers became acquainted with the area of the future Tofino when Skithan explorer Percy Armillio explored the coast of present-day Gaviria Park and parts of Coal Inlet in 1711. The Gold Rush of 1739 brought over 25,000 men, mainly from central and eastern Hespian regions such as modern-day Laeral, Libertas Omnium Maximus, and Lauchenoiria, to nearby Arinals (founded March 29, 1737) on the Zian River, on their way to the Vallium Canyon, bypassing what would become Tofino.
Religious institutions brought by Skithan settlers, such as the catholic faith of the Church of Sanctaria and the protestant Church of Zian became prominent in the Tofino area. King Almarez II sent broad amounts of supplies and additional workers - many of them slaves - to the colony to build up the infrastructure and start expanding further into the continent.
Revolution of 1802-1804
Battle of Tofino (1802)
On July 17th, 1802, a slave named Tomias Hapson and a Skithan hand master named Avi Taures, who had developed friendships with the slaves he watched over, raided a munitions depot in the primary settlement of Tofino. After a battle that lasted for several hours, over 300 Skithan soldiers and settlers were killed, and the slave army took over the port. Tomias Hapson and Avi Taures recruited several thousand slaves, along with abolitionist white and native colonists, and began a purge in the city to kill all slave owners and Skithan military and colonial personnel.
Purge of Tofino (1802-1803)
For nearly 11 months, the rebels went on a hunt for colonialists who remained loyal to the crown, and on October 2nd, 1803, a mob killed the mayor and his family while they attempted to reach a departing ship in the port of Maple Bay.
The next week as news reached Skith, King Almarez had issued an order for Hapson and Taures to be executed by any capable man on the island and announced that a reward of over 50,000 shinnels would be given to anyone able to complete the task. He was well aware of the favorable treatment Taures had been giving to the slave laborers on the colony and had also heard rumors about the makeshift army he was assembling in preparation for a rebellion against the Skith crown. In response to this, the King decided to ship approximately 5,000 more Skithan Army soldiers to the colony with the sole mission of suppressing this rebellion should it come to fruition. At the same time, Tomias Hapson was continuing his campaign to rally up supporters for his cause as tension in Zamah St'an rose to a boiling point.
Sacking of the Governor's Residence (1804)
On September 3rd, 1804, the Zamastan War of Independence officially marked its turning point with Hapson and a division of about 50 of his loyal soldiers (a diverse group consisting of native Zamah St'an and slaves as well as national soldiers who shared Taures' ideals) initiating a surprise midnight attack on the Governor's Mansion in the capital of Tofino. Chico Pisano, who was appointed by King Almaraz as his replacement as Governor of the colony, had recently taken up residence there. Hapson and Taures's men, who had come to be known as the National Liberation Front, surrounded the building and strategically made their way towards Pisano's living quarters after breaking their way into the massive residence. Having been provided with substantial weaponry via the many Skithan soldiers who had defected to the NLF, Taures's group of guerilla fighters were surprisingly well-equipped for the operation and even more importantly, most had intense passion for their cause. Not only were the Skithan fighters motivated by the moral disagreements they had with the occupation of Zamastan, but also because it was widely known that soldiers for the Kingdom were not treated much differently than mere peasants back in their homeland. Once they had outlived their usefulness in times of war, they were given lowly jobs back in Skith and given little to no recognition or compensation for risking their lives in the name of their country. Many believed they would be better off assisting Hapson and Taures in their cause and earning the colony its independence, which in turn would create a place where they could create a more desirable society for themselves.
Hapson's decision to conduct the assault on the Governor's Mansion in the middle of the night paid off for the NLF, as they were met with relatively light resistance from Governor Pisano's bodyguards, all of whom were armed and told to be ready for war to break out but were not anticipating the first target to be Governor Pisano. Some were half-asleep as Hapson and his men made their way from hallway to hallway, room to room in search of Pisano; the guards were taken out with very light losses to Hapson's forces with one two of his men sustaining moderate but not life-threatening injuries. Once the NLF team reached Pisano's living quarters and broke the door down after hearing movement inside, they encountered an almost trembling Governor who had managed to arm himself after hearing the commotion throughout the residence. He froze for a moment as he eyed the dozen or so men who stood in his doorway, all with their weapons aimed squarely at him. He made a last-ditch effort to raise his weapon and fire but was gunned down and killed before he was able to fire a single round in their direction.
Skith Abandons the Colonies
Hapson and his men had completed their first major objective; removing the only Skith politician in power in Zamastan and giving their cause the momentum that it needed going forward. Three weeks later, the King of Skith ordered a halt on all shipments and settlement travel to and from the island colonies, and the Free State of Zamah St'an was established on October 28th, 1804 with Tomias Hapson as the de-facto President, Avi Taures as the Chief of Trade and Commerce, and an abolitionist named Henry Tiller as the General of Armed Forces.
Growth and Development
An improved shipping port of Tofino was incorporated on April 6, 1866, the same year that the first transnational train station was established. The Great Tofino Fire on June 13, 1866, razed the entire city. The Tofino Fire Department was established that year and the city quickly rebuilt. Tofino's population grew from a settlement of 40,000 people in 1861 to over 220,000 by the turn of the century and 1,000,000 by 1911.
Tofino merchants outfitted prospectors bound for the Zian Gold Rush in 1898. One of those merchants, Charles Pattington, had opened the first Pattington's store at Gorba and Samuelson Streets in 1892 and, along with Spencer's and the Hudson's Bay department stores, formed the core of the city's retail sector for decades.
The economy of early Tofino was dominated by large companies such as the ZPR, which fueled economic activity and led to the rapid development of the new city; in fact, the ZPR was the main real estate owner and housing developer in the city. While some manufacturing did develop, including the establishment of the Zian Sugar Refinery by Mark Yeunn Rogers in 1890, natural resources became the basis for Tofino's economy. The resource sector was initially based on logging and later on exports moving through the seaport, where commercial traffic constituted the largest economic sector in Tofino by the 1930s.
1919 Tofino Earthquake
At 7:12 am on January 12, 1919, a major earthquake struck Tofino and western Zamastan. As buildings collapsed from the shaking, ruptured gas lines ignited fires that spread across the city and burned out of control for several days. With water mains out of service, the Zamastan Armed Forces attempted to contain the inferno by dynamiting blocks of buildings to create firebreaks. More than three-quarters of the city lay in ruins, including almost all of the downtown core. Contemporary accounts reported that 1,498 people lost their lives, though modern estimates put the number around 50,000. More than half of the city's population of 1,200,000 was left homeless. Refugees settled temporarily in makeshift tent villages in Gaviria Park, on the beaches, and elsewhere. Many fled permanently to Tirzah.
Twentieth Century
The dominance of the economy by big business was accompanied by an often militant labor movement. The rise of industrial tensions throughout the district led to Zamastan's first general strike in 1920, at the Folsted coal mines on Tofino. Following a lull in the 1920s, the strike wave peaked in 1935 when unemployed men flooded the city to protest conditions in the relief camps run by the military in remote areas throughout the administrative district. After two tense months of daily and disruptive protesting, the relief camp strikers decided to take their grievances to the federal government and embarked on the On-to-Tofino Trek, but their protest was put down by force. The workers were arrested near Jade Harbor and interned in work camps for the duration of the decade.
Other social movements, such as the first-wave feminist, moral reform, and temperance movements were also instrumental in Tofino's development. Elain Ellen Denmer, a Tofino suffragist and prohibitionist, became the first woman elected to a administrative district's legislature in Zamastan in 1918. Zamastan's first drug law came about following an inquiry conducted by the federal Secretary of Labor and future President Tyler Kordia. Kordia was sent to investigate damages claims resulting from a riot when the Catica Exclusion League led a rampage through Laeraltown and Sanctariatown. Two of the claimants were opium manufacturers, and after further investigation, Kordia found that white women were reportedly frequenting opium dens as well as Gladysynthian men. A federal law banning the manufacture, sale, and importation of opium for non-medicinal purposes was soon passed based on these revelations. These riots, and the formation of the Catica Exclusion League, also act as signs of a growing fear and mistrust towards the Gladysynthians living in Tofino and throughout Zian. These fears were exacerbated by the 1945 Danaska Conflict, leading to the eventual internment or deportation of all Gladysynthian-Zamastanians living in the city and the district. After the war, these men and women were not allowed to return to cities like Tofino causing areas, like the aforementioned Laeraltown, to cease to be ethnically diverse areas as the communities never revived.
Amalgamation with Tirzah and Arinals gave the city its final boundaries not long before it became the largest metropolis in the country. As of January 1, 1949, the population of the enlarged Vancouver was 3,228,193.
Geography
Located on the Tofino Peninsula, Tofino lies between Vallium Inlet to the north and the Zian River to the south. Horseshoe Bay, to the west, leads out to the Agrimai Ocean. The city has an area of 114 km2 (44 sq mi), including both flat and hilly ground. Tofino has one of the largest urban parks in the International Democratic Union, Gaviria Park, which covers 404.9 hectares (1,001 acres). The Zian Shore Mountains dominate the cityscape, and on a clear day, scenic vistas include the snow-capped volcano Mount Greening to the southeast, Delk Island in Horseshoe Bay to the west and southwest, and Bowen Island to the northwest.
Ecology
The vegetation in the Tofino area was originally temperate rain forest, consisting of conifers with scattered pockets of maple and alder, and large areas of swampland (even in upland areas, due to poor drainage). The conifers were a typical coastal Zian mix of Douglas fir, Western red cedar, and Western Hemlock. The area is thought to have had the largest trees of these species on the Zian Coast. The largest trees in Tofino's old-growth forest were in the Kingston area, where the first logging occurred, and on the southern slopes of Gills Creek and French Bay, especially around Jericho Beach. The forest in Gaviria Park was logged between the 1860s and 1890s, and evidence of old-fashioned logging techniques such as springboard notches can still be seen there.
Many plants and trees growing throughout Tofino and the Western Mainland were imported from other parts of the continent and from points across the Agrimai. Examples include the monkey puzzle tree, the Maximusian Maple, and various flowering exotics, such as magnolias, azaleas, and rhododendrons. Some species imported from harsher climates in Northern Hespia or Sanctaria have grown to immense sizes. The native Douglas Maple can also attain a tremendous size. Many of the city's streets are lined with flowering varieties of Laeralian cherry trees donated from the government of Laeral. These flower for several weeks in early spring each year, an occasion celebrated by the Tofino Cherry Blossom Festival. Other streets are lined with flowering chestnut, horse chestnut, and other decorative shade trees.
Climate
Tofino is one of Zamastan's warmest cities in the winter. Tofino's climate is temperate by Zamastanian standards and is classified as oceanic or marine west coast, bordering on a warm summer Mediterranean Climate. While during summer months the inland temperatures are significantly higher, Tofino has the coolest summer average high of all major Zamastanian metropolitan areas. The summer months are typically dry, with an average of only one in five days during July and August receiving precipitation. In contrast, there is some precipitation during nearly half the days from November through March.
Tofino is also one of the wettest Zamastanian cities. However, precipitation varies throughout the metropolitan area. Annual precipitation as measured at Tofino International Airport on the south side of the city averages 1,189 mm (46.8 in), compared with 1,588 mm (62.5 in) in the downtown area and 2,044 mm (80.5 in) in North Tofino. The daily maximum averages 22 °C (72 °F) in July and August, with highs sometimes reaching 30 °C (86 °F).
Cityscape
Iconic Buildings
As of 2011, Tofino is the most densely populated city in Zamastan. Urban planning in Tofino is characterized by high-rise residential and mixed-use development in urban centers, as an alternative to sprawl. As part of the larger Metro Tofino region, it is influenced by the policy direction of livability as illustrated in Metro Tofino's Regional Growth Strategy.
Tofino has been ranked one of the most livable cities in International Democratic Union for more than a decade. As of 2010, Tofino has been ranked as having one of the highest quality of living of any city in the IDU. In contrast, according to The Tofino Times, Tofino had the sixth-most overpriced real estate market in the world and was second-highest in Catica after Tirzah in 2007. Tofino has also been ranked among Zamastan's most expensive cities in which to live. Sales in February 2016 were 56.3% higher than the 10-year average for the month. The Tofino Times has also ranked Tofino as the tenth-cleanest city in the IDU.
Tofino's characteristic approach to urban planning originated in the late 1950s, when city planners began to encourage the building of high-rise residential towers in Tofino's West End, subject to strict requirements for setbacks and open space to protect sight lines and preserve green space. The success of these dense but livable neighborhoods led to the redevelopment of urban industrial sites, such as North False Creek and Coal Harbor, beginning in the mid-1980s. The result is a compact urban core that has gained international recognition for its "high amenity and 'livable' development". In 2006, the city launched a planning initiative entitled EcoDensity, with the stated goal of exploring ways in which "density, design, and land use can contribute to environmental sustainability, affordability, and livability".
Architecture
There are several modern buildings in the downtown area. A collection of Edwardian buildings in the city's old downtown core were, in their day, the tallest commercial buildings in the 1910s. These were, in succession, the Carter-Cotton Building (former home of The Tofino Times newspaper), the Mannax Building (1907) and the Sun Tower (1911), the former two at Cambie and Hastings Streets and the latter at Beatty and Pender Streets.
Embassies
As the diplomatic center of Zamastan, several foreign governments have embassies located in the city. Most are located in Embassy Row (Zamastan), a neighborhood dedicated to ambassador residences and offices. The nations with embassies in Tofino include;
- Cadair
Ambassador to Zamastan:
Cymry Embassy (Zamastan) - Laeral
Ambassador to Zamastan: Antonin Gou
Laeralian Embassy (Zamastan) - Vulkaria
Ambassador to Zamastan:
Vulkarian Embassy (Zamastan) - Sanctaria
Ambassador to Zamastan:
Sanctarian Embassy (Zamastan) - Shuell
Ambassador to Zamastan:
Shuell Embassy (Zamastan) - High Fells
Ambassador to Zamastan:
Fellsian Embassy (Zamastan) - Gladysynthia (re-opened in 2018)
Ambassador to Zamastan:
Gladysynthian Embassy (Zamastan) - Lauchenoiria
Ambassador to Zamastan:
Lauchenoirian Embassy (Zamastan)
Demographics
The metropolitan area referred to as Greater Tofino, with more than 18.4 million residents, is the most populous metropolitan area in the country, with its inclusion of Arinals across the bay. Tofino has been called a "city of neighborhoods". Each neighborhood in Tofino has a distinct character and ethnic mix. People of Sanctarian, Lauchenoirian, and Laeralian origins were historically the largest ethnic groups in the city, and elements of Skithan society and culture are still visible in some areas, particularly South Kingston and Donaldson. Germans are the next-largest European ethnic group in Tofino and were a leading force in the city's society and economy until the rise of anti-Gladysynthian sentiment with the outbreak of the 1945 Danaska Conflict. Today, east-Hespian and Trivian are the largest visible ethnic group in the city, with a diverse Laeral-speaking community, and several dialects, including Malabran and Sanctarian. Neighborhoods with distinct ethnic commercial areas include the Laeraltown, Punjabi Market, Little Cadair, Gladysynthiatown, and Sactariatown.
The city of Tirzah is classified as a suburb of Tofino, and is known as one of the wealthiest residential areas in the IDU. Several billionaires, actors, politicians, and other celebrities have their residences or vacation homes here.
Crime
Crime in Tofino, is concentrated in areas associated with poverty, drug abuse, and gangs. A 2010 study found that 5% of city blocks accounted for over one-quarter of the city's total crime.
The more affluent neighborhoods of Northwest Tofino are typically safe, especially in areas with concentrations of government operations, such as Downtown Tofino, Ironville, Embassy Row, and Jade Quarter, but reports of violent crime increase in poorer neighborhoods generally concentrated in the eastern portion of the city. Approximately 60,000 residents are ex-convicts.
In 2012, Tofino's annual murder count had dropped to 88, the lowest total since 1961. The murder rate has since risen from that historic low, though it remains close to half the rate of the early 2000s. Tofino was once described as the "murder capital" of Zamastan during the early 1990s. The number of murders peaked in 1991 at 479, but the level of violence then began to decline significantly.
Culture
Festivals
Tofino is the site of many important and culturally significant conferences, festivals, and other events, including the Tofino International Film Festival which hosts films from all over the IDU in a fashion similar to the IDU Film Festival, the Tofino Intuition and Ideas Conference which is a media organization conference dedicated to scientific, cultural, and academic topics.
Cuisine
Tofino is home to many restaurants with hundreds of examples of global varieties of food. Zamastanian dishes such as steam-smoked fish (notably salmon and trout). Seafood is the most well known form of food in Tofino due to its proximity to the ocean and isolation thanks to the mountains. Signature sushi roll is done in many ways, but the one consistent ingredient is grilled savory and chewy salmon skin. Busy Tofinoites are often particular about their coffee, and love pour-overs and flavored espresso drinks. There are many cozy independent shops to be found who take their coffee very seriously. Local recommendations are to try soy or almond milk to replace traditional milk and cream at almost any place you find. spot prawn are pink creatures are large, sweet shrimp fished in the waters surrounding Tofino in the month of May. Most fine restaurants in Tofino serve fresh prawns when available.
Landmarks
Gaviria Park is a large, open park in downtown Tofino between the Congressional Hall Building and the waterfront of French Bay. Given its prominence, the park is often the location of political protests, concerts, festivals, and presidential inaugurations. The Gaviria Monument and the Hapson Memorial are near the center of the park, south of the Zian Presidential Mansion. Also in the park are the Paraboca War Memorial (Zamastan) at the east end of the Taures Memorial Lake, and the Zamastanian Veterans Memorial.
Directly south of the park, the Memorial Basin features rows of Vulkarian rose blossom trees that originated as gifts from the nation of Vulkaria. The William Castovia Memorial, Elias Blanco Memorial, Lorrie Memorial, and Queen Eliana Memorial are around the Memorial Basin
The Zamastan Archives houses thousands of documents important to Zamastanian history, including the the Constitution of Zamastan. Located in three buildings in Gaviria Park, the library has a collection of over 147 million books, manuscripts, and other materials.
Libraries and museums
The Tofino Art Gallery has a permanent collection of nearly 10,000 items. However, little or none of the permanent collection is ever on view. Downtown is also home to the Contemporary Art Gallery (Tofino), which showcases temporary exhibitions by up-and-coming Tofino artists.
In the Kingston district are the Tofino Maritime Museum, the Tauren Wells Space Center, and the Tofino Civic Museum, the largest civic museum in Zamastan. The Tofino Museum of Anthropology at University of Tofino is a leading museum of Catica First Nations culture, specifically that of the Kelownan peoples. A more interactive museum is Science World at the head of French Bay. The city also features a diverse collection of Public Art. The most visited museum in the city is the Zamastan Museum of Natural History, and other notable museums and galleries are: the Zamastan Museum of African Art; the National Museum of Zamastanian History; the Museum of the Catica First Nations; The Zamastan Gallery of Art features works of Zamastanian, African, Asian, and European art. There are many private art museums in the city, which house major collections and exhibits open to the public such as the Zamastan Museum of Women in the Arts.
Zoo
The Tofino Zoo is the largest zoo in Zamastan and one of the largest in the International Democratic Union, holding over 4,000 species of animals.
Music and nightlife
Musical contributions from Tofino include performers of classical, folk and popular music. The Tofino Symphony Orchestra is the professional orchestra based in the city. The Tofino Opera is a major opera company in the city, and City Opera of Tofino is the city's professional chamber opera company. The city is home to a number of Zamastanian composers including Barton Sharman, James Polluck, and Madison Wareka.
Tofino has a vibrant nightlife scene, whether it be food and dining, or bars and nightclubs. The Kingston Entertainment District has the city's highest concentration of bars and nightclubs with closing times of 3 am, in addition to various after-hours clubs open until late morning on weekends. The street can attract large crowds on weekends and is closed to traffic on such nights. Donaldson is also a popular area for nightlife with many upscale restaurants and nightclubs.
Sporting
The mild climate of the city and proximity to ocean, mountains, rivers and lakes make the area a popular destination for outdoor recreation. Tofino has over 1,298 hectares (3,210 acres) of parks, of which, Gaviria Park, at 404 hectares (1,000 acres), is the largest. The city has several large beaches, many adjacent to one another, extending from the shoreline of Gaviria Park around False Creek to the south side of French Bay, from Chinook Hill to the Government Endowment Lands, (which also has beaches that are not part of the city proper). The 18 kilometres (11 mi) of beaches include Second and Third Beaches in Gaviria Park, French Bay (First Beach), Sunset, Chinook Hill Beach, Jericho, Rausch, Meyer Banks, Meyer Banks Extension, Meyer Banks West, and Tannson Beach. There is also a freshwater beach at Trout Lake in Kordia Park. The coastline provides for many types of water sport, and the city is a popular destination for boating enthusiasts.
Within a 20- to 30-minute drive from downtown Tofino are the North Shore Mountains, with three ski areas: Egret Mountain, Grouse Mountain, and Mount Killiam. Mountain bikers have created world-renowned trails across the North Shore. The Blackfoot River, Abotsford Creek and Phelan River, also on the North Shore, provide opportunities to whitewater enthusiasts during periods of rain and spring melt, though the canyons of those rivers are more utilized for hiking and swimming than whitewater.
Running races include the Tofino Sun Run (a 10-kilometre (6.2 mi) race) every April; the Tofino Marathon, held every May; and the ZachSuitesTofino Half-Marathon held every June. The Grouse Grind is a 2.9-kilometre (1.8 mi) climb up Grouse Mountain open throughout the summer and fall months, including the annual Grouse Grind Mountain Run. Hiking trails include the Stella-Chinook Trail, an arduous 42-kilometre-long (26 mi) hike from West Tofino's Tapico Bay to Deep Cove in the District of North Tofino. Tofino is also home to notable cycling races.
The Football Teal Cup is held in Tofino every year as the final championship game in the league.
Tofino was the host city for the 2000, 2004, 2005, and 2017 Catica Games.