By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Tofino, BC – Under a canopy of warm holiday lights from within Tofino’s community hall, dozens of West Coast residents gathered for a day-long workshop to take meaningful steps towards ending sexual violence. Hosted by the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust in partnership with the Westcoast Community Resources Society (WCRS), the urgency of the November 18 gathering was tied to an alarming crime statistic – in Tofino and the neighbouring Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations communities of Ty-Histanis, Esowista and Ahousaht, the rate of sexual assault is vastly higher than other municipalities. According to crime statistics gathered by police, the Tofino region saw a rate of level 1 sexual assault that was three times greater than reported in Whistler over the past four years, and much higher…
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