There’s more to Tofino than the image most people know.

A recent feature in The Globe and Mail showcases Melissa Renwick, a finalist in the 2025/26 Salt Spring National Art Prize exhibition and Trebek Initiative  grantee, whose photography and writing explore the quieter, lesser-seen side of the community.

Created with support from the Trebek Initiative,  Searching for the Real Tofino reflects on the people, places, and sense of community that shape the town beyond its familiar image. The project allowed Melissa to document Tofino across seasons and spend meaningful time with the people she photographed.

In our Q&A, Melissa also reflects on the project, the support of the Trebek Initiative, and her experience as a SSNAP finalist.

What first inspired you to begin Searching for the Real Tofino?

When I moved to Tofino in 2017, I was interested in documenting the town’s transformation from a resource extraction economy to tourism. It became my entryway into the community and allowed me to connect with people I might not have otherwise met. At the time, I was photographing the series on medium format black-and-white film. I had moved from Toronto and needed to slow down in life and in my photographic practice.

About a year in, I decided to set the project aside. I needed more time to become part of the community, rather than simply observe it. The series also called for colour photography. Tofino is so rich in colour, even in its muted, foggy palettes. I picked it up again in 2023 with a new approach that felt more aligned with the person and photographer I had become after living in Tofino for six years.

Tofino has such a recognizable public image. What did you hope to reveal about the community that visitors – or even residents – might otherwise overlook?

Tofino is such a turbulent place. Living here exposes you to extreme weather patterns and systems, especially in the winter. The Pacific Ocean is its own kind of chaos, and we’re impacted by its energy in big and small ways every day. While Tofino is known for its iconic, golden sunsets, I’m more interested in the moody side of this place, and the hearty community of people who stay year-round through the long, dark winter months. Through my photography, I hoped to reveal this quieter side of Tofino that isn’t always pictured.

How did support from the Trebek Initiative shape the project and allow you to approach it differently?

The Trebek Initiative is an incredible funding body dedicated towards helping storytellers, conservationists and researchers create projects aimed to preserve Canadian and Indigenous land, wildlife, water, culture and history.

Without their support, I would not have been able to dedicate the time needed to tell this story with the depth and richness it deserved. It afforded me the freedom to document Tofino across different seasons and spend quality time with those I photographed.

You were a finalist in the SSNAP 2025/26 exhibition. What did being part of SSNAP mean to you and your practice?

I stumbled upon the SNNAP exhibit at Mahon Hall in 2021 while I was visiting Salt Spring Island for the first time on a camping trip. The beauty of SNNAP is that it offers a platform for Canadian artists to come together, share their work and gain exposure in an unlikely place. Without prior context, I had no idea how alive the art community on Salt Spring is.

Being a part of SSNAP’s 2025/26 exhibition opened me to that community that I’m so grateful to be a part of. It also served as a critical reminder that there’s a place for everyone in this space and pushed me to think about my work within a bigger, more diverse artistic landscape.

 

All Photographs Melissa Renwick