A couple walks dogs along Middle Beach in Tofino, B.C. (Darryl Dyck/CP)

A councillor in Tofino, B.C., wants to ban fast-food franchises and retail chains from the West Coast surf town in order to preserve its uniquely laid-back character.

For the approximately 2,000 residents of the Vancouver Island community, a craving for a Starbucks coffee or a McDonald's hamburger means a drive out of town.

That's because there are virtually no chain retailers in the surfing paradise, and District Coun. Stephen Ashton wants it to stay that way."It's about protecting something that I think is pretty unique here," Ashton told CBC News.

Over the past 20 years the once-sleepy fishing village has been transformed into an international tourism destination, with many visitors coming to explore its spectacular rainforest and beaches.

Ashton believes it would protect local business, but Steve Bernard, president of the Tofino Business Association, does not agree.

"Lots of people have different points of view and that's fine, but you shouldn't expect a business association to be against business," he said.

District staff will now draft a report on the possibility of a ban, but have already warned any ban may violate Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

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