KEDC Project Updates September 19, 2016 (page 1of 3) Kwa’lilas Hotel Guests Enjoy Stay during Soft Launch The third (top) floor of guestrooms at Kwa’lilas Hotel is all finished! With the partial occupancy permit, which allows a limited number of people to stay in the hotel before it is completely finished, we have welcomed 4 tour groups to stay with us over the course of a week! For now, the accommodations can only be made for larger groups rather than individuals. Once the lobby is complete, we will be able to welcome guests not travelling with tour groups. So far, the response from guests has been great! They love the combination of cultural and modern décor, the comfortable beds, and the stylish bathroom and shower. We look forward to welcoming more guests once the lobby is finished and we have a full occupancy permit.
k’awat’si Tours Scores High on TripAdvisor Guests are loving their k’awat’si Tours! Our TripAdvisor page now has great reviews, which have all rated the experience 5 out of 5. We’re thrilled that our guests are enjoying their trips as much as we enjoy guiding them! KEDC Tourism Coordinator, Davis Henderson and his team have made two trips to San Josef Bay in Cape Scott Provincial Park. This is a new tour for k'awat'si Tours and the guests love it. Guest Emily called it an “essential experience”.
This was one of the best days hiking I can remember and our guide was superb! A must see for anyone wanting to experience nature and [they] are so knowledgeable. I left a better person after a day at San Josef bay.
Since k'awat'si Tours offers different options of eco-tourism and aboriginal cultural experiences, tour companies like Jonview and BC Ferries Vacations want to include k'awat'si Tours in their programs for the 2017 season. Both companies were in Port Hardy last week to learn more about what their guests can expect when visiting. This will allow them to pass on valuable information to future guests of the North Island!
A k’awat’si Tours guest posted this photo of their tour with guides Davis Henderson, Eddie Walkus and Gordon Roberts.
Another k’awat’si Tours guest was thrilled to see a pod of Pacific White Sided Dolphins on her tour.
KEDC Project Updates Cont’d September 19, 2016 (page 2 of 3) Davis Henderson, KEDC Tourism Coordinator
Meet the ‘Money Minds’ of KEDC Janine Sheard Behind KEDC’s many projects, there are people tracking the dollars and cents: how much KEDC is spending and making, and paying our vendors and employees. Leading this is Janine Sheard, a key member of KEDC’s accounting team! Born and raised in the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw territory, Janine grew up surrounded by a loving community where she saw so many people helping each other wherever needed. She feels that the community’s success comes from a commitment to developing skills and celebrating each other’s accomplishments, which has created a strong sense of unity among members. Previously, Janine worked as a Finance Clerk for the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations. She has also worked with Health & Family Services, the Elders Program and the Avalon Adventist Junior Academy. Janine brings a unique combination of financial experience and community knowledge to her role with KEDC. She says, “Everything I do is to build a strong foundation for my k’wala’yus”, which is one of the many reasons we are grateful to have her on board!
Janine Sheard, member of the KEDC’s accounting team
Isaac Simpson Joining Janine in the KEDC office is Okanagan Indian Band member, Isaac Simpson. Growing up in the northern Alberta town of Slave Lake, Isaac has always appreciated the calmness and strong sense of community that comes with living in a smaller town. After spending some time in larger cities, he jumped at the opportunity to return to a quieter life and experience the natural beauty and charm of Port Hardy. Isaac studied at Vancouver Island University, where he recently earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a focus on accounting. With his degree in hand, the position with KEDC was the job opportunity he was looking for. Working with KEDC’s accounting team allows Isaac to directly apply the skills he learned at university while living in a beautiful setting. He takes pride in being a part of exciting new projects such as Kwa’lilas Hotel, and looks forward to many more years working with the team and exploring the North Island with his wife. We’re thrilled that he is enjoying life on the North Island!
Isaac Simpson, KEDC accountant
KEDC Project Updates Cont’d September 19, 2016 (page 3 of 3) Davis Henderson, KEDC Tourism Coordinator
Media Groups Spread the Word about Kwa’lilas Hotel Davis and our marketing business consultants, Scott and Sherry, have been busy with meetings and hosting other media groups to tour Kwa’lilas Hotel and explore the packages. One of the reasons we work closely with our consultants from Riata Partners is because of their strong relationships with organizations like Destination BC, Aboriginal Tourism and Tourism Vancouver Island. Scott and Sherry set up meetings with these groups to help us connect to two key audiences: 1) media, to write about their experiences and share with their readers and 2) other tourism operators to cross-promote products and services. For example, last week, through their relationships with Destination BC and Aboriginal Tourism, media groups from Germany came to visit us. The guests write for travel magazines, travel columns in large newspapers, blogs and social media channels. For many of these visitors, it was their first time on Vancouver Island and we were honoured to host them at Kwa’lilas Hotel and Pier Side Landing. They were impressed with how we integrated the nature and cultural tours with their stay and were especially fascinated by the history told by the artwork. In October, we’re looking forward to having an Australian media group come join us.
A sight from the Scenic Boat & Wildlife tour
Another example is the meeting we just had with Tourism Vancouver Island. We talked a lot about what Kwa’lilas Hotel and k’awat’si Tours have to offer and why it matters to our community. The Tourism Vancouver Island team is headed off to conferences and tourism trade shows like Go Media and Canada's West MarketPlace where they will speak enthusiastically about us.
With all of this buzz, we are looking forward to a busy summer next year!
San Josef Bay