KEDC Project Updates September 25, 2017
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Davis Henderson, KEDC Tourism Coordinator
KEDC Reflects on a Summer of Booming Tourism As the air turns crisp and the leaves change colour, we take an opportunity to reflect on a successful first summer of operations for Kwa’lilas Hotel. We are happy to report that Kwa’lilas Hotel is officially listed as the number one hotel in Port Hardy on TripAdvisor, surpassing our closest competitor by a full star rating! The hotel’s dining spaces have been well received by locals and visitors alike. A new pub menu will be introduced in early October, featuring fresh pub-style food made from scratch with contemporary, local fare. Whether it’s an elegant meal at Ha’me Restaurant, or a casual burger and beer at Nax’id Pub, Kwa’lilas Hotel’s dining has raised the bar for food and beverage experience on the North Island. As the cooler seasons approach, Kwa’lilas Hotel is booking conferences, special events and theme nights for the months to come. In our bookings so far is the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada conference, (whose attendees have booked so many rooms that Kwa’lilas Hotel is expected to be sold out!), as well as the Cops for Cancer tour, Paint Night, and a wine and food pairing event. If you’re interested in hosting your event at Kwa’lilas Hotel, please email Cyndi at Cyndi@kedc.ca.
Top to bottom: exterior of Kwa’lilas Hotel, a meeting room available for booking at Kwa’lilas Hotel, the lobby featuring custom copper artwork, and the standard guestroom.
KEDC Project Updates September 25, 2017
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Davis Henderson, KEDC Tourism Coordinator
k’awat’si Tours Welcomes International Guests From Hardy Bay to the Nakwakto Rapids and San Josef Bay, our team had a busy summer taking nearly 250 people out on different boat tours. We always love meeting new people, and hosting these tours lets us share our culture and history in exciting ways while giving guests memories to last a lifetime. We were fortunate enough to welcome guests from all parts of the world, including a family from Denmark who chose the North Island as their vacation destination. The family took part in two experiences from k’awat’si Tours: cedar weaving with Gloria Walkus and a scenic boat and wildlife tour. Watching the father and son learn and bond over the nation’s culture made it an especially meaningful tour.
I was so pleased that I was able to take this tour, and cannot speak highly enough of this company and the guides, who are justly proud of their heritage and enjoy sharing their history and culture.
-TripAdvisor review from a guest living in Brighton, United Kingdom
A guest was thrilled to see steller sea lions on their scenic boat and wildlife tour.
KEDC Project Updates September 25, 2017
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Davis Henderson, KEDC Tourism Coordinator
North Island a Hit among Tourism Industry Experts Among our variety of guests, we also welcomed staff from Aboriginal Tourism BC. They spent their time in Port Hardy on Wilderness Sea Planes, while our k’awat’si Tours guides talked about everything they were seeing and the history of the land. When they returned from their adventure in the skies, they requested a boat tour so they could get to some of the places they saw from above. One of these places was Blunden Harbour. We were honoured to be able to share the story of our nation in our traditional territories. Getting to know our community and our business helps their staff to better promote everything that k’awat’si Tours and the North Island have to offer. Some other guests from the tourism industry that joined us this summer included a group of travel writers and APTN television stars. The travel writers were a group of sixteen journalists from the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources, whose trip was funded in part by Tides Canada. The young writers took boat tours and a historical driving tour, and the North Island was the perfect assignment destination to combine their love of nature and writing. Our TV stars came from the show, “Moosemeat and Marmalade”, where two very different chefs explore culture and culinary traditions. While the chefs didn’t make an appearance, the TV crew enjoyed a stay at Kwa’lilas Hotel, complete with Elder’s story time with Richard George, while they were in town shooting footage of the North Island. Stay tuned for updates about when the show will air! k’awat’si Tours and Kwa’lilas Hotel are featured on Aboriginal Tourism BC’s website, where people can read about the many tours and stay & play packages we offer.
KEDC Project Updates September 25, 2017
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Davis Henderson, KEDC Tourism Coordinator
k’awat’si Tours Hosts Local RCMP Earlier this month, 10 members from the Port Hardy RCMP took a cultural boat tour led by expert k’awat’si Tours guides. Each of the members were given the opportunity to spend time with our people, to hear our stories about the land and gain a deeper understanding of our history and culture. To Port Hardy RCMP member Paul Starr and his fellow members, having the opportunity to get out onto the water and hear the nation’s first-hand experiences was a great form of cultural immersion and a way of teaching members more about the Port Hardy community they call home.
We are so grateful for our time spent with k’awat’si Tours. To get out on the water, and to hear and see the passion they had when telling their stories, gave us a first-hand experience of the nation’s remarkable past and triumph. By having open conversations, our members became better informed about the land, its people and their history. Our officers will bring that knowledge into work each day to ensure everyone they interact with feels heard, understood and respected. -Constable Paul Starr, Port Hardy RCMP By engaging in meaningful conversations and seeing stories come to life as they were being told, participating in the k’awatsi boat tours allowed RCMP members to see the land through a different lens, helping to deepen understandings of their community beyond what can often be read in a newspaper. The success of this month’s k’awatsi tour has encouraged the Port Hardy RCMP to remain hopeful of their participation in future tours in order to continue working with compassion, fairness and respect in mind.
The tour included highlights around the North Island, such as a stop at Tremble Island.
RCMP members made a special visit to Ba’as to look for trading beads and hear about the nation’s traditional homelands.