British Columbia looks better from a horse on a guest ranch vacation

Earlier this year I wrote an article on the advantages of a horseback vacation. Dozens of British Columbia ranches leave the gates open to visitors who come to experience a taste of western life. These range from working holiday style cattle drives to uber relaxing and life improving spas that offer trail rides. But regardless of the amount of time spent in the saddle everyone I talked to for the article agreed spending time with horses changes your outlook on life.

Read the article Life is different aboard a horse
and find your perfect guest ranch experience by exploring the BC Guest Ranchers' Association website.

Vancouver Island oceanfront resort, Tsa-Kwa-Lueten Lodge, stays true to First Nation roots

In the beginning

For hundreds of years the We Wai Kai First Nation's summer village was on a bluff at the south end of Quadra Island, overlooking Discovery Passage. The location was not only ideal in terms of gathering food from the ocean and preserving it, but also a strategic vantage point. Everything from the mainland Coast Range to the mountains on Vancouver Island, the shoreline near present day Campbell River and anything in the waters of the northern Strait of Georgia, was in view.

Tsa-Kwa-Lueten Lodge from the ocean.

 Fast forward to the late 1980s. The commercial fishing industry, to that point the We Wai Kai's main source of income, was starting to show signs of decline in B.C. Ahead of their time and with long term vision, the band decided to diversify into tourism by opening a resort. And the obvious location was the bands summer ancestral home. What had been an optimal defensive position was now a spectacular view that tourists from around the world enjoy. They called it Tsa-Kwa-Luten, the gathering place.

Since Tsa-Kwa-Luten Lodge’s opening in June, 1991 their focus has always been having a minimal footprint on the environment at the same time providing a connection to the past.

First Nation connection

“Because of the First Nation's connection to the land there has always been an effort to have as small an environmental impact as possible,” says Carol Ann Terreberry, the resort's general manager. A large component of that is to raise awareness of the natural environment. “What's a wilderness resort without the opportunity to step into wilderness?” she asks rhetorically.

The resort is at the southern tip of Quadra, adjacent to an 1100 acre forest so feels like it's in the middle of nowhere. The approach is along a winding road through an impressive stand of Douglas fir that gives way to the open property overlooking Discovery Passage, a mile wide channel between Quadra Island and Vancouver Island. The gardens are naturally landscaped with a nature trail heading south into the forest.

Forest hikes

In an effort to connect visitors with the natural environment and First Nation history, the resort created two interpretive pamphlets for the walking trail. One includes points of interest: the site where Captain Vancouver came ashore in 1792, tree growth patterns, First Nation bathing pools and a First Nation archaeological site. The other is an ethno-botanical checklist identifying native plants and their traditional uses.

The theme of connecting visitors to First Nation history is new in North America, but not to Tsa-Kwa-Luten. The centrepiece of the resort is the grand hall, the main entrance and lobby of the main building. Inspired by traditional long houses, the grand hall is used for meetings and celebrations. The open and inspiring room feels like a cathedral with huge Douglas fir logs, harvested on Quadra Island, holding up a wall of glass overlooking the ocean and mountains. Nearby is the equally beautiful Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre, a museum documenting the Kwakwaka’wakw history.

The Great Room at Tsa-Kwa-Lueten.

Respect for the land

The resort operates with the same respect for the land as the We Wai Kai Nation has. Recycled paper is used throughout each department. Cedar tree centrepieces on the dining room tables are planted outside after the resort closes for the winter and employees are encouraged to share transportation to work. The latest effort is a state of the art septic disposal system in the RV Park. “It's in what could be considered a sensitive spot, next to the ocean,” says Terreberry. “It was worth every penny.”

There's also a social component; a focus on hiring locally and from the band; two thirds of the 50 person staff live on Quadra and 60 percent are We Wai Kai band members or are status Indians. Staff average more than seven years at the resort and that loyalty pays off, as does the lodge's long term vision. Tsa-Kwa-Luten won awards for excellence in customer service twice from the Aboriginal Tourism Association of B.C. The resort was also recognized for its sustainable focus with a three Green Keys, an environmentally sustainable rating for hotels.

“There's a lot of pride in Tsa-Kwa-Luten within the community,” says Terreberry. Deservedly so.

Contact

Tsa-Kwa-Luten, The Oceanfront Resort at Cape Mudge
A unique Island Retreat Designed to Renew Your Soul         

Reservations: 1-800-665-7745, Local Phone: 250-285-2042, Fax: 250-285-2532
Email: sales@capemudgeresort.bc.ca, Web Site: www.capemudgeresort.bc.ca   

BC wins big at Canadian Tourism Commission Northern Lights travel writing competition

Articles and photos from British Columbia's wilderness destinations won big at the Canadian Tourism Commission's Northern Lights Awards in San Fransisco earlier this month. Backcountry skiing at Sol Mountain Touring, The Great Bear Rainforest and the Itcha Ilgachuz Provincial Park were all honoured.

The New York Times' Ski Guide 2010 included an article by Mark Sundeen about his ski trip to Sol Mountain Touring, a member of the Backcountry Lodges of BC. Back and Beyond in BC won first prize in the Independent Journalist: Newspaper category.

B.C. freelance writer and contributor to Be Wild in BC, Andrew Findlay won in the Magazine category for his article Howl in the Mist: BC's Marine Wolves, which appeared in Westworld Magazine. In the article Findlay went island hoping in the Great Bear Rainforest with environmentalist Ian McAllister. Other ways of seeing this remote coastal wilderness and the grizzly bears, spirit bears and wolves that inhabit its rainforest is with Maple Leaf Adventures, Bluewater Adventures, members of the Commercial Bear Viewing Association of BC, fishing resorts and many sea kayak companies like Kingfisher Adventures, Ecosummer Expeditions and Coast Mountain Expeditions.

A photo taken by Chris Harris in British Columbia Magazine of the Itcha Ilgachuz Provincial Park won first prize for a Photograph. The mountainous and very remote park is on the western edge of the Chilcotin Mountains and is best reached by horseback. Try the BC Guest Ranches for operators in the park.

The Northern Lights Awards are given to journalists who wrote or captured images about Canadian travel destinations and is awarded every year at the CTC's annual international conference the Canadian Media Marketplace, which brings together writers, editors and photographers and tourism representatives from across the country.

One percent is more than you think

Maple Leaf Adventures is one of many Wilderness Tourism Association members who gave one percent of revenue to environmental causes last year as part of 1% for the Planet. The tall masted schooner tour operator, pictured at right, belongs to the environmental non profit created by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and Craig Matthews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies. 1% For The Planet verifies donations and evaluates recipient organizations to ensure donations are truly going to benefit nature.

Subscriber businesses can pick what organizations they want to donate to. In Maple Leaf’s case it was the Wilderness Tourism Association and Raincoast Conservation Foundation, a conservation organization on the B.C. central coast.

Raincoast used the 2009 donation to publish their annual Tracking Raincoast, a compilation of the year's scientific research and findings, conservation work and plans for the future. In 2008, Raincoast used Maple Leaf's donation to assist with spring and fall monitoring of their 24,000 sq km guide-outfitting territory. The organization bought the license for hunting grizzlies in the tenure and patrol to watch for illegal hunting and other activities that negatively impact grizzlies. 

The WTA used the money to fund its advocacy and education work to enhance the wilderness tourism experience in B.C.

Maple Leaf captain and owner Kevin J. Smith says donating money to causes like 1% for the Planet are part of a long term vision needed to make a difference in wild places. “I’m talking about the governments that created parks and protected areas, and all the people that proposed those to the governments. Also the people that worked so hard to make hunting whales illegal. Now humpback whales are delighting our guests all along the coast. That’s investment in nature coming to fruition on many fronts.” 

Siwash goes totally solar for sustainability

For remote, wilderness businesses getting electrified is expensive. The easiest option is a diesel generator, but these are polluting, noisy and always hungry for cash. Few operations can ever get rid of them completely, relying on them as a backup, but many members of the Wilderness Tourism Association have found ways to augment their power with sustainable means.

Siwash Lake Guest Ranch, a luxury, boutique guest ranch, is one of the few using solar power (pictured). And this fall, with the help of EA Energy Alternatives, the fly fishing and horseback riding operation ramped up their solar feed to offset 90 percent of their diesel generator.  The ranch installed a state-of-the-art solar photovoltaic system for electricity creation and also retro-fit the hot water heating system, along with new technology to capture excess energy from heated water.  The ranch is also switching from gas powered to solar powered pumps for irrigation and other water systems.

“This project will save $32,000 per year in fuel costs and reduce our annual carbon footprint by 123 tons of green house gases. This is the equivalent of taking 22 passenger vehicles of the road for one year," says Allyson Rogers, owner and proprietor at Siwash Lake Ranch. "At Siwash Lake Ranch we are an advocate of local energy-efficiency and we’re proud to set an example for other small businesses that want to achieve both growth and a small environmental footprint. Our guests are excited about all the work we do to make our operations as sustainable as possible and they’ve told us they also want to support other similar businesses that show innovation and leadership in response to the needs of our planet.”

This is far from all Siwash has committed to doing for the environment. Read more on their website under sustainability or in a stewardship story I wrote about them (you can also read about some other alternative energy projects).

Go north, life is peaceful there. Go north, in the open air.

I know it's not even Christmas yet, but it is time to start thinking about next summer's adventures. What are you going to do? Well if you're like a lot of Canadians going north on a canoe or raft trip is on life's list. A recent article in Canoe Roots Magazine says knocking off one of Canada's fabled wilderness rivers is a top priority for many. North of 60 is where a lot of these rivers are, but don't overlook northern B.C. The area is huge, wild and full of water. Operators say it is one of the few places where there are still rivers where you will be alone for weeks. Watch for a new guidebook to northern B.C. rivers in early 2010 from Laurel Archer. If you prefer guided, which is a good idea for anyone who doesn't have several expedition style trips under their belt, then consider these companies and the trips they lead:

Nahanni River Adventures/Canadian River Adventures: Guiding the Tatshenshini, Babine, Taku, Stakine, Gataga rivers of B.C.
Stikine River Song: all service cafe and boat rental on the Stikine River.
Skeena Valley Expeditions: Day and expediton trips on the Skeena, Babine and Tatshenshini rivers.
ROAM: Among other BC river trips, they guide the Tatshenshini.

Give sustainability

It's two weeks until Christmas, which means it's almost time to start panicking about what to get people. Instead of hunting for a bunch of gifts that my relatives might not even use I've decided to give gifts that give back this year.

One of the easiest ways is to donate to a charity in someone else's name or buy a gift with a pay it forward mentality. For instance the World Wildlife Fund has a large range of animals up for "adoption." These are great gifts for kids. Buy the caribou and you'll get a high-quality cuddly toy, a personalized adoption certificate and a report detailing the work that your symbolic adoption will support. In B.C. the mountain caribou is in serious trouble and a donation to the WWF will help the species survive. A leopard frog is another good choice to help support B.C.'s environment. Once commonly found in British Columbia, the Northern leopard frog is now limited to the extreme southeastern portion of the province and has been designated as endangered in the region - loss of habitat is the most significant cause of the decline. The WWF has lots of other gift options where proceeds go to conservation work.

Another option is to give to specific causes. The WTA and its members are working for and donating to a number of causes that support wildlife and wildspaces including Save Our Wild Salmon and Adopt-a-Fry.org. Cash donations are a great way to further their work. You can also ask your favourite resorts and lodges about causes that are close to their heart. Or if you want to make it as easy as possible donate to the WTA's own Wilderness Stewardship Fund. Donations can be made in any amount. The money in the fund is used to help organizations and companies complete worthwhile sustainability and stewardship work throughout the year.