BC Businesses’ Sustainable Partnership Reaches a Milestone
October 25, 2017, Vancouver, BC – BC-based Harbour Air Seaplanes is celebrating its 10-year anniversary as North America’s first carbon neutral airline. Committed to its BC roots, the airline partnered with local company Offsetters Climate Solutions in 2007 to begin calculating and offsetting the airline’s carbon footprint. Since then, Harbour Air has offset 100 per cent of its emissions associated with seaplane fuel use and corporate operations.
“We know that a huge part of our success is the beauty of the West Coast experience that we offer. Which is why we are deeply committed, and proud, of our sustainable accomplishments to date,” says Randy Wright, President, Harbour Air. “This year marks two incredible milestones for us: 35 years that Harbour Air has been operating in BC; and, 10 years since we committed to being 100% carbon neutral.”
Through this partnership, Offsetters has measured and provided strategic recommendations to reduce Harbour Air’s footprint. The #FlyCarbonNeutral program has resulted in more than 108,000 tonnes of annual carbon offsets to date, fuelling more than 10,000 cookstoves for families in Uganda and the protection of more than seven million hectares of the Great Bear Rainforest. In addition, the airline has reduced its total emissions per revenue dollar by 21%.
“We are proud to have worked with Harbour Air for the past 10 years to not only make them North America’s first carbon neutral airline, but to support them in reducing their footprint and educating passengers on the importance of climate action. The impact they have had demonstrates first-hand how small investments—such as offsetting the amount of one passenger flying to Victoria to Vancouver, which may seem minimal at only 8kg CO2e—over time, creates a larger collective impact of purchasing over 108,000 tonnes of offsets from projects around the world,” says Phil Cull, CEO of Offsetters. “We are proud to partner with and look forward to continuing to measure, reduce and offset Harbour Air’s footprint with projects from across the province and around the world.”
Over the past ten years, Harbour Air has hosted more than 3.5 million passengers, a growth of more than 40%, standing as a leader in business and sustainability in British Columbia. “Being a sustainable and responsible corporate citizen is not only embedded into our organizational values, but, I believe, vital to our success in the community,” says Wright.
In addition to its #FlyCaronNeutral program, Harbour Air has also introduced a number of initiatives to reduce its impact and become carbon neutral. The airline implemented a reusable, paperless ticketing system, introduced a web-based system for payroll and invoicing, installed a one-acre green roof, 50 solar panels and four large beehives on the recently re-modeled Victoria Harbour Airport, and has been named one of Canada’s best managed companies for eight consecutive years.
About Offsetters
Offsetters is one of Canada’s largest and most diversified carbon management solutions company. Its team of industry leaders specializes in the origination, development and commercialization of high-quality carbon offset projects, and through a comprehensive offering of sustainability consultancy services Offsetters helps organizations understand, reduce and offset their climate impact. For more information, please visit www.offsetters.ca.
About Harbour Air Seaplanes
Founded in Vancouver in 1982, Harbour Air has grown from two small seaplanes into North America’s largest seaplane airline. A strong commitment to customer service and safety attracts approximately 450,000 passengers annually, including commuters and tourists throughout coastal BC. In 2007, Harbour Air became North America’s first fully carbon neutral airline, offsetting 100% of its carbon footprint. For more information, visit staging.harbourair.com.
Harbour Air Introduces 10,000 Honey Bees, Solar Panels and a “Bee-Cam” To Make Victoria Harbour Airport Greenest in World
June 12, 2017 Victoria, B.C. — To celebrate its 10th anniversary as North America’s first carbon-neutral airline, as well as the 1st anniversary of its custom-built Victoria seaplane terminal, Harbour Air is deepening its commitment to sustainability by introducing a colony of honey bees and 50 solar panels on the one-acre green roof of the Victoria Harbour Airport.
The four large beehives, containing an initial 10,000 honey bees that will grow to more than 200,000, are designed to help Victoria’s urban ecosystem combat the decline in wild bee populations around North America. In some areas, bee populations have declined by over one third, meaning urban bee colonies have become essential to ensuring there are enough bees to help plants pollinate.
“Harbour Air is making an important contribution to the Victoria ecosystem, ensuring we have enough bees for our plants to pollinate,” said Bill Fosdick, the president of the Capital Region Beekeepers Association, who is overseeing the introduction of the bee colony. “Given that Harbour Air flies more than 450,000 passengers every year, this will also be an important way to educate people of all ages on the importance of honey bees to our local environment.”
President Randy Wright explained how all employees are encouraged to suggest ideas to continue to innovate its service and the theme of improving sustainability is a re-occurring one. It was also upon the suggestion of the staff, after having been included in the initial design of the green roof, to take it a step further to also install solar panels. “First came the bee idea and then the idea of generating our own electricity to help run the airport really caught on amongst the team. Once they made the business case for it, it made a lot of sense”, said Wright. To tie everything together, a screen has been installed in the airport lounge which will track the amount of electricity the solar panels are putting back into the electrical grid as well as monitor the bees using a “bee cam”. The bee cam will be available for anyone to log into and will run a live broadcast of the bees as they expand their colony.
“Harbour Air led the industry a decade ago by becoming North American’s first carbon-neutral airline, reducing our energy consumption and off-setting our full carbon footprint,” said Wright. “We’re continuing this commitment to the environmental health of British Columbians and the planet by introducing these beehives and solar panels, to show that companies and their employees can act locally to make meaningful contributions to sustainability.”
“I think this will be the world’s first floating beehive,” added Fosdick. “I think it’s going to be a great educational tool that will get a lot of attention. And the bees are already producing honey. It’s delicious.”
About Harbour Air Seaplanes
Harbour Air is North America’s largest seaplane airline. It flies more than 450,000 passengers annually, including commuters and tourists throughout coastal British Columbia. It currently offsets 100% of its carbon footprint with the help of Offsetters, Canada’s leading provider of sustainability and carbon-management solutions.
It’s no secret that Canada turns 150 this year, we’re all pretty proud about that! And here at Harbour Air, we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our nation’s milestone birthday than by honouring the iconic aircraft that first opened our vast and beautiful country – planes that still connect hundreds of thousands of Canadians each year!
“The Otter and Beaver are iconic in aviation and Canadian history,” said Greg McDougall, the CEO of Harbour Air, North America’s largest seaplane airline. “These aircraft were designed and manufactured right here in Canada.”
The first de Havilland Beaver rolled off of the company’s Toronto production line on Aug. 16, 1947; The Otter flew its first flight in 1952. The planes quickly gained popularity because of their short takeoff and landing capabilities. By adding floats, skis, or wheels, these reliable planes could go pretty much anywhere, flying dreamers north to find gold, bringing northerners south and used by the RCMP to fly remote patrols. The Otter and the Beaver were instrumental in accessing remote parts of our country that otherwise would take days or even weeks to reach.
“We still fly these aircraft today at Harbour Air, a testament to their reliability and Canada’s excellence in aviation,” added McDougall, a former bush pilot himself. “We thought it was only fitting to mark Canada’s 150th by honouring the Otter and Beaver, the two aircraft that opened up and united this vast country — and helped Harbour Air build an airline.”
At Harbour Air, we’re proud to operate and maintain 38 upgraded de Havilland Otters and Beavers fleet-wide. The two special edition Canada 150 planes we’re intoducing will keep their colours well after July 1st too, reminding Canadians and visitors alike of the aircraft’s unique history and legendary service record.
Be on the lookout for these bright, patriotic aircraft in the skies over coastal BC this spring and beyond and stay tuned for exciting contests and promotions as we draw closer to Canada Day celebrations this summer!
From all of us at Harbour Air Seaplanes, happy 150th Canada!
The Victoria Harbour Airport, home to Harbour Air Seaplanes & Kenmore Air has some new hardware, and we couldn’t be prouder! Victoria’s new floating seaplane terminal was honoured not once, but twice at the Victoria’s Real Estate Board’s annual Commercial Building Awards, held on November 14th, 2016.
The Victoria Harbour Airport was awarded an Excellence Award in the Service – Commercial category, as well as the coveted Judge’s Choice award at the 2016 Commercial Building Awards. Pictured above are (left to right): Jason Kahl, Chair of the Victoria Real Estate Board CommercialDivision; Randy Wright, Executive VP, Harbour Air Group; Deane Strongitharm, CitySpaces; John Burkard, Canpro Construction and Mike Smith, Base Manager for Harbour Air Seaplanes in Victoria.
From VREB’s website: “dedicated to the advancement of excellence in commercial property development throughout the Greater Victoria area. The [Commercial Building] awards recognize developers, architects, designers, builders, owners and financiers for enhancing commercial real estate stock, for stimulating urban renewal, and for the risks they undertake to build and renovate commercial space within our community.”
For the people of British Columbia and western Canada it was a thrill and an honour to host Their Royal Highnesses The Cambridges during Royal Tour Canada 2016. For eight days in late September and early October, the Duke and Duchess made Victoria their home base and travelled to communitues all along our western coast just like we do, by boat, by car and of course, by seaplane.
Harbour Air was honoured to provide seaplane transportation for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the young Prince and Princess during their visit. What follows are our memories of the two Royal flights during the family’s stay.
Royal Tour Canada Day Two: Victoria to Vancouver
On Sunday, September 25th, Prince William and Duchess Catherine traveled by seaplane from the Victoria Harbour Airport to their official arrival in Vancouver. The 30 minute flight the Duke and Duchess enjoyed is the same as the scheulded flight that connects hundreds of thousands of British Columbians and visitors each year. In Vancouver, thousands lined the seawall and gathered in nearby Jack Poole Plaza to greet the Royal Couple, as did BC Premier Christy Clark.
The Duke and Duchess arrived to enthusiastic applause from the Union Jack-waving well-wishers gathered on the seawall.
Following their arrival at the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre, the Duke and Duchess visited a Vancouver women’s centre, the Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia New Welcome Centre and Telus Gardens, where they met members of Canada’s olympic team.
Royal Tour Canada Day Eight: Victoria Official Farewell
As the final scheduled stop on Royal Tour Canada 2016, and the first open public appearance of Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the Cambridges bid farewell to Canada at the Victoria Harbour Airport. Arriving by motorcade to the thrill of thousands who lined Wharf Street and the surrounding seawalls, the family’s entrance will be forever remembered by Prince George’s enthusiastic two-handed wave.
What a pleasure having the Cambridges visit the places we British Columbians call home! Thank you to the Duke and Duchess, the Prince and Princess for your visit and please come back soon!
It’s a busy day for Gavin Hassett as I catch up to him in between trips to and from the harbour in Victoria. Life is steady and smooth for Gavin, but in his words, you never know who you’ll end up with on your next flight.
In 2009, a pilot, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, was forced to land US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River immediately following takeoff due to a double engine failure. The incident sparked an intense investigation, and on September 9th, a movie directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks was released in theatres.
But what’s the real Sully Sullenberger like? Gavin Hasset knows the answer.
Kelvin: If you were a passenger on a plane instead of the pilot and a stranger sat down and asked what you did for a living, how would you explain the path you took too get to this point?
Gavin: The first thing I’d say is that I’m a pilot with Harbour Air. Aviation is a lifelong passion of mine, I’ve always wanted to pursue it as a career. At the earliest age I could I got my license. I could legally fly an airplane before I could operate a car.
I bet your friends enjoyed that. Less traffic.
For sure. I started at quite a young age and pursued it along the way. My aviation career was sidelined for a decade or so while I pursued sports and university. When I came back in my thirties I had picked up my float endorsement and flying float planes turned into a real passion of mine, and it’s still going strong.
You had a special passenger awhile back, have you seen Sully’s movie yet?
I have actually. I saw him this summer and he mentioned it would be coming out in September so my wife and I went to see it.
Let’s talk a little bit about your relationship with Sully Sullenberger. What was your interaction like with him?
The first time I met him we were flying from Vancouver harbour to Victoria and one of the CSA’s mentioned someone wanted to ride up in the front and they mentioned the name to me and I lit up right away. So absolutely he rode up on the front. It was great and that’s where it started. The story of his incident on the Hudson River is one I’m well aware of. As a pilot you follow these things along the way.
I didn’t know what word to choose to describe it, but you used incident. It was obviously pretty serious, but part of me is surprised there was a movie made out of it.
It was just unprecedented. They had a double engine failure at low attitude on a commercial jet, an Airbus 319 or 320. It was especially serious considering it was on a departure in one of the most densely populated areas on the planet, in New York. They had about 3 minutes to deal with it. They were going to land no matter what, it was just a matter of where. The most suitable spot he could find was the Hudson River. It’s the first time a commercial airliner of that size landed on the water with zero fatalities.
Can you relate to his thought process in that three minutes?
I can, but nothing as critical as that. As a pilot you have to make timely decisions but I’ve never dealt with anything like that. No movies for me thankfully. They really had 30 seconds to decide on their course of action and then follow through on that. Watching the movie, I had an elevated heart rate for most of it. You can imagine yourself in a position like that and how you’d have to handle it. That’s one thing I thought the movie did really well. For the crisis they faced and how they had to manage it and overcome it – when an emergency starts to take place your mind flips to the task at hand and you’re just doing the job. Your training takes over. You focus, even if you have to improvise, to ensure the best possible outcome is achieved despite unforeseen variables.
In their case you couldn’t have done anything different.
Is the movie a fair representation of Captain Sully and his decision? Is it accurate about the decision making process of the men and women of the aviation industry?
It gives you a look into how critical we are of ourselves. We’re always evaluating our processes, both when a crisis such as this hits as well as in our day to day process. Maintaining safety, integrity. and improving on safety measures, the investigation of the incident in the movie explains why they did what they did. There were certainly a lot of questions afterwards, both from the media and internally.
What can you tell people about the real Sully Sullenberger.
He’s very humble, understated, and he’s very calm. I’d say he’s rather private as well. He’s an extreme professional and he’s exceptionally qualified, but he’s definitely not a fame seeker. He’s been thrust into the limelight and I suppose if there was ever a reason to be famous then hopefully it’s for some good you’ve done. He’s very interesting to chat with if you have time.
Tom Hanks would be an ok actor to be represented by in the movies I guess. Who do you think they’ll get for the Gavin Hassett movie?
(Laughs) Well I suppose they’d better start with a body double, Arnold Schwarzenegger would be a good place to start. Leslie Nielsen is pretty funny, but Tom Hanks was a good choice, he’s earnest and calm, approachable and professional. He did a great job in this movie.
For me I’m not sure, what’s his name…oh, Harrison Ford. That would be a good one.
Alright, I’m sure his people will contact him. Thanks so much for your time, Gavin!
Thanks a lot Kelvin, I look forward to reading the article when it’s posted.
It’s been a busy summer, but once I’m in the air I feel like Clint Eastwood in Escape From Alcatraz. It’s a lazy summer afternoon and I’m cruising at altitude high above fuzzy green tress blanketing the North Shore Mountains. Whistler is only a hop, skip, and a seaplane jump away, and the scene from the jump over the snowy peaks has almost flown by beneath my feet already. There are forgotten ponds and lakes below that have never experienced the roar of a boat motor, and I can see the monumental Sea to Sky Highway to the west drawing a curved line between the mountains and the water. From where I’m sitting, the ends of the Earth decline so sharply that it’s hard to believe they don’t simply slip into the smooth waters of the pacific ocean.
So anyways, see ya later, civilization. I’m about to land on a green lake called … Green Lake.
I’m greeted by the smiling faces of Monica, Josephine, and Daren on Harbour Air’s Green Lake dock, and I’ll be perfectly honest here: I’m looking forward to meeting them, but I’m also eagerly anticipating a quick shuttle ride into the Whistler village, where I’ll surely get lost instantly.
It never hurts to get a little bit lost though.
“I moved here from Australia a month ago,” Monica Willemsen tells me as we sip coffee on the deck of Table Nineteen at the Nicklaus North Golf Course. “I’ve always been passionate about the aviation industry, seaplanes especially. They’re just heaps of fun – to take off from a tiny place like this and land on the water somewhere else…”
Monica’s description gets lost in her throat. It’s easy to lose the words; I know this from experience. For Monica, it’s hard to describe not only the scene at Green Lake, but the atmosphere beneath the shadow of Whistler mountain as well.
“I came to Canada for the mountains and the air. That was the first thing I noticed here in Whistler; the crisp, clean air. Whistler has something for everyone, from pubs and restaurants to outdoor life.
I realize I haven’t even left Green Lake’s dock yet, so this is Bruce’s cue to show up and shuttle me into town.
Bruce gives me the scenic route into the village. We pass openings to the Lost Lake trail, the valley trail and several groups of small cottages and vacation homes. I scribble a short note for each reminding me to return to explore further. After a few minutes I’m dropped into the middle of the village where Bruce tells me he’ll find me later whether I like it or not.
What Are You Looking For?
Whistler Air crew member Josephine Poyner echoes Monica’s thoughts about the nature (get it?) of Whistler. Originally from Toronto, Josephine left a promising career at the Pearson International Airport for her new role here.
“I love the industry and I wanted to work in the best possible corner of it,” Josephine tells me. “And up here, in the mountains, in the forest – it’s become much more than a job. Living in Whistler is a new way of life that I’ve fallen in love with.”
Whistler is a tourist town that’s proud of its ability to relax and unwind, if that’s what you’re looking for.
I certainly am.
“Anything a person would ever want to do, they can do here,” Josephine says. “From riding your bike casually to ripping down mountain trails, from paddle boarding to simply hiking through the wilderness, it’s got everything I need.”
Josephine just smiles when I ask her if she also feels like an escapee.
I begin my adventure by aimlessly strolling to and fro beneath a scorching mid-summer sun. The village buzzes with activity, from young couples to old couples to odd couples, plus children of all ages, too. A short walk north of the village and I’m greeted with sweet silence along the banks of Fitzsimmons Creek.
An undetermined amount of time later I’m sitting on the patio at Hot Buns enjoying a scrumptious capicollo sandwich and a rich, natural coffee even though it’s 25 degrees in the shade. I can’t resist drinking coffee in every new place I visit, and this one was worth it. Inspiration started to flow and new ideas started forming, and pretty soon I was back on my feet, standing in the middle of Whistler’s famous Olympic square before finding a shady spot to read.
From the stone and beam architecture and the streams wandering beneath bridges and adjacent cobblestone walkways, this place seems to drape a mysterious shroud over one’s memory. It’s easy to forget you’re inside the heart of the Canadian west coast, and not an ancient European village. It’s also an easy place to lose yourself, both figuratively and literally.
But don’t worry, you’ll find yourself again. Or a friendly shuttle driver named Bruce will pick you up.
Either way the search is well worth the trip.
——
Looking for a snack in Whistler? Here’s some of my favourites:
Mogul’s for a fresh cup of coffee to get you kick started
Green Moustache for a healthy smoothie to get your nutrients
Merlin’s at the base of Blackcomb for a relaxing beverage in the shadow of the mountain
Tapley’s for dinner and another (stronger) beverage to point the evening in the right direction
Miriam Edwards, Lead Concierge for the Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver, talks to a lot of people every week. Like, a lot of people.
And she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Working in this industry, you learn to think quickly and go back into the archives, so to speak, to retrieve quick answers,” Deborah Sleno says about her career as a concierge, which currently sees her assisting guests at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria.
Dillon Carfoot, the Regional Director of the Les Clefs d’Or group and Lead Concierge at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel in Victoria agrees, “It’s almost more than just memory,” says Dillon. “You need to possess first-hand knowledge of different things that might be of interest to the guest.”
Life as a concierge is busy, as you can imagine, but we were able to get in touch with three of our favourite local concierge to learn more about the lives and careers of such vital tourism industry partners.
A Passion for People with Deborah Sleno
Kelvin: Is it safe to say you interact with a lot of different people every week?
Deborah: It’s very safe to say that, absolutely. Being the concierge I have interactions with all of my guests. At any given time when I’m on shift a guest can call, email or see me directly. They have all kinds of questions regarding Victoria, dining, things to do, travel arrangements for their trip. I assist with some couriers as well, I have third parties call who arrange for flowers or other amenities for the room.
So it’s difficult to have one strict line of focus, you need an answer for everything, right?
I try to have an answer for everything, but you never know what’s going to come at you. The key is to be able to quickly find answers. A lot of it comes down to networking. For instance, tonight I’m going to a Tourism Victoria mixer. I spend a lot of time in Victoria experiencing all the city has to offer. With my lifestyle, it’s easy to discover what stores are open and closed. I dine in a lot of the restaurants, when new ones open I’m there in a heartbeat.
Tell me about the relationships you have with other people in the hotel industry.
Formally, I’m a part of the Victoria guest services network. I was one of the founding members 19 years ago. It was based on the Les Clefs d’Or concierge; we didn’t really have it in Victoria at the time. I’ve been a full member for 11 years. A former member who moved to Victoria from Vancouver thought it would be important to start an association for front line staff, porters, door men, even some residential sales managers. It’s a resource for people on the front line who assist guests in Victoria. So we started this not-for-profit association. We do a trade show every year. We invite businesses from around the city, primarily transportation or tour businesses to come and exhibit. We invite hotel staff from all over to come to the showcase and learn about these businesses and what’s available to these guests. It’s great for the businesses, but more importantly the money raised goes to a bursary at Camosun College for their hospitality program. We’ve raised over $55,000.
Why is the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria so famous?
The Fairmont Empress was built in 1908; it’s 108 years old. It was built by Canadian Pacific Railways, part of the CP rail group. Of course we’re on an island and we didn’t have a railway, but they had steam ships. The idea was they’d build these grand hotels, like the Banff Springs and the Chateau Lake Louise to entice people with wealth to come to the west. The Empress was named after Queen Victoria, the Empress of India. Francis Rattenbury was a young architect from England who moved to Victoria, he was the architect for the parliament buildings next to our hotel. Once he got the contract to build the parliament he got the contract to build the Fairmont Empress. Our hotel commands the harbour; we’re right across the street. The hotel was built on water on 3000 wood pylons that were driven into the ground to support the hotel. So the hotel is famous because of the rich history, plus it’s simply an exquisite stay for our guests. Even if one of those guests is rumoured to be Francis Rattenbury himself from time to time.
How May I Help You? With Miriam Edwards
It’s a rare quiet moment for Miriam Edwards as she picks up the phone to speak with us. It’s a slow Tuesday afternoon; so probably perfect timing on my part. She was only interrupted once during our short conversation and it was a great example hearing the memory of a concierge at work.
From the Pan Pacific in downtown Vancouver, here’s Miriam.
Kelvin: What’s a typical day in the life like of a concierge in Vancouver?
Miriam: Right now it’s cruise ship season down here so once the people come off the ship, you get a line up until noon. People are asking “what am I going to do, my room is not ready, what should I do, it’s my first time in the city”. And then of course regular check-in time is 4 o’clock so you have a wave in the morning and then by the time the planes come in in the afternoon, you get another wave of people arriving and wanting to do something. That’s right now, but in any day you get everything from making tour reservations to dining reservations to somebody is sick so they need a doctor or a dentist or they forgot to buy something on the way. They want to know where can they go shopping too so it can be the whole gamut. No day is the same.
What are some of the challenges that were more difficult earlier on in your career that you have an easier time dealing with these days?
Miriam: I think it’s just possessing the information. When you are a seasoned concierge, you don’t have to look anything up, it’s in the back of your head. We have to be on top of things and be one step ahead of our guests all the time.The longer you’ve been in the profession the better. I have people that I train and they look at me with their jaw hanging and I just flip out one answer after the other. You have a gamut of guests with different personalities and different needs, and it’s much easier with more experience. You have to read a guest to make sure that you meet and exceed their expectations. What people ask for and what they actually mean is usually totally different.
For example, if people say “I want to go to Victoria” and then they’re confused when they discover the trip from Vancouver to Victoria is much more than an hour and 40 minutes because they only asked how long the ferry ride is. Which is correct, but that’s not your travelling time each way to go to Victoria, it’s 4 hours. That’s when we suggest Harbour Air Seaplanes! More and more people are doing research nowadays so we can help them save time.
People will now go online and try to book a table for a restaurant reservation and then they realize that they cannot get it so they still need us. Or they book whale watching but they don’t realize they booked the whale watching on Vancouver Island and not Vancouver City. And now they have a problem and we jump in.
You’re kind of like a celebrity without any of the fame and luxuries.
Well yes and no. It’s funny how we can go to a restaurant and people all know me.
Tell me a little bit about the Pan Pacific and the main reasons why people stay there.
The Pan Pacific is centrally located. We have a great view of Coal Harbour and the North Shore mountains. We’ve got a fantastic pool deck on the 8th floor with a great view. Right now all the rooms except for a couple floors are renovated.
But really, there are two main reasons. One, because we are right above the cruise ship terminal. And two, we’re right above the Convention Centre. We get a lot of convention delegates that stay here because they can just take the elevator down to the meetings, same thing with the cruise ships. We’re also right next door to the seaplane terminal which makes it an easy tour recommendation to provide.
From My Home Base In Victoria with Dillon Carfoot
Kelvin: You’re the regional director of the Les Clefs d’Or group. That sounds like a lot of work, how many people do you connect with during a typical day or week?
Dillon: BC has 35 members and we also have aspiring members, so our typical attendance at a monthly meeting is about 50 concierges. We have 25 members in Vancouver, 5 in Victoria and 6 in Whistler. We have monthly meetings, 10 in Vancouver, one in Victoria, one in Whistler, so I’m hopping on seaplanes at minimum once each month, and Harbour Air has been so great to partner with, they make sure I never miss a meeting. I organize the agendas, guest speakers and about anything else that’s relevant for each of the three cities. We have great presenters; we recently had Harbour Air in to talk about their new terminal and the new flights being added. We’ve had Helijet recently. Bard on the Beach in Vanier Park in Vancouver is coming up, so we’ll have a presentation about that. We had Judy Maxwell from the Chinatown Historical Society to talk about all the great things they’re involved with.
Any vendor that would be relevant for guests in our hotels is relevant for our concierges. Our industry is not only about learning new things, but also about internalizing the information so you can call on it at a moment’s notice.
It’s important to keep our concierges sharp, but it’s also just a good time. Our industry is about having fun and connecting with people, and the more relaxed you are, the easier and more enjoyable it is to speak with guests.
We also organize a tourism showcase at the Vancouver Convention Centre; this year’s event was a huge success on May 5th with 850 hospitality experts walking through the door.
A big part of my position as well is the charities the Les Clefs d’Or is involved with. We focus on three national charities, Dreams Take Flight, which sends ill or disadvantaged children to Disneyland for a day. We raise money for the Terry Fox Foundation, and we raise money for the BCHF, the British Columbia Hospitality Foundation. Last year we organized a boat cruise at the end of September and we managed to raise $10,000, $5,000 of which went to Dreams Take Flight and $5,000 to BCHF.
Being as busy and involved as you are locally, are you able to get to see the world as well?
Yes, absolutely. Our industry has no boundaries, it’s important to see what’s happening all over the world. Every year we have congresses in different international locations, so I go as a director and present about what we’re doing in BC as one part of Canada’s seven regions.
So I do get to travel, most of it is within my role as director. I’ve been a member of Les Clefs d’Or for 12 years and on the board for four. It’s the best thing, the most rewarding step in my career I’ve ever taken. It brings people together across borders, from different cities, different countries, different hotels, and basically we’re just friends trying to help each other succeed. Next week is the international conference in Dubai, 750 delegates from 50 countries will be in attendance. To connect with people all over the world living the same life as us is just a thrill. Choose a city and we know someone there we can call up in an instant.
Tell me about your background a little bit How did you find yourself in this line of work?
I’m a bit of an ex pat, my parents are British and were working in Toronto when I was born. From there I moved to the UK when I was six months old and grew up there. I was a banker in London; I worked on the trading floor. I left England when I was 28 and worked in hotels in BC and then the Rockies, in Alberta and now in Victoria. I’ve been in Victoria permanently for the last 11 years, ten at the Fairmont Empress and now at the Oak Bay. Deborah Sleno and I have actually been longtime colleagues and friends, we’ve travelled all over the world together for Les Clefs d’Or.
Victoria is wonderful, but my position as regional director wouldn’t be possible without Harbour Air. I’m the first director from Victoria, so they stepped up and made getting to meetings a breeze. I’m truly appreciative of that the Harbour Air sales team, Courtney and Stefani and Meredith have all become close friends, which is such an integral part of our industry. It’s all about improving the experience, and when everyone buys into that then it’s truly special what you can achieve.
The main thing it it’s such a wonderful location. We’re away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Victoria and our scenery is unbelievable. We have mineral pools and two hot tubs right down on the rocks by the ocean. The bar is open so you can soak in the tub and the rays and have a beverage. We have a beautiful spa down there; we also have the neighbourhood’s oldest pub, the Snug Pub which has been operating since 1954. Our rooms are luxurious and spacious; there are only 100 rooms so it’s a nice boutique style destination.
“I really believe life is yours to shape how you’d like, no matter where that takes you.”
It’s always to difficult to sum up someone’s career in 1200 words, but fortunately for me, Kim Marshall didn’t mind offering up just a couple of the bright spots. I’m writing this the day after Kim retired from Nav Canada (Nav Canada is a privately run, not-for-profit corporation that owns and operates Canada’s civil air navigation system), and after a career that began with the Canadian Armed forces and ended in a tower high above Vancouver’s Coal Harbour, she’s learned a lot about herself and the nature of the aviation industry.
Suffice to say, Kim provides an incredibly detailed birds-eye view.
Kelvin: You’ve been working in Coal Harbour in downtown Vancouver for some time. I apologize for reducing a long and illustrious career like this, but can you re-live some of the highlights with me?
Kim: It all started when I joined the department of National Defense in ’86 as an officer, I went through basic training and air traffic control training in Cold Lake, Alberta. Cold Lake captures small town Alberta quite well, it’s kind of like the Canadian version of Top Gun.
With fewer beach volleyball scenes?
(Laughs) Well, not as many as you’d think anyways. I loved the military; I was fresh out of university and joined along with a lot of other young people. I was training to be an air traffic controller and my friends were training to be fighter pilots. It was a great experience, crammed together and learning together. You needed each other and everyone looked out for one another. As far as air traffic was concerned, it was a lot to take in early in your career. There’s a lot of pressure and they made sure we knew that early. The hard part about Cold Lake was it was a training base and the job was stressful, you had to learn how to manage your stress. You deal with a lot of type A personalities and people who like things a certain way. Being a young woman was difficult in that environment at that time. It was tough but I learned so much. People were very protective of us and that’s a mentality I’ve tried to bring with me into the civilian world.
What was the transition like to Nav Canada?
I transferred in 1990 leaving the military and moving to Vancouver to be a civilian controller. I started in Pitt Meadows and eventually went to Langley Tower. We were living in Cold Lake and I came out for an interview at the Vancouver tower, that’s when I made an arrangement to see the Harbour tower and that’s when I knew I needed to work in that tower some day.
It took me six years from that day until I got a job there, but it happened.
What were some of the challenges of wearing the many hats required to oversee all those different aspects of aircraft operation in the harbour?
The biggest thing is how much the industry and floatplane companies (Harbour Air Seaplanes being the largest)have changed over the years. There used to be many separate companies, West Coast, Baxter, Saltspring, Whistler Air, Sea Air, Helijet, and all the associated helicopter companies in the lower mainland. Harbour Air has absorbed a lot of those and it’s all flying under the same banner now. The Harbour deals with a variety of traffic, lots of helicopter traffic, movie shoots, traffic watches and aircrafts coming and going from Vancouver Island, plus the corridor going up to Whistler. It’s a really busy place in the summer and then low key in the winter, unless there is poor weather.
So you’re getting out just at the right time?
(Laughs) Yep, it’s going to be busier than ever this year, aviation is experiencing a bump. There’s definitely been an increase in traffic since we experienced a dip around 2008. I think the economy has a lot to do with it. Air travel is the first thing to fall off, it’s the first thing to pick up. There was definitely a significant change in traffic over the past few years but last summer picked up big time and already this year things have picked up. With the American dollar and the cost of cruises, thereappears to be more tours. There’s going to be an extra Beaver which will help the tours around the city and up to Whistler this season. The summer is starting early this year, but overall weather patterns have changed and there’s more opportunity for more flying days.
Let’s rewind, before your career started – is this how you saw it all playing out?
(Laughs) No, I went to school for kinesiology. My parents were living in Germany and my father was a major in the Canadian Forces. I moved back to Germany after university because I liked to ski. I’d ski with a bunch of people and some of them were air traffic controllers. They told me I’d make a good controller, and I didn’t believe them. I had no idea what an air traffic controller actually did. So after university, discovering the reality that kinesiology jobs in those days were basically glorified recreation administrators, I gave in and applied to the Canadian Forces. My brother was a colonel in the military and he signed me inback in ’86 which was so cool. I went to Chilliwack, BC for the first time and my love for BC began. We had our graduation during the ’86 expo on a boat right off Coal Harbour and I remember telling my friends I’d really love to live in BC some day.
That’s really when I started to imagine a future I could see myself living in. If you see the master picture then I firmly believe it’s possible to make it come true. That’s one thing about the harbour – you can work in other places that are busier and more stressful, but I always wanted a good work-life balance. I’d never lived in a big city before so I was excited about living and working in Coal Harbour. And so I did!
You’re officially retired as of…
Yesterday.
Oh wow, congrats! What’s next for you?
I’m leaving for Spain in a couple weeks, we’re going to have a family vacation but after that I’m actually going to be working for Harbour Air two days a week in Whistler. Whistler is amazing, Green Lake, that dock – I’ve traded one really good view for another. I live in Pemberton so it’s close; my partner Adam built our house here. My master plan was to end up here full time eventually. I’ve driven up on my days off for the last several years, so the Whistler thing is a good fit. Adam is a helicopter pilot for Blackcomb Helicopters so the master plan is coming true. Once again.
Just like you drew up?
Just like we hoped, yes. There can be glitches, but your life is what you make, and the coming days my life will be spent on our acreage with Adam and the dogs, Ted and Dex, watching it all unfold again.
