Meet the staff

 

Take a moment to meet the staff at Spirit of the West!

 

Our staff are simply exceptional and match the culture and spirit of our organization. They all have an amazing passion for kayaking British Columbia and for the killer whales in the BC water that make it such a great experience. Terms like self-reliance, adaptability, responsibility, confidence, and sense of humour all come to mine when describing their qualities. Considering that guides must perform in the multiple roles of wilderness guide, gourmet chef, role model and educator, it’s no surprise that they come from a wide variety of professions and backgrounds to each bring a unique and valued perspective to the way our business runs.

Our guides are extremely skilled in kayaking, back country travel, responsible environmental practices, high levels of first aid and safety procedures, continually upgrading training and striving to improve knowledge and skills. And all our staff are adventurers in their own right – traveling and wilderness tripping does not’t pause for us when the season’s over! Personal and training trips around the British Columbia coast and around the world keep us on top of our game. At the end of the day what we ensure is that every trip is as safe and memorable as can be, and that you will not be disappointed kayaking the British Columbia coast.

 

 

Spirit of the West Reunion at Guides Luke and Miray's wedding
at their home on Sonora Island.

 

Danielle Ritter
Danielle brings joy and laughter to the Spirit of the West kitchen, not to mention her amazing talent in preparing tasty treats for all our guests. She lovingly prepares and packages food for nearly all our trips, amounting to around 6000 meals per season - no small task!!

 

 

Rick Snowdon – Rick brings his experience working as a guide trainer in Ecuador, community development project manager in the South Pacific and freelancer writer to his work as a guide with Spirit of the West.

 

 

Breanne Quesnel – A certified teacher, Breanne brings her passion for learning and outdoor education to the field as she guides your trip. Breanne has also guided whitewater and sea kayaking trips in Ontario while attending university in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

 

 

Miray Campbell – Miray has been leading trips with Spirit of the West Adventures for over 6 years. She is now the lead guide on The Columbia III, better know as the Mothership. Miray is an accomplished musician as well as being our own killer whale expert.

 

 

Luke Hyatt – Hailing from the Queen Charlotte Islands, when Luke isn’t guiding for us he can be found assisting researchers in the field or maneuvering his paraglider high in the sky. Luke works with Miray on the Mothership.

 

 

 

Tracy Sinclair– Tracy wears many hats on Quadra Island. In a single day she could be serving you coffee in the morning, guiding you in the afternoon, and hosting you at the Heriot Bay Inn in the evenings. Tracy is proud owner of our sister operation Quadra Island Kayaks. In the winter she takes on the role of world adventure traveler, having just completed a cycle tour through Uganda.

Steve Schellenberg- applies his charm and talents guiding multi-day trips. He’s also an accomplished musician – if only we could bring a piano in a kayak! During the Canadian winter he spends his time guiding kayak tours in both New Zealand and Belize.

Dave Challen- has been an outdoor professional of all stripes for many years before joining Spirit of the West . With degrees in Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism and Geography as well as guiding and travel experience in several areas around Canada and around the world, Dave is a well rounded guide that brings depth to any trip. When not guiding he can be found tending his birch syrup stand in Northern Ontario.

Ali McTavish- Ali spends her winters enjoying the powder in the Squamish BC area and her summers on the ocean. With a degree in Environmental Science and a wide range of interests, she has worked in a variety of outdoor jobs in Canada and abroad including Chile and the USA. Currently she is attending teacher training.

James Pilkington- has a passion for all things living. The term biologist extraordinaire comes to mind when thinking about James and his incredible wealth of knowledge. He has degrees in Biology and Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism. When not kayaking he can be found volunteering with Whale Research projects at Cetacea Lab or helping share his enthusiasm at Bamfield Marine Science Center.

Jake Pattison - A great lover of the natural world,  Jake is most often found in the outdoors.  As a seabird biologist in the spring months, Jake brings a wealth of knowledge as a guide.  Calling the Queen Charlottes home, Jake has also lived a year in Tasmania, volunteered on bird projects in Peru and Panama and spent time rock climbing and paragliding the US and Baja.

Meredith Lewis - Meredith Lewis loves being outside! While she calls Vancouver Island home, she has lived for the past five winters in Halifax where she studies anthropology. She has spent many summers exploring the BC coast by sailboat and kayak and is always excited to get back out there after the long, cold winter. Meredith has travelled a lot by land and by sea and still tells anyone who will listen about just how beautiful her BC home really is.

Robin Humphreys - Robin has lived on one of the remote Discovery Islands for all her 16 years. Robin is an "un-schooler" meaning she does not go to school or follow a curriculum. She enjoys sailing, kayaking, cooking, reading, photograghy, maring life and summers on the Island. Robin is one of our very important base crew.

Luke Roman - Luke is back for another summer after guiding in Belize for the winter. Luke is a graduate from the Wilderness leadership program from Capilano university. Luke spends his non paddling time mountain biking and enjoying the good life on Quadra Island.

Robyn Hutchings - Robyn has a passion for all marine critters from plankton to whales and an interest in coastal conservation. Robyn has worked with with both Orcalab as well as Cetacealab. Johnstone Strait and the Broughton Archipelago are her favorite places on earth.

Chloe Elias - Assistant Operations Manager
Chloe is the glue of Spirit of the West. Some days you'll find her in the office answering the phone and organizing trips and other days she's in the kitchen baking up a storm and preparing gear. Basically she's our all-around basecrew girl.

Chloe is a true Quadra Islander and has worked with us for two years now. During the winter months she can be found just a little further south in Victoria working on her degree in Women's Studies and Social Justice at the University of Victoria.

Rowan Kehn - Baker Extrodinaire Rowan is responsible for all those tasty treats you'll enjoy on our kayaking trips. Born and raised on Quadra, this keen - no pun intended-'un-schooler' is a busy girl. On any given day you'll find her baking muffins, prepping trips, working in her garden, hanging out with children on the island and putting the final touches on her very own Cob house.This is Rowan's fourth season at Spirit of the West.

Most of our sea kayaking British Columbia tours start from beautiful British Columbia. To kayak Quadra Island, please have a look at our kayaking Quadra Island pages to see what to do when visiting Quadra Island including our fantastic kayak Vancouver Island Day Tours. kayaking British Columbia with Spirit of the West.

Sea kayaking Canada day tours on Quadra Island

Book your 2010 Sea Kayaking Tour Today Online

or

Call Toll Free 1 800 307 3982 :: Overseas Call 1 250 285 2121

Spirit of the West Adventures
Box 569, Heriot Bay, British Columbia
V0P-1H0 Canada

Our Sea Kayaking Tours: Johnstone Strait Ultimate | Johnstone Strait Expedition | Desolation Sound Mothership Tour | Broughton Islands Mothership Tour | Great Bear Rainforest Mothership Tour | Desolation Sound | The Nuchatlitz | Discovery Island | Quadra Island Kayak Day Tours | Sea Kayak Rentals | Kayaking Vancouver Island | Kayak Vancouver Island Whale Watching Sea kayaking patagonia

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