There is surely an ancient Haida history of living and trading in Gwaii Haanas. More recently, Parks Canada has a short history of protecting the area.
There is another group of Canadians who have lived and traded in the area for decades and continue to do so today. For years, this group consisted of a loosely knit collection of charter boat captains, pilots and kayak guides, simply known as the "tour operators."
For decades, Gwaii Haanas tour operators have been dedicated to the continued protection of Gwaii Haanas. Long before Parks Canada began co-management of the area, tour operators contributed significantly and consistently towards the protection and stewardship of the area. We continue to do so each day.
Many tour operators were deeply involved with the process of creating Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve; we helped to bring people's attention to South Moresby. Tour operators have been and continue to be the primary source of access into Gwaii Haanas, for all visitors.
The majority of tour operators are Canadians who dedicate a significant portion of our yearly lives to the continued stewardship of Gwaii Haanas. We Canadians are of different origins; some reside in Gwaii Haanas only during certain times of the year, some reside nearby on other islands in the archipelago, a few long-ago created homes for themselves deep within the Gwaii Haanas region.
The Archipelago Management Board (AMB) is responsible for the management of Gwaii Haanas. The AMB consists of two members of the Haida Nation and two members of the Government of Canada (Parks Canada).
With the onset of Parks Canada co-management of the area, most existing tour operators demonstrated cooperation with all the new requirements, permits, certifications, licenses, fees and limitations to growth. The continued protection of Gwaii Haanas would be a result of certain conditions being placed on the human use of the area. Tour operators understand this, and most are willing to comply with reasonable protection regulations. During the first few years that Parks Canada co-managed the area, most tour operators adapted to the significantly increased expenses of becoming licensed. Meanwhile, some tour operators gave up on Gwaii Haanas and moved elsewhere, others continued to operate unlicensed in Gwaii Haanas and a few businesses were extinguished by the new regulations. Many of the surviving licensed Gwaii Haanas tour operators joined together to form the Gwaii Haanas Tour Operators Association (GHTOA).
The GHTOA was formed to foster quality, ethics and communication amongst Gwaii Haanas tour operators and to represent the interests of the tour operators, their clients and the public to the Haida Nation, the BC government and Federal government, regarding issues related to Gwaii Haanas. Further objectives include developing an equitable relationship with the Archipelago Management Board where the tour operators' and their clients' concerns are acknowledged and solutions are to be sought. We seek to communicate respectfully and effectively with the Archipelago Management Board on issues relating to Gwaii Haanas.
Tour operators form an integral and essential part of the visitor experience in Gwaii Haanas. The role of tour operators in Gwaii Haanas is unique in comparison to other National Parks in Canada. However, this brings challenges to standard management policies. Home ~ Who We Are ~ Our Purpose |
