Spirit Bear Adventures kicks off the pre-Olympic season

07-02-2009

New Spirit Bear Lodge and website to interact with eco-cultural travelers world-wide

 

First Nations owned and operated destination offers a rare opportunity to experience the natural beauty and ancient culture of coastal British Columbia

 

 

Klemtu, British Columbia, July 2, 2009- Nestled along the rugged central coast of British Columbia in the small village of Klemtu, Spirit Bear Adventures is ready to welcome the world to one of the most unique eco-cultural experiences that Canada has to offer.

 

The doors of the new Spirit Bear Lodge are wide open for visitors who are in search of a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience a rich cultural journey from past to present while also connecting with the rare white Spirit Bears in the Great Bear Rainforest, the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world. 

 

For the past eight years visitors from as far away as Australia and Japan have been heading off the beaten path to spend time exploring the ancestral lands of the Kitasoo Xai'xais First Nation in search of the Spirit Bears.  The grand opening of the $1.5 million dollar Spirit Bear Lodge will allow guests on the four and seven day tours to enjoy relaxed and comfortable accommodations.  The new lodge has been built in the spirit of their First Nations heritage and with the comfort of their guests in mind. 

 

"Architecturally, the exterior of the Spirit Bear Lodge pays homage to the traditional long houses built for thousands of years by west coast First Nations. Inside, the atmosphere is modern and relaxing. Through Tsimshian art, wildlife photography capturing the beauty of the area and other unique touches, the lodge has been designed to really tell the stories of the people and their connection with the land,” explains Sean Kerrigan, director of marketing.

 

After a day of Spirit Bear viewing, guests can share stories in "The Great Room”, an intimate central room with 20-foot high windows looking out to the Pacific Ocean.  Surrounded by art, guests can gaze out towards the grey blue waters and watch for passing orcas, white-sided dolphins and sea lions. Two locally crafted 12-foot, solid cedar dining tables remind guests of the rich natural resources of the area. 

 

Guests can listen to the perfect silence as they take in the natural wonders of the pristine and raw landscapes that surround them in this culturally authentic lodge. Each guest room takes full advantage of the ocean and rainforest viewscapes and offers a king size bed, private bath and local art.  Upon returning to the lodge after a day of wildlife viewing, guest are greeted with an evening of local, west coast cuisine, most likely caught or harvested in the waters of the Kitasoo /Xai'xais Traditional Territory.

 

The guides at Spirit Bear Adventures are amongst the best in British Columbia. Lead guide Doug Neasloss was recently awarded the Young Adult Achievement Awards by Aboriginal Tourism BC for his outstanding work as an Eco-tour Guide.   "We are honoured to be able to share our culture, our history and the natural world that has always surrounded our people.  As the Olympics approach we are excited about sharing our stories and our experiences with visitors from around the world,” say Neasloss.

 

Unprecedented Aboriginal Involvement in the 2010 Olympic Games As the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada prepare for their unprecedented involvement in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Spirit Bear Adventures is also getting ready to bring their incredibly unique eco-cultural experience to the world. 

 

The new Spirit Bear Adventures interactive website that is being launched this week is just one way that they are reaching out to visitors from all corners of the world. (www.spiritbear.com)

 

About Spirit Bear Adventures

The 2009 Spirit Bear Adventures bear viewing season runs from the beginning of August through until the end of September.  Four and seven day eco-cultural tours are available. A typical tour day begins with a ride in a 10 passenger, enclosed cabin motorboat, which takes you deep into the lush inlets and fjords. After an hour or so of traveling, guests disembark onto land to hike the river mouths, tidal flats and old growth bear trails, searching for an encounter with the Spirit Bear and other abundant wildlife. The tours are accessible to anyone with a certain amount of agility but a high level of physical fitness is not required.

 

Although the bear viewing tours are only available in August and September, the Spirit Bear Lodge is open year round and offers a memorable place to stay as you travel north or south through the Inside Passage, a journey along British Columbia's central coast.

 

Daily float plane service, with connections from Victoria and Vancouver, brings visitors to Klemtu. BC Ferries also services Kelmtu once a week.

 

The Great Bear Rainforest is home to the world's only Kitasoo Spirit Bear Conservancy. The Kitasoo/ Xai'xais First Nation have inhabited this geological region for thousands of years and their traditional territory is the location of these eco-cultural tours.  The ancestral lands of the Kitasoo Xai'xais First Nation encompasses 5320 sq kms and includes over 100 documented ancient cultural sites.

 

Spirit Bear Adventures is a major player in the sustainable development and management of the Great Bear Rainforest.  The company is focused on building healthy communities through eco-cultural tourism.  The five main goals include the creation of employment and capacity building, cultural preservation and pride, the cultivation of a sense of place, economic diversification and value add and the creation of infrastructure and capital for the community.

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