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Paddling into the Future: Takaya Tours Takes Ocean-Going Canoes up Indian Arm

The way Chief Justin George sees it, canoe tours up Indian Arm are not only a great way to provide jobs and income for his community, but a way to share his culture with visitors from around the world and develop a deeper understanding of cultural differences and similarities.

"When people sit in the canoe, you paddle as one," says Chief George on a sunny afternoon. "You leave all your differences on the shore. It's a wonderful experience and that's what this is all about."

Justin George is the chief of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, a progressive and vibrant Coast Salish community of approximately 450 members located along the shores of Burrard Inlet in North Vancouver, British Columbia. "Tsleil-Waututh" means "people of the inlet." Burrard Inlet has been the spiritual, social, economic and cultural heart of the Tsleil-Waututh for thousands of years.

The Nation has long held that working with its neighbours will yield positive results and build strong relationships that will be of great benefit to future generations. They have pioneered the development of collaborative relationships with government agencies, private sector and non-governmental organizations.

In 1999, the Nation opened Takaya Tours - an eco-tourism operation that takes visitors up Indian Arm in 12-passenger, 7.6-metre ocean-going canoes or on kayak tours.

"The idea was to share the rich history of our people and celebrate culture in the realm of business through eco-tourism," says Chief George. "It [Takaya] was my heart and soul for the first four years."

With approximately 400 clients in the first year, the company grew quickly to more than 2,000 visitors in 2007. Chief George hopes the 2010 Winter Games will generate even more interest in the cultural tourism operation.

"There is a huge appetite for Aboriginal tourism," he says. "We're now in a position to create [more] international opportunities. Germany is our strongest market in Europe. And the Asian markets are also strong."

George says the tours are also popular with school groups and business groups on team-building workshops.

The company operates its ocean-going canoes from Cates Park in North Vancouver, as well as from Belcarra Regional Park. It has also formed a management agreement with Deep Cove Canoe and Kayak Centre and is exploring the idea of building a system of conservation trails near the mouth of the Indian River where tourists can come to see thousands of salmon returning to spawn each year.

"The cedar canoe was and is an important part of our culture," says Chief George. "The elders have taught us the great importance of the canoe and the wonderful teachings that it represents. They say that when you sit in the canoe you set aside differences or any ill feelings, and when you paddle together as one, you will make the journey a success for all. You pull together with one heart, one mind and one spirit, and there may be calm waters and there may be rough waters that lie ahead. However, collectively, you can and will pull through together."

Today, many of the ocean-going canoes operated by Takaya Tours - replicas of those used by their ancestors - are fabricated from fibreglass rather than wood due to its lightness and greater efficiency.

But Takaya Tours is just one of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation's many economic development initiatives. They are also part owners of Takaya Developments, which has developed over 1,200 high-end condominiums in North Vancouver, as well as a general construction company called Spaal. Among the recent projects completed by Spaal was a construction contract at Whistler Olympic/Paralympic Centre - home of curling and wheelchair curling during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The Tsleil-Waututh Nation is moving forward. Chief George's father, Leonard George, puts it best, "In the past we lived a great quality of life; we hunted the lands with bows and arrows to sustain our people. In today's society, degrees, diplomas and relationships will sustain our people and bring a greater quality of life."