Meet the Team

John has been with Spirit Bear Lodge since 2016 and is thrilled to continue working with the Kitasoo/Xai'xais to share their culture and territory with guests of Spirit Bear Lodge. For John, there is no better place to be than on the side of a river in an untouched valley right in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest, especially with his wife Elissa and daughter May by his side.

His best childhood hobby was digging the garden for the biggest, nastiest bugs he could find, and coming indoors covered in mud and leeches. It didn't take long before he explored his Canadian roots and fell in love with the vast wildlife that BC has to offer. "Being out in the sticks with the bears and the whales is awesome, but sharing that experience with other nature lovers from all around the world is unbeatable." As well as a Guide, Jack is a keen wildlife photographer. You can see his work at www.facebook.com/jackplantphoto

Roxanne Resides in Klemtu with her husband and 2 children who are the light of her life. We are thrilled to have her join us at Spirit Bear Lodge as the Guests Service Manager.

Trish is a longtime community soccer Coach and she is also a Cultural Presenter for SD71, where she shares a small piece of her story with children from K-12. "What I have come to understand is that there is a blood memory that is so strong, that our beautiful way of being is woven into the core fibres of who we are. Knowing where you come from helps us walk taller and embracing who we are speaks volumes of our incredible resilience." Trish looks forward to deepening her connections to her homelands and to all that live, play and visit the Great Bear Rainforest.

Though her immediate blood ties connect her to the Haíɫzaqv and Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw, her lineage ties her to further places like Kynoch, Haisla and Bella Coola. Cassandra has relocated to Klemtu and is creating roots with her fiancé Krista and step children. She has spent the last 5 years getting to know her cultural ties, family connections and participating in language revitalization by working with Kitasoo Xai Xais Languages Working Group. Cassandra started as a guide at Spirit Bear Lodge , later in 2022, she signed on as apart of the reservations and marketing team. Her ability to adapt has led to stronger connections and she looks forward to sharing her knowledge and creating memories with those coming to experience what we have to offer.

She has 3 children and has always felt the importance of instilling the culture and keeping her children connected to Kitasoo Xaixais traditional ways and values. Wanda worked in various places within Klemtu from being a teacher's assistant at Kitasoo Community School and a early childhood educator at the daycare. During the off season Wanda can be found in her Kitchen offering her tasty foods and catering to many community events. Wanda has worked her first season as a hostess at Spirit Bear lodge this past season and enjoyed it very much. She looks forward to the upcoming season and hosting you :)

Having worked with bears as a guide at the village-owned Spirit Bear Lodge and as a field technician with Spirit Bear Research Foundation, Krista spends many days on the ground observing bears and guiding international guests that come to her territory to enjoy the wildlife, the marine life and to learn about her unique and powerful culture. Krista is passionate about conserving the wildlife and the ecosystems that her people have relied on and will continue to rely on for future generations, including the future of her four children. In previous year Krista spent the winter months working as a Sgüüxs transcriber apprentice and data management with the Language working group of the Kitasoo/Xai'xais, helping revive the Southern dialect of Tsimshian, Sgüüxs. In Spring 2023, Krista has joined the lodge as our Guided Operations Manager, we are so excited to have her on board in this role!

Her experience provides a comfortable and safe space for guests and coworkers alike. When not working at Spirit Bear Lodge, she spends her off season already looking forward to the next! Her care for the environment, bears and wildlife motivates her return each year. Heather's energy and humour is memorable and we are fortunate to have her!

To be invited year after year to the beautiful community of Klemtu has been a great honour for Elissa. Likewise, her time spent getting to know the rivers and wildlife of this region has filled her with immense gratitude and joy, an experience she enjoys sharing with guests from around the world. For Elissa, there is no sweeter place to be than sitting next to a wild river filled with salmon, deep in the Great Bear Rainforest, with her husband John and her daughter May.

I’ve been working on the boat for about three and a half years now, and I’m building my knowledge of traditional stories and words through oral history. I like hiking, and water always tastes the best at the top of the mountain or the end of the trail ;) I graduated last year in the middle of the pandemic, which was pretty chaotic, but I got through it! I took this year off of school to try and figure out what I like to do, so I figured out that I’d like to start travelling the world, learning about other cultures, and maybe go to trades school. I’m also hoping to be a boat captain one day, far in the future when I have more experience!