Meet the Team
The Spirit Bear Lodge team consists of passionate people willing to share their knowledge of the wildlife, culture and the Great Bear Rainforest.
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Almost every family is involved in tourism in some way, whether as a boat operator, tour guide, hotel staff or in marketing. It's the second biggest industry here and an extremely important one for the community.
John Czornobaj
General Manager
Growing up on Vancouver Island, John began venturing into the wilderness with his family as a young child. This inspired his later years of travel, both locally and globally, in search of wild places. His passion for outdoor adventure led him to an education in Adventure Tourism and later to guiding and management positions with a variety of coastal wilderness tourism operators. John has many passions routed in the outdoors, including fly fishing, kayaking, river rafting, hiking, and wildlife viewing. John is passionate about sharing experiences with visitors from around the world.
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.
Roxanne Robinson
Assistant Manager
Raised in Klemtu, Roxanne has a passion for her Kitasoo/Xai'Xais Language and Culture. In her position as the Language and Culture Instructor at Kitasoo Community School, Roxanne had the opportunity to work with a knowledge keeper on helping to revitalize the Xai'xais language. Most recently Roxanne served two terms on the Kitasoo Band Council, first term as Councillor and the second term as the first ever female Chief Councillor of the Nation.
Roxanne Resides in Klemtu with her husband and 2 children who are the light of her life. We are thrilled to have her lead us at Spirit Bear Lodge as the Assistant Manager.
Keenan Dennehy
Operations Manager
Keenan has joined the team as Operations manager, Keenan has had a long career in ecotourism and brings experience from his adventures and time in the Arctic and Antarctic. With a love and passion for the coast that we live on, he looks forward to getting to know the place that we live and call home as the Kitsoo Xai Xais People. With a willingness to learn, understand and by providing support to SBL, Keenan asks for space to be taught. He shares in the want, the work and importance of sharing what we have to offer when creating spaces to educate, explore and uplift Spirit Bear Lodge.
When not outside, you can find Keenan reading and enjoying a cup of tea. If there is anything that he hopes visitors and guests can experience and take away, is the feeling of being timeless, by embracing the beauty, peace and wonder of the Great Bear Rainforest. Timeless, by understanding and catching a glimpse of the history of the Kitasoo Xai Xais People, who have protected, stewarded and lived on these lands and waters since the beginning. Finding peace here when visiting can open hearts to changing your mind, and being open to this gift can bring more than photos and memories once you have left.
Cassandra Duncan
Marketing and Sales Specialist - Guide
Cassandra was born and raised in Bella Bella and shared time growing up in Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. In 2018, Cassandra participated in the Aboriginal Ecotourism Training Program hosted by Heiltsuk Tribal Council in partnership with NIC and VIU. This led her to a path of self-discovery and was the beginning of her love for adventure and exploring in tourism.
Though her immediate blood ties connect her to the Haíɫzaqv and Musgamagw Dzawada’enuxw, her lineage ties her to further places like the Xai Xais (Kynoch), Haisla (Kitamaat) and the Nuxalk (Bella Coola). Cassandra has relocated to Klemtu and is creating roots with her now wife, Krista and step children. She has spent the last 6 years getting to know her cultural ties, family connections and participating in language revitalization when she worked with the Kitasoo Xai Xais Languages Working Group. Cassandra started as a guide at Spirit Bear Lodge and 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.
Wendy Mason Hall
Housekeeping Manager
Wendy has been with Spirit Bear Lodge for a few years now and is a key part of our housekeeping department. Wendy has an eye for details and is a joy to work with. Wendy works year round at the lodge keeping rooms and common areas clean and comfortable. Her husband Simon skippers for the lodge and their daughter Mercy has spent time guiding for as well. Though many of our guests never meet Wendy, all our guests appreciate her hard work and attention to detail.
Darcey Robinson
Marine Operations Manager - Boat Captain
Darcey has been working with the lodge since 2017, he is returning this year as our 2023 Marine Operations Manager. Darcey has been on the water learning from his dad, Clark Robinson Sr., and other elders in the community since he was a boy. Growing up in Klemtu means growing up on the water, Darcey is as at home on the boat as he is on land. Darcey knows his territory like the back of his hand and loves to take guests out. Darcey is also a talented marine mechanic and takes good care of our fleet, we are so grateful to have him on board this season!
Simon Mason
Skipper
Simon has been a skipper for Spirit Bear Lodge for three seasons. Simon loves taking our guests from around the world on adventures in his territory and bringing them home safe and sound, even when the weather gets rough. Simons wife Wendy is our housekeeping manager, two of their three daughters work for SBL, a family love that we appreciate in their roles! We are lucky to have this great family working with us at SBL.
Krista Duncan
Guide Manager
Krista was born and raised in the Kitasoo/Xai'xais First Nations village of Klemtu, on the central coast of British Columbia, in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest. Krista is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to her community and the Kitasoo/Xai'xais lands surrounding it.
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!
Heather Robinson
Lead Guide
Heather has been a part of Spirit Bear Lodge for nearly a decade. Since 2016 Heather has been sharing her knowledge and passions for the culture, history and experience on the lands and waters. Since being apart of the Spirit Bear Lodge, Heather has been a key component in guide training and support to our future guides. Her willingness to share her knowledge has created inspiration and a space for teaching.
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!
Margo Anderson
Guide
Margo has been a part of the lodge team in other roles, she previously worked with our back of house staff creating delicious snacks, baked goods and helping our chefs in other tasks. Margo has decided to return to us as a guide! When Margo isn’t with us at Spirit Bear Lodge, she is at Kitasoo Community School supporting our youth as an educational assistant.
Margo grew up here in Klemtu and spent former years in Bella Bella too, she is a proud sister, aunt, wife and mother to her three beautiful children. Margo has many hobbies and her favourite's include crocheting, beading and recently, weaving with wool. Her willingness to learn new crafts, softness, patience and quiet nature transfers into a wonderful skill set of a guide! We are so grateful to have Margo return in this role. She hopes that guests feel welcome and enjoy their stay here at Spirit Bear Lodge, we look forward to having her as a part of our field team this season!
Aaron Bechard-Starr
Guide
This is Aaron’s first season with Spirit Bear Lodge, Aaron is excited to be a part of a team that brings awareness and understanding to those willing to be both brave and open to adventure. Aaron has connections to the Starr, Brown and Robinson families here in Klemtu. He comes from these lands and waters, and is reconnecting to them after relocating to the city as a child where he received his education and construction experience over the duration of 20 years.
Aaron recounts his hobbies of outdoor adventures and wild rides. From hiking and biking to 4x4 adventures, exploring the unknown is something most enjoyable while seeing glimpses and full beauty that this world has to offer. Aaron believes that “the deeper we get ourselves into adventure, the more clear our personal journey is paved out.” Our guests will get to share the experiences of thrill, adventure and joy with our guides as eager as themselves while exploring a land full of heritage, mystery and knowledge. He is looking forward to being a part of our team and sharing knowledge and adventures with guests and explorers alike.
Sam Kickbush
Guide - Skipper
Sam grew up on Vancouver Island and has always had a love for the outdoors and an eagerness for grand adventures! This led her to discover a love for working on the water. In previous years Sam has worked as a guide doing marine wildlife tours on Vancouver Island and worked with a conservation organization doing public outreach, education, and advocacy for marine mammals. She also assisted in hands-on field work for various whale research projects. Currently Sam is pursuing education in Environmental Conservation.
Sam has a passion for connecting with people from all walks of life and helping others appreciate the beauty of nature and understand the importance of protecting it. Sam hopes that she can help all the guests she meets create lifelong memories of epic adventures, build a connection to the outdoors, and have experiences that inspire them to support conservation efforts. Sam encourages people to enjoy the moment and appreciate the incredible opportunity to explore and witness wild spaces.
Cat Cowan
Guide - Skipper
Cat has joined the team as a guide and skipper for the season, she is from and grew up in Toronto, Ontario and has been in Golden BC since 2015. Cat brings knowledge and experience from places like Banff and Lake Louis and currently manages at the Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Refuge. The knowledge of bear behaviour, the importance of understanding care plans and release initiatives is held closely as she joins our guide crew.
A valuable set of transferable skills and education that make her a wonderful addition to the team! Cat finds joy in activities such as; horseback riding, camping, fishing and paddling. Becoming immersed in the community and environment that we call home is something that she looks forward to. She hopes that guests can take a new found appreciation from this experience, and leave with a new, rejuvenated, and heightened appreciation for the world that we live in and the importance of conservation.