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.
Trish McPhail
Marketing and Sales Specialist
Trish is from the Kitasoo/Xai'xais and Heiltsuk First Nations and she is very honoured to be joining our team. Trish brings 30 years of experience from the hospitality industry, she has specialized in managing a variety of special events, corporate groups sales, guest services and more.
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.
Cassandra Willie
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
Welcome back Darcey! 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 one of our housekeeping managers, and their daughter Raeann also works in housekeeping. We are lucky to have this great family working with us at SBL.
Krista Duncan
Guided Operations 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!