Summer tourists help bolster local economy Stories by ALEX HAMILTON SARAH GLEN IF MARIA McGowan could flag down every re- creational vehicles barre- lling down the highway, she would. As the coordinator of the Terrace tourism coun- cil, she wants as many people to stop in Terrace us possible. “Terrace traditionally is a stop over place for tour- ist on route to Alaska or the ferries,” she said. “We're trying to stow them down.” Some tourists come to _ Terrace for the salmon and the steelhead. Others come fo hike in the mountains or kayak in the rivers. But for By RANA NELSON THERE ARE actually two organizations working on developing tourism in this area — the Terrace and District Chamber of Com- merce and the Terrace Tourism Council. While the visitor info- centre has been operated for at least the past 14 years by the chamber of commerce, tourism mar- keting was originally the responsibility of the City of Terrace. About three years ago the Terrace Tourism Coun- cil was formed to take on the marketing and promo- tional aspects of tourism in Terrace, as an arm of the chamber of commerce and now, the tivo share the log structure which contains the. visitor.infocentre. on the westside ofthe new: bridges. However, cach: or- ganization: has its own budget, phone line and ex- ecutive board. Terrace Tourism is te- sponsible for marketing and promoting Terrace to the world. The following are a number of things that we do: C) Web site: www.ter- racetourism.be.ca (rated in Feb. 2000 as Best Web Site in a Terrace Standard survey) ( Produce brochures and Terrace Tourism’s Of- ficial Travel Guide () Respond to the thou- sands of yearly requests for information Q) Develop Terrace-spe- cific retail products (t- shirts, Kodie Kermodei plush bear) 0 Attend trade and tra- most part, McGowan said, Terrace is a simple stop over, a place to fill up on gas and have lunch. The important thing, She said, is that they stop here and spend their pre- cious dollars in our- shops, - restaurants, and hotels. Every summer, the city relies on hundreds of thou- sands of tourist dollars to pump-up the local econo- my. They buy gas, grocet- ies, food, lodging, fill pre- scriptions, get their film developed and hair cut. Without tourists our economy would be severe- ly affected, said Terrace’s economic development of- ficer Ken Veldman. “Tourism is important,” he said. “There’s no doubt it’s important. You're growing the economy.” Veldman said tourist dollars are critical because it's new money entering our economy, as opposed to circulated dollars spent. McGowan said she ex- pects this summer: to be beller than last year, when 6,630 visitors walked into the centre. She said tourism numbers were down lasi year all across the north . “[ think it was the weather. It was just so soggy.” But she’s expecting better weather this year, and that means more tour- ists. Expensive gas prices Tourism office are up visitors are B.C. residents coming up ta discover the North. Albertans are sec- ond on the visitors fist, fol- lowed by Canadians fram other provinces, US citi- zens, Europeans = and Asians. , The biggest new trend is tourist taking the ferry from the Lower Mainland to Prince Rupert and driv- ing through Terrace to get to Hwy 37 up ta Watson Lake, Yukon. “tts an alternate scenic route fo take up to Alaska,” McGowan said. “It’s really taken off.” She explained many people would prefer. to drive recreational vehicles up North to save on hotel bills. here and in the United States might affect the re- creational vehicle crowd, she said, but she doesn’t expect it to be a big factor. Then there is the airline problem. With only one carrier and three flights a day, tourism could be af- fected, Bul so far, things are looking good. Visitor numbers at the Terrace compared to last May. Last month 633 tourists visited the centre in search of information — where to stay, what to do, and what to see. “And June is getting off to a good start,” McGowan said, She said the majority of ism big business The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, July 5, 2000 - AS; CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD BUY ONE: Claire Irwin, with the chamber of commerce, and Rana Nelson, former coordinator of the Ter- race Tourism Council, hald cuddly stuffed Kermade bears, which are avaitable at a number of local stores. vel shows in BC and Al- berta a Organized tours for travel agents and day trips for cruise lines O Initiatives currently working on include a weekly infofax to front-line businesses, festival and event planning and imple- menting a quality stan- dards program And here are a few tourism-related stats: © Travel and tourism is the Number One global in- dustry, and B.C.’s second- largest ] Northwest BC aver- apes 2.2 million visitors/year Q Northwest B.C.’s an- nual tourism revenue is $425 million, or 5 per cent of B.C.'s total tourism re- venue Studies indicate that for every dollar spent on a tourist attraction, a dollar or more is spent on com- plementary products and services. Thus, having the resources to expand and add to our tourist attrac- tions will result in in- creased revenue from GET READY TO PADDLE: Paul Corcoran, owner and guide with Blackfish Kay- aking, shows off one of the five kayaks he uses for his eco-friendly sea trips. - Kayak trip reveals raw, wild North PADDLING PAST flocks of eagles, pods of whales and groups of sun bathing sea lions is the living advertisement that lo- cal resident, Paul Corcoran bets his eco- tourism business on. Corcoran owns and operates Blackfish Sea Kayaking, a Terrace-based kayaking company that takes up to five people on tours of the coastal northwest. “1 don’t try to convince people to come along. J let the environment and the experience speak for itself,” said Corcor- an. While he’s only been in business for two years, Corcoran expects his business to double this season, which runs from May to mid-September. My business has definitely picked up said Corcoran. in the last little while,” “I'm booked solid for May and June.” Business is so good that Corcoran has plans to expand into coastal boat tours. Part of the reason for his success is the increase in the eco-tourism industry in the North. “There is great growth potential eco-tourism and we're starting to see an interest,” said Ken Veldman, director of Tourism and Economic Development, Veldman also notes that the potential for eco-tourism development in the North isn’t growing as fast as it could be. But don’t tell that to Corcoran, who’s business is busting at the seams, “Ym turning away people ‘tight now,” said Corcoran, Corcoran guides both novice. and sea- soned kayakers. effort of Terrace Tourism and the increasing interest in travel the world over. Despite the abave fig- ure, northwest BC is bare- ly breaking the surface of the visitor pool and there is much room in which to prow. And, according to The Terrace Standard’s “Best of Terrace” for 2000, tour- ism is the Best Trend in these products and ser- vices Aboriginal tourism is defined as any product or service owned and opera- ted by Aboriginal people. Of the 60,000 tourism bu- sinesses in Canada, two per cent are aboriginal tourism businesses. There is room for growth in this area, In 1996, 8,216 visitors came through the visilor Terrace. info centre; in 1999, Rana Nelson is a Terra- 10,354 visitors came ce-based writer and com- through. This is a 26 per munications consultant. cent increase reflects the Guiding pulls international tourists North STEVE DOLL thinks that the northwest has the best fishing in the world. He belicves this so strongly that he’s staked a 30 year claim in the area, guiding fishing tours both out of Terrace and Prince Rupert. “My business has been a little stow lately, but that usually picks up come July,” said Doll, owner . and head guide of the Ter- race-based, Skeena Wil- derness Fishing Charters. In the past 10 years, Doll’s charter has grown by “leaps and bounds” of- fering fishing tours to fish- ers fram Asia, Spain, Italy, France, the US and around the northwest. Even with the growth in his industry, Doll thinks that Terrace could do more to attract tourists to stay longer. “Most people head right off to Prince Rupert —they just gumboot their way through Terrace,” said Doll. He would tike to see more river rides, a restau- rant specializing in sea- food and wilderness tours set up in Terrace to keep tourists in the area. “We could push these ideas a bit,” said Doll. “This [tourism] is definite- ly the way things are going right now.” While fishers may be moving through Terrace an their way to Prince Rupert, Del} has seen a growth in fly fishers, who prefer to stay in the Terrace area. “There definitely is a trend with fly fishing right now,” said Doll, He~ notes that the growth in fly fishing, which isn’t cencerned with keeping caught fish, may stem from the recent fishing restrictions set-in place by the ministry of fisheries and oceans. “Fly fishers are more concerned with the activi- ty of fishing, not the result,” said Doll. “It defi- nilely is an art.” The Mail Bag Students’ response restores my faith Dear Sir: 1 would like to share with you an experience | had recently at work, , Pam a teacher at Thornhill Jr. Sec. and as 1 left work | discovered that. all of my money was mis- sing from my wallet. Whoever took it slole every last pemy. When I first. discovered -the theft -l-was fuming-mad-and not only that, F was hurt. What had ‘I-done. to de- serve this treatment, this personal attack?‘ My whole evening was ruined ’as | thought about {his assault. The next day at school, as Ltold my ‘friends and colleagues, F couldn't even-get the story out with- out ears coming ta. my-eyes as my: frustration and disappainiment wWere-so great. During the-morning- [mentioned to several of my stucents what had happened, This was no eas ier than it was explaining it to my: friends. Their empathic murmurs: and exclamations were just _ what I needed. The more people. that understood and related to. my pain, the better [ felt. Nothing was as therapeu- tic, though, as what happened after lunch. As L entered my class in the afternoon found about six students plus my regular class, The students presented me wilh a cheque for an amount exceeding what had lost. . During lunch hour some of my students relayed my story to their friends and other ‘kids -in the school, and had collected donations from many: of the students to reimburse my stolen maney. My faith in these teenagers was immediately restored tenfold. Only one person had stolen: from mes but 100 people made a sacrifice, however large or small, in order to reimburse my cash and reinstate my faith in human kind. 1 am honoured to be a member of the Thornhill school community where the caring, thoughtful people are the majority. I will enter the school with a smile and a happy heart knowing that the kids | pass in the hall, whe- ther they are my students or not, are young adults that Lam proud to be acquainted with. Thank you Thornhill Junior, students for your thoughtfulness. Have a great summer and | took forward to seeing you-next year. ‘ Terry Zilkie Terrace B.C. Queensway questions Dear Sir: This letter is in regards to Bert and Tina van Keulen’s letter to the editor in the June 28th issue of the Terrace Standard titled “Dangerous Delays.” Yam also wu resident of Queensway, and often, times: have wondered if anyone. else ‘shared ‘in my. 7 frustration; of. the train crossing .and sometimes) stopped on both exits olf of Queensway. Although I have only been stopped by a train a handful of times, it is usually when J am in a rush. Tam left to wonder what would happen in the event of an emergency, and the train is crossing? How would help reach my: family? 1 have many times Lhought of this since moving to Queensway three years ago. I love it out in this area, however this is one of the only setbacks. I also have to wander why Dorman Road isn’t accessible to the residents of Queensway. | would certainly love to hear the answers to some of my questions, Is there anyone who can an- swer my queslions? Kim Forten Terrace B.C, Blind to drug problem Dear Sir: Do the people protesting the new detox centre not want the teenagers to get help with their drug problem? Do the peaple protesting not want the crime rate to ga down? Do the people protesting not want the teens to have a positive goal in life? The teens that go to this treatment centre are there for help not to vandalize, buy drugs, or terrar- ize their children. A lot of teens use drugs thal their parents don’t know about. Would they nat want their child to be able to go to a trealment centre if they. were hooked on drugs? I don’t think that the people protesting have any idea how many drug dealers live around: there, but I don't see them protesting that. I think we should be protecting our kids from the drug dealers that are already there, Blake Petersen Terrace B.C. What about us? Dear Sir: This is a quote from the June 14 edition of the Terrace Standard, under the headline “Nisga’a re- open Ishkhneeickh valley to logging”: “Special restrictions are also: written into the treaty that ban Logging in two other areas. - the floodplain of the Nass River and a buffer strip an either side of the ancient grease trail. Logging is also heavily restricted ta protect visual quality near scenic Vetter Creek and an area rich in’ pine mushrooms.” I believe that this is good planning, but then how is it justified (0 turn around and log the water- shed of this non-Nispa’a community? Lloyd Brinson Nuss Camp B.C, About the Mail Bag The Terrace Standard weicomes latters, Our address is 93210 Clinton St., Terrace, B.C., V8G 5R2. You can fax to 638-8432. And you can e-mail to standard@kermode.net. need your name, address and phone number for verification. We eS ee