The History of Green Coast Kayaking
Kayaking in the Queen Charlotte Islands: How we came to be
The history of Green Coast Kayaking is really the story of a company called Gabriola Cycle and Kayak, and a man named Peter Marcus.
In the summer of 1988, Peter came to Haida Gwaii with a group of friends. They kayaked around the newly created Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site and had such a good time that Peter, who always had a keen eye for adventure and opportunity, quickly had more friends signed up for trips the following summer. And so Gabriola Cycle and Kayak was born.
I first met Peter in the spring of 2000. I had just finished university and the only reason I survived it was because every summer I was set free to plant trees in the hills and fresh air of northern BC and Alberta. Upon graduating, all I knew was that I wanted to spend the rest of my life outside with people.
As fate would have it, a friend of Peter’s overheard my dream and set up a time for us to meet. I had hardly kayaked before, but after a quick five minute chat, Peter said that he would send me up to apprentice with the guides in Gwaii Haanas for the summer. Apparently, Jim Demler (long time Gabriola guide and my mentor in all things to do with kayaking, exploring, and life in general) didn’t mention any of the many huge mistakes I made that summer to Peter, because the next winter he sent me down to guide trips in the Baja, and said that I would get paid, which seems slightly ridiculous to me even now. So there I was, suddenly spending my days outside with people, and even today it still feels like the only thing I ever really want to do.
How do you express gratitude to a person who sets you on your life’s true path? Peter gave me an opportunity and the chance to explore it at my own pace. He gave me the space and confidence to figure things out despite my inexperience. Here was a man who hardly knew me and had just given me gifts that I will carry with me for all my life. And I know that I am only one of many people who feel this way. Peter’s generosity and “don’t sweat the small stuff” attitude inspired and changed the lives of almost everyone he met, and that was a lot of people.
So, when Peter Marcus died on January 11, 2008 at the young age of 52, his passing was felt by a large community of friends and family who will never forget the quality of his life. For me, I still feel Peter’s presence in my life. Sometimes, when we are on the water and I am worrying about a decision we have made (e.g., “Should we have stopped at the last beach to give the group a rest?”), a humpback whale will suddenly surface or a tufted puffin will fly close by, and I am reminded of what Peter taught me: to trust my gut instincts, to try my best, and to let life take care of the rest.
In the wake of her husband’s death, Ana Lopez decided to continue running Gabriola Cycle and Kayak’s bike trips, and sold the Haida Gwaii portion of her business to me.
After much debate and many opinions, I decided to call the company “Green Coast Kayaking.” My brother, who is normally quite helpful, suggested “Jo’s Budget Kayak Tours,” or how about “Killer Kayaking”. When things became too confusing, I called the source of all things, my Mum, and she came up with “Green Ocean Kayaking.” It seemed appropriate, as I remembered her walking through the forests of Gwaii Haanas for the first time, marveling at all the shades of green and how the colour would often reflect in the waters along the shore. I changed the “Ocean” to “Coast” so that the GCK acronym stayed the same because, in essence, nothing other than the name changed. Just as it has been since 1988, our tours are still about coming together as a group of new friends and paddling amongst the life of Gwaii Haanas on nature’s time, letting the wind and the current, the sound of a whale breathing and the appeal of an unexplored coastline, govern our course and pace.
Thank you for all your support and memories,
Joanne Hager