About Us – West Trek Tours Inc

West Trek offers 5 of the Top 11 Canadian Travel destinations as rated by TripAdvisor!

#1 – Banff //  # 3 – Victoria  //  #4 – Whistler  //  #10 – Tofino  //  #11 – Jasper

 

OUR  MISSION  STATEMENT

Mission statement? Mission statement! We don’t need no stinkin’ Mission Statement!

Everyone at West Trek KNOWS that the BEST product combined with the BEST price and the BEST service means the BEST tour experience for our guests!!

 

TOURS with ATTITUDE

West Trek Tours started out as Skookum Adventures back in 1998.  What began as a one man show has now grown into one of Western Canada’s largest tour operators.  In the beginning we focused on small group camping and canoeing tours.  Our attention to providing a unique Canadian Experience and great customer service combined with our focus on incredible value has led to our rapid growth.

West Trek now offers tours to the Rocky Mountains, Seattle, Whistler, Victoria, Tofino, & Portland plus great adventure tours like White Water Rafting and Skydiving.  Our largest market has been international students studying in Canada however we welcome the young and the young-at-heart!

Message from our Founder

“A smile is worth a thousand words”

After finishing university years ago I decided it was time to see more of Canada.  I got a one way ticket to Calgary and hopped on a bus.  It was a long and exhausting trip with bus changes in the middle of the night and the seemingly endless prairies stretching off in to the distance.  I was eager for my first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains as I had never seen a mountain!  When I finally arrived in Calgary I was met by friends and rested up a couple of days before starting the journey that would change my life.  On the third day we headed in to the mountains.  I was in absolute awe.  As we passed by Canmore and headed in to Banff National Park I felt like I was in a movie.  The scenery was just so unreal.  We were surrounded by mountains with majestic Cascade Mountain looming ahead.  And then we were in Banff.  The energy of this little village took hold of me and I decided to stay a while and get to know it.  I ended up staying for one magical year, hiking every trail I could and exploring every back road, nook and cranny in the area.  I even learned to ski, although not very well!

It is this feeling of awe, wonder, and amazement that I want to share with our guests.  I hope that everyone leaves Canada with the same love of Canada’s natural beauty that my first trip to the mountains inspired in me all those years ago.   jim

 

Our Team

Jim Noonan, President & Founder

Jim has over 25 years experience in Travel & Tourism and has worked as a Tour Manager in some 18 different countries around the world.  After spending a year in Banff in the Rockies after university he was determined to find a way to spend more time in this amazing area.  When offered the chance to start running tours through the Rockies in 2000 he jumped at the opportunity and hasn’t looked back since!  Jim defied the odds in 2003 and did what everyone who knows him said would NEVER happen.  He got married!  To quote Jim – “I don’t know what happened.  One minute we were on a date and the next minute I was saying “I Do”.  The rest is sort of a blur!”  jim@westtrek.com

 

Lee Henderson, Sales & Marketing Manager + Guide Trainer

“I want YOU on MY tour!”

Look!  Up in the sky?  Is it a bird?  Is it a plane?  NO – it’s Superman!  Or is it Superlee…  Not to be confused with that talentless dullard with the cape, Lee is the REAL thing!  His talents are so great and so profuse and his energy so boundless that we have come to realize that Superman lives – - and he works for West Trek!  Lee brings years of guiding experience, tons of enthusiasm, plus a degree in Graphic Design to West Trek.  lee@westtrek.com  (Lee – this is the last time we let you write your own intro!)

 

Somi “the Homi” Heo, Office Manager

Somi is the glue that holds West Trek together.  Not only does she run the office, handle all supplier issues, manage bookings, answer phones, book hotels and buses etc, etc, etc BUT … she does it all with a big smile on her face!  Somi has extensive experience in the ESL industry and is our connection to the Korean Community.  She has traveled far and wide and her lifetime goal is to own the largest ball of twine in Canada.  Good luck with that Somi!

 

Jessica Pautsch, Business Development & Public Relations

The newest member of our team, Jessica brings a wealth of business and sales experience to the team.  Combined with her bubbly personality and great organizational abilities we are sure that she will continue to make a huge contribution to our little band of happy campers.  In her spare time Jessica likes to collect used gum drops.

 

Kathy Kloeti - Tour Coordinator

After showing people how to ski, mountain bike, and even para glide in the Swiss Alps, Kathy’s feet got itchy and she set off to see the world.  After arriving in Western Canada she fell head over heels in love with the country’s natural beauty and stayed.  Being a part of the West Trek family and ensuring that our passengers have the time of their lives is her absolute dream job!  Kathy works with Somi to ensure that everything in the office and on the tours runs smoothly.  In addition you can expect to hear her cheery voice when you call the office as she is our front line on the phones.

 

Kahoru Noonan - Administrative & Japanese Marketing

Kahoru helped Jim break the odds of never getting married with a quiet wedding in days of yore.  To quote Kahoru about their engagement and wedding – “Ha – he never knew what hit him!”.  She is our Japanese Coordinator plus produces all the stats.  An experienced world traveler, she says that New Zealand has replaced Canada as her second favourite country (after Japan).  When not engaged in some outdoor activity Kahoru loves to cook and make origami pizzas.

 

West Trek Tour Guides

The engine that really drives our company is our guides.  We hire guides with lots of energy, great people skills, natural leaders and who are lots of fun.  Most of our team is seeking a career in tourism and are serious about showing you the BEST time possible!  With our guides you can expect the unexpected.  Whether it is leading the bus in an off-key version of YMCA or demonstrating how NOT to Line Dance; they are fun, energetic and always there for you.

We’ve asked our guides a few questions to help you get to know them better.

1/  What makes you most proud to be a Canadian?

2/  What is your favourite thing about being a Tour Guide?

3/  Name one “secret gem” that’s off the beaten path in Vancouver.  Something that tourists may not find by themselves.

4/  If you were to be an animal, what animal would it be and why?

 

SHANNEN EIS

1/  I love being Canadian because traveling around the world is so easy when you have a maple leaf on your back pack!  People recognize our Canadian Flag and are always willing to help, give directions, or share stories about interesting destinations and hidden treasures along the road.

2/  I love being a tour guide because I can be a tourist again in my own backyard.  I always get to see the sights through fresh eyes.  I love to introduce people to new attractions, share some history, culture or random fact, and occasionally I might have a little fun with the group I am with.  Never believe everything I tell you!

3/  Some of my favourite secrets gems are… shopping on South Granville Street, Lynn Canyon, and Bowen Island.

4/ I would be a Giraffe.  As a human on earth I am not very tall so I would like to come back as a giraffe so I can have a better view.

 

ADAM PATTISON

1/  The Canadian wilderness makes me know that Canada is the best place to live in the world.  We have the best “back yard” and I take every chance to go out and give it all I’ve got.  I can rock climb mountains, jump off cliffs into the ocean, hike beside hundred year old trees, and swim in glacier fed lakes.

2/  People say that they look for a career that has a corner office with a view.  Well, my “office” is filled with fifty new friends and a view that never ceases to amaze me!  I get the chance to meet people from all over the world and show them places that they will never forget.  The best thing about being a tour guide is the memories that I have had the chance to share with so many wonderful people.

3/  TBA

4/  I would be a Squirrel.  I love to rock climb and what better animal than a squirrel to do this?  I would climb the tallest trees and mountains and see the views of beautiful British Columbia from places that no one has seen before.

 

ALYSSA BAUER

1/  I’m proud to be Canadian because I believe it is the best place to line in the world!  Even though our winters are long and our summers are short, there  is always something fun to do outdoors.  There are very few places in the world where it is possible to snowboard, golf, and windsurf all in the same day!

2/  My favourite thing about being a tour guide is getting to meet amazing people from all over the world and showing them the most beautiful sites on Canada’s West Coast.

3/  One of my favourite places to visit off the beaten path in Vancouver is Wreck Beach.  A bit of a hike down from UBC campus, Wreck Beach is a great place to spend a sunny summer day if you’re looking for a secluded beach ideal for skim boarding, picnics, volleyball, and some of the best (and worst) scenery in Vancouver.  It shoudl be noted that swim suits at this particular beach are optional…

4/  If I could be any animal i the world I would be a Bald Eagle.  Not only can they fly higher than the tree tops, but they are native to the West Coast and there is no better place to be!

 

LARA McQUAY

1/  Excluding Antarctica, 20% of the earth’s remaining wilderness is in Canada.  I am proud of our quest to keep our National Parks an untouched place where animals rule, Canadians can nourish their souls and people from around the world come in awe of it all.

 

2/  My friendly, helpful persona requires me to wear many hats; such as teacher, coach or philosopher.  I excel at identifying with the needs of individuals as required or as imagined – just for the fun of it, and to everyone’s delight.  I am thrilled and enthusiastic to entertain and educate of our Canadian ways, “our home and native land” but my true passion is shown when standing on the top of the mountain (we just climbed), or feeling the glacier water on my skin: true adventure is my passion and therefore nothing beats sharing it… with all of you.

3/  Valley of the Giants trail in Lighthouse Park, Harbour Air Seaplanes’ Mail Run to Salt Spring Islands, Eagle watching in Brackendale (available on our winter Whistler Sightseeing tours!) and the fishing boats off of Granville Island (where you leave out the middleman) deal directly with the fishermen themselves…. Awesome tuna, salmon and prawns, yum!

4/  I would be a raven; the animal of interest to creators of legends and myths.  A trickster in bird’s clothing… Sounds like me!!

 

West Trek Internship Students

Our interns are an integral part of our operation.  Carefully screened & recruited, these international students manage all aspects of company administration and sales.  Generally the interns come from all the major regional markets – Europe, Asia, & Latin America.  Many of our interns are studying tourism or marketing and they make a great fit with the rest of the team.

 

 

West Trek Tours Inc. is registered with the BPCPA in BC.  License #35299