In order to make a living in remote, isolated Kyuquot, one has to be creative to ensure steady income through the seasons. That is what Russell Hanson, a Ka:'yu:'k't'h'/Che:k'tles7et'h' First Nations citizen, learned growing up in the tiny Houpsitas village.
Hanson is a life-long resident of the village, so remote it is only accessible by boat or float plane. Born in 1976, Hanson thinks he’s the last one to be born in the village.
“I was born on my gramma’s couch,” he shared.
Born to Peter and Daisy Hanson, Russell, the eldest son, is next in line to take his father’s seat, one of the Ha’wiih of KCFN.
But being born into Nuu-chah-nulth royalty doesn’t mean life’s necessities will be given to you. You have to work hard.
“I started in the tourism industry when I was 19,” said Hanson.
Along the way, he took courses that helped him advance in the local tourism and forestry industries.
Starting at the age of 10, Russell would go fishing with his father. In the summer he would take jobs with the local lodges and resorts, working as a fishing guide. In the off-season, he found work in forestry doing silviculture work. He would take training when he could and became interested in natural resources restoration work.
In 2012, Hanson graduated from university with a Forestry Resource Technician diploma. He became passionate about repairing and restoring his homelands from decades of damage done by industrial logging, fishing and poor resource management decisions of the past.
Set up with steady employment year-round, Hanson was able to support his family. But in 2022, things took a turn. Following a dispute at work, Hanson lost his job.
“I really loved my job as stewardship program manager,” he told Ha-Shilth-Sa.
He had visions of restoring the nation’s land to a healthier state.
“I want to see us be able to sustain ourselves if there is another pandemic or something like that,” said Hanson.
So, Hanson decided to go into business for himself. He applied to the Nuu-chah-nulth Economic Development Corporation for funding. His plan was to start his own small forestry company. For that, he would need a boat, a truck and a quad. He would use the equipment to salvage wood to fulfill his 5,000-cubic-metre permit.
His custom-built aluminum boat was outfitted to pull salvaged logs off beaches. But to maximize the income potential of his equipment, the boat was built with a heated, comfortable cabin so that it could be used as a water taxi between Fair Harbour and Houpsitas.
Over time he purchased two more working boats. But in 2023, his custom-built work boat sank at Fair Harbour. The boat was insured but it would take months for the repairs to be completed, and he had a new baby on the way.
The following spring Hanson noticed an advertisement offering a nearby float house accommodation for sale.
According to Hanson, the owner brought the floating building into the bay to house contractors working in Kyuquot. The owner didn’t want to pay the $75,000 it would cost to move the accommodation back to Campbell River. Within eight minutes of the post being made, Hanson was in touch with the owner – along with 29 other interested parties.
With more help from NEDC, and weeks of hard work and sacrifice, Hanson bought the floating lodge for an amount less than its assessed value. The previous owner of the 10-room facility put $300,000 worth of improvements into the lodge including generators, solar panels, paint and a roof.
In order to purchase the lodge, Hanson had a few short weeks to come up with the $28,000 down payment. From May to July 2024, Hanson worked his two boats, engaged in fishing, forestry, water taxiing, anything he could do. He paid expenses but didn’t pay himself a wage.
“I just gave all my income to NEDC,” said Hanson. “I came up with $17,000 in 17 days!”
And even when he took possession of his new Quyuuk Fishing & Lodging on July 25th, he didn’t take a break.
“On July 26th I had my first guests,” Hanson shared.
His guests were a pair of researchers that stayed at the lodge.
Quyuuk (pronounced like the place Kyuq) Fishing & Lodging operates year-round in the bay adjacent to Houpsitas. The rooms are like that of a fishing lodge, with a single bed in five of the rooms. Two rooms have a pair of single beds and the other two rooms have a double and single bed in each.
There is a large, open space that houses a comfortable sitting area with sofas and television, a dining room and kitchen. The lodge has Wi-Fi. Guests can bring in and cook their own food or, for a small additional fee, have three daily meals prepared for them.
Hanson has his own water taxi service to bring guests to and from the lodge. And now, instead of looking for work, he is offering employment. He has his own staff, including three boat operators, two cooks, housekeeping and maintenance workers.
The future is looking bright for Hanson’s now one year-old daughter. He even has his 22-year-old son working for him and walking in his dad’s footsteps.
“He works with me in forestry and as a boat operator and he will be enrolled at Vancouver Island University for forestry,” said the proud father.
Very recently, Hanson was able to capitalize on an amazing opportunity. The entrepreneur discovered that a scallop farmer had abandoned a float house near Houpsitas. Hanson applied to Transport Canada to salvage the float house and got a license of occupation.
“It’s a 30-by-60-foot eight bedroom living accommodation, and I got it for free!” said Hanson.
He plans to renovate the place and rent it out. He hasn’t yet decided if it will be a long or short-term rental accommodation, but he will make the best use of his latest asset.
For now, Hanson is concentrating on building up his companies and making his accommodation facilities fully operational. Always on the lookout for ways to build his businesses, Hanson found an opportunity with a local guide fishing lodge that is closing its doors for good. He negotiated with the other business owner and is set to acquire their quest list and a couple of their boats.
“There’s lots of opportunity here,” Hanson noted.
For now, he stays busy managing his businesses. He said the NTC rents space in his lodge to hold workshops.
“I have projectors, screens and a big tv along with Starlink Wi-fi.”
Quyuuk Fishing and Lodging is within view of the village of Houpsitas. It’s quiet and isolated enough that guests require a boat for the minute or two trip to the village. And Hanson has the boats to ferry his guests wherever they need to go.
A proud member of Indigenous Tourism BC, Hanson looks forward to busy summers.
“It took a lot of work – from two years ago, I went from almost nothing and now I’m worth almost three quarters of a million dollars with all that I have now,” Hanson shared. “I am the first local to individually own a lodge – proudly Indigenous.”
