Eric Denis grew up in Quebec and is the technical operator of machines at Island Sea Farms. Melissa Steblyk comes from Alberta, is a substitute teacher at the Cortes Island School, and also manages the Gorge Marina. Last May, they launched a moped rental business called Cortes Cruiser in the Gorge.
It didn’t start out that way.
Melissa Steblyk: “Eric’s got three kids, and his oldest is almost 16. We were thinking a scooter would be a great option for him when he gets his license.”
Eric Denis: “In March, we bought that first bike. It was one of those Yamaha BWS—just a little bit of a beater. It was for my kids, so it was like, ‘We’ll fix it up.’”
The Vision for Cortes Cruiser
Melissa Steblyk: “We bought one, and then we were like, ‘Why don’t we buy another one? Maybe we could rent them out.’ People are constantly asking, ‘How do we get around the island? We want to see Cortes. We want to experience this.’ I was like, ‘I don’t know what you can do. You can hitchhike, if you’d like.’ Then the idea dawned on us. We’re at the Gorge—we have a setup here. I work at the marina, I can promote it through word of mouth right there, and we can really see it going somewhere.”
Cortes Currents: They approached Marco Bedetti, manager of The Gorge Harbour Marina, with the idea of renting out their mopeds at the resort.
Eric Denis: “Marco’s a good friend. I’ve known Marco since I moved here, when he was working under Bill Dougan and Tammy Allwork back in the day. I worked at Island Sea Farms as well. I’m a liveaboard—I’ve been living here at the Gorge for the winters. I’m out of the dock for the summer, but I come back for the winter.”
Melissa Steblyk: “I’ve been working at the Gorge. I’ve been at the marina for the last two years—this is going to be my third year. I have a good working relationship and friendship with Marco, and I understand the need people have, especially coming in on a boat.
“He said, ‘Okay, if you guys want to do this, you need to come up with a business plan. You have to sell me on this a little bit if we’re going to bring you into it.’”
Eric Denis: “For people who come by boat, it gives them a good opportunity to visit the rest of the island.”
Melissa Steblyk: “Go to Squirrel Cove, check out the food truck there. Drive over to Manson’s, enjoy the beach, check out the lake, and then go to the co-op—Bertha’s—and have a snack. And maybe take that down to Smelt Bay. Those are the main things we recommend.”
Eric Denis: “So we came up with a good plan, and he set me up really well at the Gorge.”
Melissa Steblyk: “I’m not saying we’re tied to the Gorge—we’re still a separate entity—but we’re located here.”
Getting Started
Cortes Currents: They decided to purchase five scooters.
Eric Denis: “We started researching, and we went for some 49cc automatic Honda Ruckus scooters. They’ve got Honda reliability.”
Melissa Steblyk: “We wanted something that still looked great, ran well, and we knew it could handle the island.”
Eric Denis: “We set up a trailer close by the Gorge staff area. I have the five bikes over there and a little bit of a shop so I can maintain them.”
Cortes Currents: When did you rent the first moped out?
Eric Denis: “The May long weekend during Seafest. A couple from Campbell River came by jet ski, wanted to do some house hunting. They just went, ‘Oh, this is easy.’ Then they went on a cruise for a couple of hours.”
Melissa Steblyk: “We hadn’t even posted yet—we were still trying to figure out how they found us. They might have just been walking by. We didn’t have everything fully organized, but we were close enough. They saw us, and that was our first rental.”
Cortes Currents: How’s business been going?
Eric Denis: “So far, so good. There’s been a lot of good comments. The first two people came by jet ski, and I’m thinking that’s some good adrenaline already. But they came back with a smile—up to their ears. They had a lot of fun cruising around the island, checking out houses. The three other people who rented the same weekend said the same thing.
“Speed-wise, it follows the traffic. It’s got the big knobby tires, good suspension, and it’s very quiet. It’s really an enjoyable ride. Of course, up the hill it’s a little slow, but that’s about it.”
Cortes Currents: How fast do they go?
Eric Denis: “They do 60, which is just perfect for the island. Up the hills, a person who’s around 220 pounds, at the main at the Y, will probably get up to the top at around 35. Four-cylinder cars will do as well. It’s not too fast.
“If you’re going downhill you can maybe hit 60, but most of the time I’d say it’s around 40–45.”
Melissa Steblyk: “When it comes to our marketing, it was all a new plan we were working out. As soon as we went up on Facebook, there was a surplus of interest. Everyone I’ve talked to—even at the dock—there’s been a lot of interest. If we can keep up to date with more of our marketing, I think it’s going to be smooth sailing.”
Cortes Currents: You’ve got five bikes. Do you often have all five rented out in a day?
Eric Denis: “That hasn’t happened yet, because the clientele just hasn’t been there. I’m pretty sure by next weekend it should start to be almost daily.”
Melissa Steblyk: “We had a group come—three of them—and they were like, ‘We want to go.’ I do foresee it being like couples renting two, or a group of four or five. I think it will be more of a group rental than an individual bike.”
Cortes Currents: What do people tell you about their trips?
Eric Denis: “They do between 30 and 40 kilometers, and they’re either out for two hours or four hours—depending if they stop for food or stop at the lake. You can do the whole day.”
Administrative Matters
Melissa Steblyk: “There’s a liability factor, but we’ve paid a lot for insurance. We have brand-new helmets. Our bikes are in mint condition. Eric is an excellent mechanic, so we check them thoroughly.
“Of course there’s going to be this change on Cortes—it’s going to be different. There’s more traffic on the roads, but it’s not like we have 45 bikes that we’re sending out there. It’s five bikes, and we’ve made sure we’ve covered everything—dotted our I’s and crossed our T’s—so we’re okay.
“Safety-wise, we want to make sure: does this person seem capable? Do they know where the throttle and the brake are? Do they know how to do the kickstand? We’re not going to send people out on our bikes if we don’t feel comfortable.”
Cortes Currents: You’re a mechanic, Eric?
Eric Denis: “I work for Island Sea Farms. I do the mechanics, fabrication, and a lot of the maintenance there. I already take care of a fleet of Yamaha outboards and diesels—that’s my full-time job.”
Melissa Steblyk: “It’s not just outboards for him—he just has a natural knack for understanding machinery, no matter what it is: outboards, cars, scooters. I’ve known him for quite a few years, and it’s top quality.”
Cortes Currents: Can you say anything about your car experience or scooter experience as a mechanic?
Eric Denis: “I don’t do other people’s cars, but with scooters, I owned my first one when I was 14, back east. I’ve always had quads and dirt bikes. These ones are just an easy, well-engineered Honda bike. They’re easy maintenance—you turn the key on and it’s beautiful.”
Looking Forward to the Summer of 2026
Cortes Currents: So you’re coming up to your first summer, when the population is supposed to triple or quadruple. Is there anything you want to say to incoming tourists?
Melissa Steblyk: “Come and explore Cortes in a different way than by boat. This gives you the opportunity to have a little freedom, have a little fun, and see what the island has to offer.”
Cortes Currents: She also had a message for the people of Cortes Island.
Melissa Steblyk: “Cortes Cruiser is not just an elite service for tourists who are coming in. We also want Cortes Cruiser to be a company local people can use. Those who don’t have transportation or need to make a dental appointment—or need to go to town and don’t want to go through all the rigamarole of maybe hitchhiking or walking onto the ferry and then hitchhiking back—we really want to accommodate local members of Cortes to access different amenities.”
Links of Interest:
- Gorge Harbour Marina Facebook post about Cortes Cruiser
- Gorge Harbour Marina
- Articles about, or mentioning, Gorge Harbour Marina
All photos courtesy Cortes Cruiser.
Sign-up for Cortes Currents email-out:
To receive an emailed catalogue of articles on Cortes Currents, send a (blank) email to subscribe to your desired frequency:
- Daily, (articles posted during the last 24 hours) – [email protected]
- Weekly Digest cortescurrents – [email protected]