The Klahoose First Nation Development Corporation, QXMC, has a new General Manager.
“In mid August I was approached by a member of the board I work closely with, who asked me if I was interested in applying for the position as General Manager. I gave it some thought and went ahead. It was a long process including several interviews, skill assessments and psychological evaluations. Thereafter the board took time to review all candidates, reflect and just at the end of last week they came to the decision of hiring me,” explained Marco Bedetti.
Prior to that he was the Gorge Harbour Marina’s Guest Manager.
Marco Bedetti: “I began my journey at the Gorge Harbour in May of 2017. I was hired to work at the reservation desk. This nice lady Pat trained me on how to use the reservation tool and how to book guests.”
“In the following years I kept on taking reservations, but also slowly learning about all aspects of the Resort. I worked in the store as a clerk, I would stock items, be more involved with the inventory, and I worked on grounds to prepare for the season. I fulfilled many of the tasks that have helped me to learn how to become a Guest Service Manager.”
“As a Guest Service Manager, one needs to see the big picture. It’s not only about booking guests into the right spots, but it also involves understanding the synergies between all other departments. Housekeeping needs to be ready for when people check in. The grounds team needs to have all sites cleaned and prepared for the arrival of the RV’s. The dock staff needs to know how many boats are arriving, and which customers might also have a room booked. All these single components need to work together to provide for a smooth service, but also for an amazing guest experience. Learning this has given me a great advantage into understanding how the entire resort functions, and therefore being able to take on the brief, yet hectic role as Resort Manager.”
“I effectively managed the resort since July of this year, and we made it through “let’s call it an interesting” season. We did remained open, but due to many factors many of our services remained partially unavailable. I would like to thank every single team member who helped get us through this particular season. So many staff members wore so many different hats! I actually remain amazed at how willing everyone was to make it work!”
CC: Do you have any plans for housing the staff at the Gorge over the winter months?
Marco Bedetti: “We currently have staff in RVs, which in the summer works great, but going into the winter it’s definitely a tin can and it’s very hard to keep the heat in there. GoIng forward, the Gorge Harbour wants to extend its seasons, and that means we will need to retain staff and find solutions for that. We’re currently in discussions with Hollyhock about a grant that is available to create better staff housing.”
“On the other hand, we did buy some geodesic domes to be precise, six of them that we will use for guests during the summer. The domes that we’ve chosen are 16 feet in diameter. They usually are set up on a deck. We can put laminate flooring in them and furbish them. That is fine as a setup for the summer. If one wants to winterize them, it’s thicker insulation that one can add to them. There is an attachment that goes on the top that accommodates a wood stove and the outlet for it. We might try them out in the winter and see if they’re suitable.”
Cortes Currents: Have you got any other news items?
Marco Bedetti: “We’ve spoken a lot about projects at the Gorge Harbour before. The pool and hot tub are getting fixed. Island Health needs to just let us open the pool and operate it, so we might be weeks away from it. We’ve centralized the receiving area, hence the cement pad in front of the boat shed, and that will allow us to have all our goods stored in one location. We will refurbish the rooms with new beds and new drapes and make them look a little bit nicer and modern. The store will be revamped. I’m not going to give away too much information about that, but the outcome should be that we have a bigger variety of products at a better price. The gas pump is fixed. The RV sites are being torn up as we speak. What we’re doing is we’re creating one single pad with an underlayer of cloth and then gravel on top. That will allow us to divide sections with picnic tables, and that should be able to accommodate bigger or smaller RVs as they come. We’re keeping six sites available in the Alder grove.”
Cortes Currents: Over to the Squirrel Cove Project, when I first heard of it QXMC was going to put in campsites. Then it became RVs. Is there any thought of putting in some campsites?
Marco Bedetti: “There are many possible variables on how we want to develop Squirrel Cove. One important aspect is to see with the Gorge Harbour what are the best selling points and what is demand. We can develop Squirrel Cove accordingly.”
Cortes Currents: So the 35 RV sites isn’t a fixed idea?
Marco Bedetti: “There is no fixed idea right now. It’s tentatively something in the realm of camping.”
Cortes Currents: What does a typical day look like for you?
Marco Bedetti: “My typical day begins around 8am. I like to be present when the store opens, see all the staff arrive to work, greet people, answer questions and be available for any issues that might need my attention.”
“Every day brings new highlights and new challenges. There are many projects going on at the Gorge, so I am in constant contact with contractors. Although I have a new role, I am currently still the Resort Manager of the Gorge Harbour Marina, so my daily duties remain. I make sure daily business runs smoothly, I keep my presence available for customers, guests and staff, I organize daily routines and oversee all the departments for smooth operations.”
“Once the store closes at 6pm, I usually take my first real break. If you wonder about lunch, sure, I eat – but it’s more of a running lunch. There are definitely tasks that I take care of in the evenings. During the day, the Gorge Harbour is busy, buzzing with people and operational duties. In the evenings I can sit back and plan longer term projects. I also make sure to have time for myself and my partner. I think I do a good job at it… she might disagree.”
“There will definitely be changes with my new role. I will slowly grow out of the operational side of Gorge Harbour and be more dedicated in running all of the businesses from a more managerial perspective.The board of directors decided to separate forestry from all other ventures. I think it’s easier as well as a General Manager to initially focus on the resorts, on the aquaculture, the coastal adventures, and the new upcoming Squirrel Cove development, rather than also deep diving into a big realm, which is forestry.”
Cortes Currents: What do you hope to accomplish as General Manager of QXMC?
Marco Bedetti: “I’m very committed to run QXMC in a very professional manner. That means to ensure that all the business ventures are profitable and I want to provide returns for the shareholders. I also want to see everyone involved succeed and have fun with what they do. I think we need to build teams that are successful, that can work together well, and that enjoy the journey towards the positive outcomes that will follow.”
“A lot of planning has been put towards the resorts and I’m definitely looking forward to a successful season in 2024, both for the Gorge Harbour Marina and Klahoose Wilderness Resort. The sawmill is now run by Kevin Peacey, who is doing an absolutely amazing job with his team. QXMC has invested heavily in making this happen, and we are on the market. I want to see this business thrive. The sawmill is already producing high quality lumber, and it’s absolutely available to the public. Please, to anyone out there, come visit us, Mondays to Thursdays. Feel free to see for yourself what product we have and what projects we’re working on.”
“I will also deep dive into aquaculture and the coastal adventure businesses and see them from an operational perspective. I want to listen to the needs of the people involved and figure out with them how to grow these ventures.”
Top image credit: Aerial view of Gorge Harbour Marina – courtesy Klahoose Gorge harbour Facebook Page
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