Statement of Stewardship (SOS)
Water. That is what Nimmo Bay is all about. We live on the water, we drink the sweet mountain water, we fish in the fresh water, and we use water to create power for our electrical needs. Water nourishes us.
W.A.T.E.R. (We Attend To Environmental Responsibility)
How fortunate we are to be blessed with this renewable resource. The snow pack on Mount Stevens supplies us with water for drinking, power, and domestic requirements. It also gives us the beauty of a mountain waterfall, surrounded by the verdant foliage of this coastal forest.
LOCATION
Nimmo Bay Resort lies in a small salt-water bay at the head of McKenzie Sound. Cedar, spruce, balsam and hemlock trees surround the resort and keep our air pure, sweet, and pollution free. We have no neighbours within ten miles. Our closest neighbour is a small and isolated community that is uninhabited for most of the year. Access to Nimmo Bay is restricted to boat, float plane or helicopter.
LOW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The resort’s guest accommodations, operational quarters and staff buildings are built on the water, along the forest edge, on a rocky promontory. Our presence has not impacted the surrounding forest or disturbed any of the wildlife habitat. This eco-friendly approach has been our aim from the beginning. Visitors are happy to see that we operate in sync with the natural environment.
S. O. S. “Stewards of Sustainability”
Nimmo Bay is a wonderful marriage between the business world and the conservation ethic. Sustainable tourism is our future and Nimmo Bay is proud to be a member of the first sustainable tourism collective in Canada. This collection of resort, adventure and hotel properties focuses on developing the best sustainable environmental practices for improved tourism business growth in B.C.
PARTNERSHIPS
The B.C. Provincial government recognized Nimmo Bay Resort in 2005 as the Province’s first official stewardship partner of the 50,000 square miles of land and water we operate in. Environmental assistance programs such as water sampling, forest programs, wildlife and fish reporting have since been established. Recently, other remote wilderness resorts have become actively involved in monitoring and reporting their surrounding areas and have become Stewardship Partners as well.
CURRENT INVOLVEMENTS
For six years Nimmo Bay Resort has participated in the Central Coast Land Resource Management Plan as the tourism representative. Nimmo Bay is also a member of the Quality Waters Strategy committee helping revise the B.C. Provincial fishery.
COTA
Craig Murray, owner and founder of Nimmo Bay Resort, is currently (2006/07) on the Council Of Tourism Association board as a director. COTA represents all of the tourism businesses and associations in British Columbia and advocates for the members.
FIRST NATIONS
The Wi’la’mola Accord is again a first of its kind environmental / tourism program with First Nations. This recognition of environmental and tourism initiatives highlights this incredible territory from sea level to 7,000 feet, its cultures, traditions and the necessity for us all to work together for a sustainable future. In 2004 many of the local First Nation Chiefs and five tourism business people signed this agreement in Alert Bay and Nimmo Bay. This is a living document and is open for new members who practice environmental sustainability.
ADVENTURE TRAVEL
Nimmo Bay has redefined adventure travel and has opened up new horizons to our global guests. The coast of B.C. has magnificent opportunities for visitors to experience our wilderness and understand our desire to keep it green. From the white sand beaches of Northern Vancouver Island to the lofty heights of Mt. Waddington, our magic carpets give new eyes and new commitment to those who venture here. Viewers of this majesty will never forget the beauty and magnitude of our planet.
FISHING
Nimmo Bay’s fishery is catch & release using single barbless hooks. Guests are invited to fly or spin fish. Currently, we are working hard to protect wild juvenile Pacific Salmon from sea lice, which thrive on farmed salmon. In its current configuration, salmon farming is a threat to our wild juvenile salmon, as the majority of the farms are located on the migratory routes of the baby salmon. We are working with the tourism industry, environmental coalitions and first nations to help change how salmon are farmed on this coast, to preserve our existing wild salmon stocks. We need everyone’s assistance to achieve this goal. Public opinion will help keep our Wild Pacific Salmon alive and healthy.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Waste management is a very important part of our lives. We employ several interesting initiatives to achieve and remain above present day environmental compliance. A Hydroxyl waste management system has been in place for seven years, to take care of the black and grey water at Nimmo Bay. Nothing but clear, clean water returns to the surrounding environment. We recycle all applicable materials and transport all other wastes to the main stations on Vancouver Island every four days. There is nothing remaining at Nimmo Bay to expose local wildlife to unnatural food sources, or to soil our surroundings.
SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES – ECOSYSTEM BASED MANAGEMENT
We make every effort to support local suppliers who provide us with sustainable products and foods. Our staff are all very aware of the many concerns around living in a remote wilderness area and do everything they can to be aware of their impact. We hire locally, buy locally and provide local artists with a venue for global tourists to view their work. We have a preference for indigenous, organic foods and our seafood comes from a very local supplier, the commercial fisherman. Environmentally sound cleaning products are used for all our cleaning needs. Special soaps and shampoos are provided for our guests.
AWARDS
In 1999, the Government of British Columbia presented Nimmo Bay with the Environmental Award for Industry, Business and Labour, from a field of 187 other possible candidates. We continue to explore the endless possibilities of how to keep our tourism industry sustainable. We are highly aware of the continuous necessity to keep tourism as a central focus of local and provincial governments, as extraction industries (e.g. logging, mining) keep knocking at our door. We believe that industry must begin to think about the "triple bottom line" approach, and realize that this way of thinking will lead to a profitable business, community employment and environmental sustainability.
FOOTPRINTS IN TIME
We leave nothing behind when we visit the many pristine areas of this coast. Our footprints, alongside those of our abundant wildlife, are the only record that someone else has appreciated our natural wilderness. Traveling by helicopter supports guests with limited mobility or a disability, making sure that everyone can experience our pristine natural environment. No longer is anyone "retired" from fishing or adventuring.
FRAGILE FRAGRANCES
All are welcome to see, touch, breathe and drink in the beauties of nature. All of our guests will take away a greater understanding of what must be done, and what is being done, to preserve what we still have. People soon realize what we mean when we say: To Fly is Human … To Hover, Divine
from Nimmo Bay Resort
A “Temporal Nexus” right here on Earth.
