Gulf Island Seaplanes – Alison and Sean Evans

Alison Evans is from Hagwilget Nation, Hazelton, BC. She owns and operates Gulf Island Seaplanes with her husband Sean.

Sean spent many years as a pilot on the West Coast as a pilot for Tofino Air.  They started their business in 2014 after buying Tofino Air’s scheduled route from Gabriola Island to YVR. Gulf Island Seaplanes bases are in Vancouver Harbour, Vancouver South Terminal Airport, Gabriola Island, Hornby Island, and their head office at Oyster Bay on Vancouver Island.

They have an incredible group of employees who are the heart and soul of the business. They are well known for their excellent customer service and safety. They give very specific and personalized service. This is very fulfilling for them as they are the only ones who can guide their success or failure. They are proud of their amazing staff who are loyal and go above and beyond.

While Aviation is very expensive and unpredictable they deal with adversity as a team. They survived the Covid-19 pandemic and are now working to overcome a lack of skilled labour which affects all airlines big and small. They spend a lot of time on their business but do organize their work schedule to be able to attend family and kids events. They see growth and worldwide recognition in the future for their business.

“We are proud to be an Indigenous-owned company. Alison Evans, from Hagwilget Nation, is always striving to make connections and partnerships with Indigenous businesses, communities and networks. Embracing cultural diversity, we are committed to all of our passengers and want their experience from the first step of booking their trip to when they disembark at their final destination to be a personable, memorable and enjoyable experience. We make a point to get to know our customers, whether it is their first time flying with us or on a continued basis. Customer service is where we shine – and if you are not happy we want to know so we can make it right.”

They are very proud to be Sustainable Tourism Bronze Certified from GreenStep Solutions. This certification involves an in-depth evaluation of a companies operations, including it’s waste management practices, energy efficiency measures, and community support. They have implemented a wide range of sustainable practices to earn this recognition.

Advice they would give to someone thinking about starting a business is that ‘no matter how well you plan, things come up unexpectedly, so you need to have a backup plan for your back up plan!’ Advice they would give to a struggling entrepreneur is to ‘find a good mentor. Someone who is successful that you look up to. They usually have amazing advice and words of wisdom.’  Alison says the staff at NEDC is incredibly supportive. They believed in us and helped us feel that we were right on track!