HAY RIVER - After retiring 15 years ago from the tourism sector, Stan Jones is back helping out travellers.

Stan Jones is co-ordinator of the Hay River Visitor Information Centre. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Jones, 77, is co-ordinator of the Hay River Visitor Information Centre, which this year is being run by the Hay River Seniors' Society.

"We'll look after this season and see where it takes us," said Jones, who is also vice-president of the society.

His job involves manning the centre and scheduling shifts for other seniors.

The seniors' society took over running the Visitor Information Centre from the Hay River Chamber of Commerce after it could not reach an agreement with the Town of Hay River on municipal funding.

Jones said the town contacted the seniors' society and asked if it was interested in running the operation.

"It was agreed that we would for this year and see how it went," he said. "Not with the idea of making any money, but I think the seniors are in a good spot to be tourist people. They know the history of the town, a lot of them, and they know people in the town."

Plus, he noted many tourists are seniors themselves and will enjoy talking to other seniors.

Jones said seniors who have been retired for years can be bored without anything to do.

The seniors' society involvement in the Visitor Information Centre is part of its effort to keep members active and involved in the community.

"We just try to create activities for the people to enjoy themselves," Jones said.

The Visitor Information Centre opened on May 18 and will run until September.

So far, Jones has been enjoying working there.

"And it will be much more enjoyable when there are more tourists," he said. "That's the enjoyment part, meeting the tourists, talking to them, finding out what they're looking for, where they come from, what interests them and what doesn't."

Jones, who is originally from Edmonton, calls himself a people person.

"It's all about meeting people," he said. "If you're not a people person, tourism is no job for you."

Jones has a background of 43 years in the hotel/restaurant business in the Yukon and British Columbia.

In the past, he owned an RV park and restaurants on the Alaska Highway and was also involved as a partner in several hotels.

Jones came to the Hay River area 15 years ago as a receiver for a business in Enterprise.

"When that was sold to local people, my wife and I decided that we liked Hay River and we'd stay here," he recalled.

Over the past 15 years, he has had a number of part-time jobs.

However, his new role at the Visitor Information Centre involves a 40-hour week and sometimes more. He covers weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and occasionally some evenings.

The Visitor Information Centre is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

In all, 16 members of the seniors' society are now ready to work at the Visitor Information Centre, and Jones expects more will get involved.

"Those are people who are prepared to come over and do the odd shift," he said. "Some are doing a few more than others, some are just doing relief."

All of the seniors will be paid for their work, although some don't want to be paid and the money they earn will go to the Hay River Seniors' Society.

Jones said no summer students will lose any jobs because the seniors are running the Visitor Information Centre this year.

That concern was discussed with the Town of Hay River before the seniors agree to run the centre, he said, noting the town said it would hire the same number of students this summer, but they would be assigned to other work.

The seniors wouldn't have taken on the Visitor Information Centre if it would have put summer students out of work, Jones said. "That I can guarantee you."

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