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INUVIK
Kylik Kisoun Taylor has always felt a strong connection to the wide-open spaces of the Beaufort Delta and the traditional lifestyle of the Inuvialuit people, though his childhood was very different.

Gerry Kisoun, left, and Kylik Kisoun Talyor are the owners of Up North Tours in Inuvik. - photo courtesy of Kylik Kisoun Taylor

From the Beaufort Delta, Kisoun Taylor grew up in southern Ontario where the landscape is carved with roads, skyscrapers and the bustle of urban life.

He said the first time he returned North, he viewed the world of his ancestors for the first time through the eyes of a tourist. It was a perspective that would eventually open doors to his own tour company.

"When you live in a place, you sometimes take it for granted and don't always see how special it is," said Kisoun Taylor.

As he returned to his roots, Kisoun Taylor fell in love with the history, culture and majestic beauty of the Beaufort Delta region and he dreamed of being able to spend his time on the land.

"I asked myself, 'If I was super rich, What would I do?'" he said. "It was go for boat rides, take plane rides and explore. I'm not rich, so I thought I'd do a job that let me do that."

At age 20, when Kisoun Taylor opened Up North Tours – now in its seventh year of operation – he was years ahead of when he believed he would fulfil that dream.

Wading into the volatile tourism industry at such a young age was serendipity for Kisoun Taylor, whose natural compulsion to share his world with visitors hurtled him down the path of tour operator.

Kisoun Taylor had his start in tourism working for Rapid Travel, a travel agency in Inuvik. In the window of the business, a sign welcomed visitors and many tourists would come in looking for boat tours. At the time, Kisoun Taylor said no one was offering such a service on a consistent basis.

Someone less ambitious or lacking Kisoun Taylor's passion for sharing the region's beauty with others might have sent those visitors on their way with an apology, but that wasn't in Kisoun Taylor's nature.

"So I went across the street to ITI (the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment) and got a boat licence and borrowed a boat," he said.

Those helpful excursions eventually evolved into his own tour company.

He admits every year is a challenge and the company has to constantly adapt, especially since the recession and the change in travel demographics.

"Every year is a struggle to stay open. Tourism is a hard business, but we're still here," he said.

When Up North Tours first opened, Kisoun Taylor said a majority of its clientele was from the United States. These days, he is seeing a lot more Canadian and European visitors.

As a lot more Canadians opt for domestic travel locations, Kisoun Taylor says they are drawn North due to the uniqueness of the landscape and the fact many want to travel coast to coast to coast. Inuvik is the prime jumping point to the Arctic Ocean, because it is the farthest North accessible by road. A direct flight from Frankfurt to Whitehorse also helps them attract European tourists who are looking to escape the congested countryside they are accustomed to and into the untouched wilderness of the Arctic. Issues such as global warming and residential schools have also gained the North attention which has helped tourism.

Kisoun Taylor said there are also value-added services his company offers that link the travel experience with the culture and traditions of the Inuvialuit people. For example, he offers visitors the opportunity to eat local food or have bannock and tea at the office.

Northern co-operation is also a key element to the company's success, Kisoun Taylor says his creditors are understanding if a few bills are settled late.

"They believe in our company and we bring them a lot of business," he said.

Last year Kisoun Taylor's uncle Gerry Kisoun joined him as co-owner of Up North Tours, bringing more Northern experience to the organization. Gerry has worked in the North as a special constable for the RCMP and is currently employed with Parks Canada's visitors services, not to mention he is the present deputy commissioner of the NWT.

With the extra hand in the business, Kylik has eyes on expanding the services he offers but first it is going to mean adding to his own skills.

He said he wants to obtain his pilot's licence so he can start conducting plane tours. He is especially interested in offering flights into national parks using smaller aircraft. Currently such flights are only available to larger groups in bigger planes.

Adding to the cultural flavour of his excursions is also a goal Kylik is pursuing, saying his has an idea for a bush cabin people can stay at for a couple of days to escape the busyness of modern life and see how his people used to live.

"The biggest thing for me and my uncle is to share this place," said Kylik. "If you're not going to go big, then what's the point? If we did it small, we wouldn't be sharing it with as many people."

Although he has made it his life to show others the beauty of the Beaufort Delta, Kylik still takes every opportunity to immerse himself in the region.

He relishes the opportunity to travel the Dempster Highway and usually asks other people to do the driving so he can look out the window.

"I've done it about 100 times and I still love it. It's the most beautiful road I've ever been on," he said, describing the diverse changes in landscape along the route – first mountainous and then vast tundra.

His favourite tour also reflects his love for his history. A trip to Herschel Island one fall afforded him the chance to watch the caribou migrating from Alaska, see whales and visit the place where his aunt Rosa (Gerry's wife) was born.

"It's 300 kilometres one way and we didn't see a single person," he said. "There's just a peace about that place. It doesn't matter what's happening in the rest of the world because you can't deal with it anyway."

Although it's difficult to predict the future, Kylik is living his dream and he can't imagine doing anything else.

"At the end of the day it provides a lifestyle in a way that I can live my culture … at the same time I'm preserving my culture," he said.

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