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Outfitter honoured with tourism award
Ryan St. John humbled by recognition of business he started 10 years ago

Cody Punter
Northern News Services
Wednesday, July 6, 2016

ARVIAT
Ryan St. John is a humble man who prefers to remain in the background, working away behind the scenes.

So when he was awarded the Kivalliq Chamber Of Commerce Tourism Award for his dedication to supporting the industry over the years last month, it was no surprise that he chose to try and deflect the attention away from himself toward those that nominated him.

"I'm not much for accolades or awards or being in the spotlight," he said.

"I just want to thank the KCC for choosing to recognize the hard work and the effort that goes into building a business."

St. John first started making a name for himself in the business community when he was hired as the vice-president of Eskimo Point Lumber Supply 17 years ago. Seven years later he was looking for a change of pace. After a year of planning, he decided to start up his hunting outfitting company, Henik Lake Adventures in 2006.

"It started out as a hobby I kind of did on the side, but it's grown over the years," he said.

For something that started off as a side project, the business certainly has come a long way. St. John said he currently employs between 15 and 20 guides, cooks and camp managers on a seasonal basis each year. He is also serves an average of 140 clients who come up to hunt everything from grizzlies and wolves to muskox and caribou.

"We've been selling out every year for the last five years," said St. John.

Although it's been a lot of work, he said he couldn't have done it without the help of his dedicated guides. He said the guides consistently get rave reviews from clients and they are one of the reasons that so many tourists keep coming back.

"We've been blessed with having a lot of good clients and there's lots of good people I met along the way," he said, adding that 90 per cent of the people who book with him are American.

"They really appreciate coming up to the North and getting to hunt and spend time with our guides," said St. John.

He said the hunters and trappers association has also been instrumental in making sure he can get tags for his clients. "It just makes things easier and you can build on your success when you have that support," he said.

St. John said the toughest part of running the business was starting it.

"People won't just come up because you're offering a hunt. You need to have a reputation and that takes a lot of years," he said.

"We've built our reputation and we get a lot of repeat business."

The company has been able to adapt to the changing tourism environment over the years.

In 2008 a reduction in the polar bear quota meant Henik no longer had access to polar bear tags.

Instead of dwelling on the misfortune, St. John started offering eco-tourism packages. Today that accounts for half of his business.

While his lumber supply business still remains the main source of income, St. John said being able to get out on the land is what keeps him going.

"I've always said, as Inuit our connection to the land is our strength," he said. "It's something I enjoy. That's why I'm involved with it."

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