For the past decade, Tom Hermance has worked to keep Bella Coola, a remote coastal town in British Columbia, on the map. Surrounded by ancient rainforest and glacier-carved mountains, the town is accessible only by plane, ferry or a long, often treacherous 11-hour drive from Vancouver.
Tom has been a key part of the local business community in Bella Coola for over twenty years. And for the past eight years, he served as president and webmaster of Bella Coola Valley Tourism, a role he takes seriously.
Two decades ago, Tom and his partner Carsten made the move to Bella Coola from upstate New York.
“On the History Channel we saw the beautiful central B.C. coast. We visited and it was like Shangri La. Both of us were overjoyed,” says Tom.