A recently-formed volunteer group hoping to beautify Queen Charlotte has won the contract to run the town's visitor information centre.
Gwaii Haanas, which administers the info centre, awarded the contract last week to the Friends of the Visitor Centre. The contract was previously held by the Haida Gwaii Tourism Association.
Gwaii Haanas superintendent Ernie Gladstone said the group was the only one which submitted a proposal after the contract was advertised earlier this year.
Greg Martin, a member of the group, said its goals are to promote all-islands tourism, as well as take on beautification projects in the Queen Charlotte area.
"We're local people, and want to do good things for the community," Mr. Martin said. "We're thinking in particular about sidewalks, and a possible pathway between Meegan's and the ball field."
Another member, Barb Rowsell, said the group will run the info centre in line with the principles expressed in the new Heritage Tourism Strategy.
"It's about what we value about where and how we live," she said. "The small-town charm is a big plus for visitors."
Queen Charlotte residents have good community spirit, she said, and the group hopes to add to that: "We want to make Charlotte a better place to live, and a better place to visit."
Gwaii Haanas awarded the contract to run the Sandspit visitor info centre to Info Plus, the same contractor which has run it for the past couple of years, Mr. Gladstone said. In this case also, only one bid was received.
Gwaii Haanas has been paying about $125,000 a year to run both info centres, which are open from May to September. This year, Mr. Gladstone said, it will cost less.
"Both bids were less than we've been paying in the past," he said, adding that this is in line with Gwaii Haanas's intention to reduce its operating costs and eventually turn the info centres over to another organization.
Mr. Gladstone said he expects to call for "expressions of interest" in the next couple of months from groups willing to take over the info centres completely