Action Packed Charters

Introducing Action Packed Charters, established in 2016, owned by Carla Halvorsen (First Nation Name: Hoolth upii – which means “the calm before the storm” given to her by her grandmother Helen Rush and grandfather Samson Robinson).  Carla is of Uchucklesaht First Nation and Norwegian descent.  Action Packed employees three people.

About the Business:

My name is Carla Halvorsen, I am a member of the Uchucklesaht Tribe and I grew up in the Village of Ehthlateese which is located about an hour boat ride down the Alberni Canal. I own and operate a water taxi company called Action Packed Charters out of Port Alberni BC.

I started with a 5 passenger boat called the Raider (one of my favourite boats to fish out of on the ocean and lakes) and the larger 12 passenger boat called the Qu’usin means Raven in our first nation language – ravens are thought to be the master of time – this is one of the largest of my two boats which is a great travelling/touring/cruising boat that can fit many people and their pets comfortably.

All my life, we had to depend on boats or float planes to get to and from home and school over the years because we lived in such an isolated location. We harvested most of our traditional foods from around Kildonan and out in the Barclay Sound – it was very important to know how to operate a boat and all the safety aspects of the marine weather in order to survive in these areas on the west coast.

I come from a whole family of skippers and fishermen – my mother was the captain of the school boat named the Lowrider back in the day for many years and also skippered my boats, and all my sisters have their skipper certifications as well to complete their other jobs as biologists and fisheries technicians. My husband Mike Lambert is also a skipper/captain and I also have my captain certifications.

The best thing about this business is being able to meet people, hear their stories and create charters that work for them and put a smile on their faces. I also love having the option of being able to take any boat out depending on the adventure I create for myself.

Everyone has their own idea as to what will make them happy on the waters – it could be a preferred way to get to work and taxi down, sightseeing, fishing, exploring or simply being able to go home or visit one of their favourite cultural locations.

I am grateful for NEDC and the community for assisting and supporting Action Packed Charters. I have met so many amazing people with wonderful stories and absolutely love to help them create more adventures for themselves so they can enjoy the ocean and lakes just as much as I do.

The advice I would give future entrepreneurs would be to not be afraid to move forward on your business ideas, no matter how big or small (you may surprise how much more you can expand your business later on)– it is a satisfying feeling to create a business not only you can enjoy, but others in the community can enjoy and benefit from.