When Marty Blanchard left a career in the Canadian armed forces, he realized he didn’t want to work in an office.
He signed up for the outdoor guiding program at North Island College, and before he knew it, he had a career that would take him to the ends of the earth. Already, he has worked as a guide in Antarctica, and he hopes to be heading to the Arctic in the not-too-distant future.
“I knew I wanted something outside. I’m not much of an office person,” he said.
Originally from New Brunswick, he made his way west to Vancouver Island in 2017, moving to Comox because of the military, which included working as a mechanic and training to become a search-and-rescue technician. When he was done, he wanted to keep his home base in the Comox Valley.
“I moved out here, and I just never left because it’s so beautiful,” he said.
In 2018, he enrolled in NIC’s Adventure Guiding Certificate program and graduated in 2019. Quickly, he started working with the company Spirit of the West Adventures, based on Quadra Island. Currently, he is Operations Manager as well as a level 3 sea kayak guide. He handles a lot of the logistics but still gets out to guide on trips to places like the Great Bear Rainforest.
As much of the work is seasonal, it can mean going where the work is. When the economy picked up after the pandemic, some people had already left the guiding industry. Blanchard saw an opportunity for guiding Antarctic adventures offered by Polar Latitudes, which has people from all over the globe working on tours. He applied and felt lucky as the person interviewing him was from Alert Bay, basically the same corner of the world.
“We just kind of chatted about the industry and the connections we had,” he said.
Soon, he was working as a sea kayak guide for trips down south during the winter months. The season on the southernmost continent runs from about mid-October to mid-March, as they take trips down on an expedition ship, usually with about 135 passengers and 118 crew and staff.
“It’s not cruise ship style, it’s more expedition style,” he said.
While on expeditions, Blanchard also works to educate people about climate change and the importance of protecting and advocating for the vulnerable ecosystems they get to explore on their adventures.
He will be heading south again this fall, and next summer 2026 he is looking toward the other pole for another guiding adventure.
“We’re finally going to the Arctic,” he said.
More recently, he started a new eco wellness business with his wife Kelly Blanchard, who is a nature-based therapist with a master’s in counselling, as well as a sea kayak guide. Their focus is on how nature can act as a co-therapist by helping people reconnect with nature, the community and themselves. In July, the couple just returned from their inaugural trip in partnership with Spirit of the West Adventures on West Cracroft Island just across from the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve.
For Blanchard, his training as a guide at NIC has allowed him to explore various opportunities, taking him from program graduate to seasoned sea kayak guide and entrepreneur.
“For those drawn to a life beyond the ordinary, the Adventure Guiding Certificate offers a gateway to truly remarkable careers,” says instructor Gregg Cormie. “Imagine launching a healthy career in spectacular places, working alongside inspiring people and waking up each day eager for the adventure ahead. Our alumni, like Marty, consistently inspire us to live fully and embrace the incredible paths that unfold when you follow your passion.”
For more information about the NIC Alumni Network, email alumni@nic.bc.ca.