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About Us
Meet Our Staff
Every summer, Kumsheen employs over 50 staff from around the world. Well-rounded, knowledgeable, personable and professional, this team of employees has a wide range of experience. Due to the resort's seasonal appeal, many opportunities arise on the "off-season". Some return to school to complete their courses, others travel, and many continue working elsewhere. You'll find that a number of the guides chase summers all year round to guide rivers in the southern hemisphere whilst those who enjoy winter may stick around to instruct for the ski and snowboarding season here in BC.
Lorna Fandrich
Owner; General Manager
Consort, Alberta
The last couple years have been a lot like the last 10 years with regards to Kumsheen but I am still keenly interested in history of BC, family geneology and what the grown-up kids are up to.
Lorna's pastimes and passions: Until 1980 I was passionate about nursing, then the development of Kumsheen- but mostly I just wanted to be a good mom.
Where Lorna would like to vacation: Scotland- because I love the history, country and part of my roots
What she wanted to be when she was little: A nurse and I was until 1982
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Chris Finn
Chef/ Restaurant Manager
Prairie Boy
Until January of this year I had been managing a pub group, taking the occasional weekend or vacation to do the things I enjoy. Since January I have spent several weeks traveling Mexico, Belize, Guatamala and Vancouver Island. While down south I obtained my diving certificate and saw several ruins. Now that I am working at Kumsheen I plan on learning about kayaking and whitewater rafting, as well as getting in some good rock climbing. My favorite thing about Kumsheen is the several gardens around the resort allowing me to pick my fresh herbs� every day and all the farms around the area so that I can get in fresh local produce.
Chris' pastimes and passions: Cooking, reading, diving, hiking, snowboarding, surfing, camping, jogging, traveling
Where Chris would like to vacation: Peru- ocean, beaches, jungles, mountains & rivers
What he wanted to be when he was little: Veterinarian
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Maya Chang
Marketing Director; River Guide
Nepean, Ontario
My sense of home used to be jumping between Kumsheen's staff house, New Zealand, Vancouver, and the Yukon; juggling performing arts with the outdoors. Since becoming a resident Lytton-ite in 2007, life has struck a balance for me. I've been offering weekly yoga classes to the community and took a month-long Hatha Yoga teacher training in Baja, Mexico.
Maya's pastimes and passions: Being with friends & family, yoga, gardening, dancing...
Where Maya would like to vacation: Great Bear Rainforest, Uruguay, Madagascar...
What she wanted to be when she was little: Freelance journalist & photographer, entertainer
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Chris Mennell
 Trip Videographer
Cawston, BC
The last few year's I have been super-busy finishing my Bachelor of Fine Arts at Simon Fraser University; traveling around the world (twice) and backcountry skiing have definitely been the highlights. I'm looking forward to this summer and being back at Kumsheen Rafting Resort, the best place to spend your summer!
Chris' pastimes and passions: Kayaking, orchard-ing, eating, movie-making!
Where Chris would like to vacation: New Zealand/ BC
What he wanted to be when he was little: A raft guide
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Jayson Ryland
 River Guide
Bright, Australia
For the last few years I have been trying to do as little work as possible. In the summer I raft and then in the winter I have been trying to escape to a warmer place to do what everyone wants to do... bugger all.
Jayson's pastimes and passions: Kayaking & taking photos
Where Jayson would like to vacation: Samoa
What he wanted to be when he was little: Really Awesome
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Andrew Hoar
River Guide
Oxford, England
Last year I spent January rock climbing in Thailand, February at home in the UK. Then from March to May I worked for the Smithsonian Institute on Santa Cruz Island, California, studying orange crowned warblers. After last season at Kumsheen, I spent 14 days rafting the Grand Canyon in Utah.
Andrew's pastimes and passions: Rock climbing, playing guitar & harmonica, trying to learn French
Where Andrew would like to vacation: Papau New Guinea
What he wanted to be when he was little: Helicopter Pilot or Commodities Broker
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Lauren Sims
Office
North Vancouver, BC
For the past few years I have been living in Victoria finishing my writing degree and managing a shoe store. I am looking forward to living a life of leisure like the raft guides, skiing this winter then chasing the summer for the next few seasons.
Lauren's pastimes and passions: Reading, writing, dancing, my dvd collection, and shoes!
Where Lauren would like to vacation: Greece or Bali
What she wanted to be when she was little: A chef
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Ben Richet
River Guide; Silent Owner
Summerland, BC
Aside from working for Kumsheen, I have dabbled in working construction, rafting multiple rivers in North America, working on an oil rig in Northern Alberta, skiing and I went to Uni in there somewhere as well.
Ben's pastimes and passions: Rafting, shop work
Where Ben would like to vacation: Anywhere that is cold enough to ski or warm enough to be in the water
What he wanted to be when he was little: Hockey Player/ Baseball Player/ Conan the Barbarian
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Drey Voros
River Guide
North Vancouver, BC
The last few years I have been taking courses towards the requirements for Physiotherapy. This September I will be starting my training at UBC. I am looking forward to another season of guiding before starting school again. And hope that I can still part-time guide in future years to come.
Drey's pastimes and passions: Gardening, baking, crocheting, wine tasting & long walks on the beach
Where Drey would like to vacation: Roatan, Honduras
What she wanted to be when she was little: A physiotherapist
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Heather Mather
Campground
Toronto, Ontario
I just got back from traveling in Australia for the past six months. Before that I have been spending my winters as a ski bum at Sun Peaks. Over the next while I am volunteering at an SPCA and upgrading some school courses in the hopes of getting into the Animal Health Technology course at TRU!
Heather's pastimes and passions: Snowboarding, animals
Where Heather would like to vacation:
What she wanted to be when she was little: A veterinarian
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Cynthia Gagnon
 River Guide
Vermilion Bay, Ontario
I've been traveling around Australia, then came back to Toronto to fundraise for some charities and was a supervisor/ foreman for a logging company. I'll get some snowboarding done this winter then back on the waves guiding- the best job ever!
Cynthia's pastimes and passions: Snowboarding, camping, being on the water & travel
Where Cynthia would like to vacation: Europe; Venice before it's under water
What she wanted to be when she was little: A princess, vet or cop
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Thomas Michael Wells
River Guide
Canberra, Australia
After graduating from the University of Canberra with a creative writing major in 2007. I went on to the Australian National University to study literature through 2008. During this time, I gained my instructor's qualification in Jujitsu through the Peter Morton Academy.
Thomas' pastimes and passions: Reading, writing, jujitsu, weights, running, cycling, travel, rafting
Where Thomas would like to vacation: Switzerland
What he wanted to be when he was little: Fireman, soldier, or policeman
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Peter Dall
Campground
Lytton, BC
This year I lazed around for the winter. However, I plan to go across Canada with my little one man tent... and probably my car, depending if I'll have gas money. Then I plan to go back to Kamloops and work at Hoja, until I find something better.
Peter's pastimes and passions: The outdoors
Where Peter would like to vacation: Denmark
What he wanted to be when he was little: A transformer
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Alex Longbottom
River Guide
Maitland, South Australia
I finished my Human Movement degree in December and have come to Canada on a working holiday with no idea when I'll return home.
Alex's pastimes and passions: Hiking, hanging out with friends, rock climbing and Aussie rules football
Where Alex would like to vacation: The Greek Islands
What he wanted to be when he was little: A policeman
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Niceto Yalan Quintana
River Guide
Chosica, Peru
I was working for a rafting company in Rishikesh, India and kayaking in the Himalays of Nepal when I was invited to work at Kumsheen, where I'm returning for my second season.
Niceto's pastimes and passions: Kayaking, photography, cooking, dolphin trainer & journalism
Where Niceto would like to vacation: Alaska, Northwest Territories & Peru
What he wanted to be when he was little: A journalist
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James Boyle
River Guide
Melbourne, Australia
For the last couple of years I have been living in Europe, where I based myself in Chamonix in the French Alps. I have been chasing the snow dream, but have now turned my attention to whitewater and the Canadian Summer.
James' pastimes and passions: Telemark skiing, Kayaking, Sea Kayaking, Copper Mining
Where James would like to vacation: If I could go anywhere in the world I would go to the Himalayas, or maybe Scandinavia or Alaska or.. Actually this is a hard one, there is a few...
What he wanted to be when he was little: There were lots of things, I think I am still looking. Maybe a Truck Driver in a Big Rig, at least for one day.
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