The BC Adventure Company
The Best of BC, Naturally™
Urban. Nature. Culinary.
“If you think about it, the finest gift is the gift of time. Perhaps one perfect, unforgettable day…” ™
The BC Adventure Company
Established by the owners of Rockwood Adventures, Alasdair Douglas and Nancy Celetti, BC Adventure Company (BCAC) provides intimate private luxury events and adventures with exquisite culinary experiences for local residents to explore the best of their province and for all Canadians to discover and explore Vancouver, the Okanagan, Whistler, Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast. Supported by an unprecedented group of travel partners, professional guides and backcountry experts, BCAC is focused on the Canadian retail travel trade.
Since 1995, BC Adventure Company’s sister brand Rockwood Adventures has been the pioneer of storied west coast urban and wilderness excursions, with a culinary twist and a designated Destination Canada, Canadian Signature Experiences award-winning tour operator since 2010.
Offering a diverse range of COVID-19 safe and approved excursions, BCAC delivers a myriad of adventure experiences and has partnered with industry-leading specialists to offer intimate small group weddings, engagements, and celebration of life gatherings.
Contents
Charitable Affiliations
Alasdair Douglas Biography
A Pandemic Success Story
Intimate Experiences for Milestone Moments
Fantastic Fairmont Al Fresco Adventures
Bio-tourism in Action: The Ultimate Okanagan Foodie Tour Reimagined
Beekeeping and Therapy: An Exclusive Tour with Hives for Humanity
Pandemic-Era Luxury Experiences
Seeking Solace from COVID-19
Stay in Touch
Charitable Affiliations
With a strong belief in, and continued commitment toward, giving-back, the ownership team have made BC Adventure Company a socially purposed enterprise, promoting education and preservation of our ecosystems. BC Adventure Company also supports and advocates for the Take a Hike Foundation, providing in-kind services and donating a total of 2.5 percent of its revenues to this worthy not-for-profit.
The Take a Hike Foundation uses the outdoors and adventure to engage vulnerable youth in school and their community. Delivering a successful mental health and wellbeing program, in partnership with BC High Schools, the program has had a proven and lasting impact in the lives of vulnerable youth—evidenced by a 97 percent High School graduation rate versus the BC average of less than 86 percent.
The Take A Hike Foundation works to enable vulnerable youth to build the skills and resilience they need to graduate high school, build healthy relationships, and achieve success – however they define it. For more information please visit takeahikefoundation.org.
Alasdair Douglas
Born in Zimbabwe, Africa, Alasdair Douglas was a young child when he moved to Canada. At the age of seven, he accompanied his father and three brothers on a kayaking trip to Bowron Lakes, now a renowned canoe and kayak circuit. They fashioned kayaks out of canvas and plywood, and spent 10 days exploring the remote wilderness.
The trip sparked Alasdair’s love for the outdoors – a passion that, combined with a keen entrepreneurial spirit, has driven a long and successful career. Immediately out of school, Alasdair and a friend launched Bust Loose! Holidays, a group tour company that took young adults on Club Med-style event experiences to Mexico, ski resorts and houseboating. After moving to Toronto, Alasdair joined Carlson Marketing Group (now Aimia), shifting his focus to incentive travel. Next, he moved to Whistler to accept a position with Intrawest (the former owners of Whistler Blackcomb), where he was part of a team that launched Club Intrawest, a collection of holiday timeshares. He also spent time as an independent consultant; one of his projects was launching The Westin Grand in downtown Vancouver, which led to another position heading up marketing for a 36-hotel property ownership and management company called CHIP Hospitality.
After many years spent in the corporate world, Alasdair decided to return to his entrepreneurial roots. While attending his mother’s 85th birthday party, he ran into Manfred Scholermann, a friend of his parents whom he had known since he was five years old. The conversation turned to Alasdair buying Manfred’s company, Rockwood Adventures, a successful Vancouver-based business that focused on culinary and ecotour experiences. The friends started working together in 2018. One year later, Alasdair and his wife, Nancy, formally acquired the company.
When the global pandemic hit, Rockwood Adventures – whose clientele is comprised solely of international visitors – experienced a zero-revenue year. Alasdair and Nancy decided they needed to pivot to attract local business, without repositioning Rockwood’s already established brand. BC Adventure Company was born, focusing on outdoor adventures including culinary and Indigenous-based experiences targeted to the domestic market, and special occasion events targeted to locals.
BC Adventure Company has become a rare pandemic success story, with Alasdair and Nancy forging ties with transportation partners like Harbour Air and SKY Helicopters; global brands like Fairmont and Hyatt; and notable individuals such as Wade Davis, Chief Clarence Louie and numerous renowned chefs. In the couple’s rare spare time, they play beach bocce and “cornhole”, and take their boat to remote islands in the Salish Sea where they – naturally – camp in the wilderness.
A Pandemic Success Story
BC Adventure Company was conceived by Alasdair Douglas and Nancy Celetti, owners of successful culinary and eco-tour company Rockwood Adventures. When the global pandemic hit, the company – whose clientele is comprised solely of international visitors – experienced a zero-revenue year. Alasdair and Nancy decided they needed to pivot to meet the needs of the new tourism and travel environment by developing new products and targeting the Canadian domestic market without repositioning Rockwood’s already established brand.
As a result, BC Adventure Company was born, focusing on outdoor adventures and special occasion events, including culinary and Indigenous-based experiences targeted to locals and the Canadian domestic market. Since the new company’s launch, Alasdair and Nancy have forged ties with fellow BC tourism businesses like Harbour Air and SKY Helicopters, global brands like Fairmont and Hyatt, and notable individuals such as Wade Davis, Suzanne Simard and Chief Clarence Louie to build responsible, cultural, culinary-focused and nature-inspired experiences for domestic visitors seeking an everyday escape.
Intimate Experiences for Milestone Moments
Pandemic Solutions for Engagements, Weddings, Celebrations of Life and Other Special Occasions
With pandemic restrictions limiting capacity for weddings, celebrations of life and other milestone events, BC Adventure Company is helping people across the province celebrate with the unique exhilaration each occasion deserves.
Lovebirds seeking an unforgettable way to tie the knot can book one-of-a-kind experiences such as the Ultimate Al Fresco Wedding Adventure with Gourmet Culinary Experience: a stress-free small-group gathering hosted in an Instagram-worthy outdoor setting, paired with a tantalizing culinary experience. The BC Adventure Company team will even arrange for you, a marriage officiant, photographer, décor and everything else required for the best day of your life.
Thinking of proposing? Reserve the Engagement Proposal Backcountry Helicopter and Fraser Valley Wine and Culinary Adventure, a sure-fire way to elicit an “I will”. After soaring to new heights over dramatic mountain peaks, waterfalls and lakes with your sweetheart, you’ll land in a remote location – either breathtaking mountain, alpine lake or glacier-fed river – to ask the important question and celebrate with champagne. Afterward, enjoy a scenic drive to some of the top wineries in the Lower Mainland, where you’ll also enjoy an al fresco culinary experience.
If you’re organizing a celebration of life, alleviate stress by booking the Celebration of Life Ceremony with Gourmet Al Fresco Reception. BC Adventure Company will handle all the legwork so you can focus on the most important component: honouring your loved one. After hosting the ceremony at a special place of your choosing, you and your nearest and dearest can share memories over an al fresco culinary experience, either lakeside, harbourside, or at a top-quality restaurant. Rest assured, the entire event will be crafted according to your wishes.
No matter the event, celebration, or milestone, BC Adventure Company offers a tailor-made, nature- and culinary-driven experience that will satiate the mind, spirit and pallet and create lasting memories.
Fantastic Fairmont Al Fresco Adventure
Experience the best Vancouver has to offer while enjoying the pampering at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, featuring old-world charm and centrally located. Choose from many of Vancouver’s incredible options; urban, nature, culinary, culture - soft adventures or active adventures.
From the skyscrapers of downtown Vancouver to the skyscrapers of Mother Nature’s rainforests™, BC Adventure Company's Fantastic Fairmont Al Fresco Adventures will let you enjoy Vancouver like you never imagined. In addition to staying at the beautiful Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, a personal driver and Urban & Eco-Guide will take you on a two-day guided experience. BC Adventure Company's guides have incredible passion and knowledge about British Columbia's astonishing range of geology, geography, ecosystems, natural and urban history and culture, from food and beverages, local Indigenous peoples and places to public art, architecture, local business operations and real estate. You’ll have a myriad of fantastic adventure options to choose from.
Bio-tourism in Action: The Ultimate Okanagan Foodie Tour Reimagined
Going far beyond a simple wine tour, rediscover the Okanagan through Indigenous culture, gastronomy and sustainable bio-tourism. Centred on the premise of travellers engaging with the environment and culture of a destination in a way that’s constructive (not destructive), bio-tourism is hallmarked by cultural diversity, tradition, history and sustainability. BC Adventure Company strives to incorporate bio-tourism into every part of company operations, such as sourcing sustainably harvested ingredients for culinary experiences and facilitating connections between guests and notable locals who are championing cultural and environmental preservation.
A prime example of bio-tourism in action is Meet the Insiders Outside: Okanagan Savouring Sustainability Adventure, an enlightening and culinary-driven tour of the famed Okanagan Valley. Guests meet with Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band – one of the most successful bands in North America – as well as celebrity chefs who are redefining farm-to-table gourmet dining, and one of Canada’s seven Masters of Wine.
The exclusive and customizable tour also visits District Wine Village, an innovative wine, culinary and entertainment centre; Covert Farms Family Estate, a third-generation organic farm and winery; and a sacred Indigenous lake revered for centuries as a place of healing. Allowing visitors to gain an entirely new perspective of the Okanagan, this private tour takes guests off the beaten path and onto both a culinary, sustainable and enlightening journey.
Beekeeping and Therapy: An Exclusive Tour with Hives for Humanity
Once a hobby of the wealthy, beekeeping has seen a resurgence with companies like Hives for Humanity educating people about the central role bees play in our ecosystem. BC Adventure Company encourages guests to “bee” curious on the new “Bee the Solution Adventure™: Beekeeping & the Therapeutic Culture of the Hive”, a 3.5-hour tour through Vancouver’s downtown core guided by Hives for Humanity’s Sarah Common, whose team is extending the therapeutic culture of beehives to economically vulnerable people living in the Downtown Eastside.
Part city tour, part workshop, and part humanitarian and sustainability initiative, this one-of-a-kind adventure demonstrates the power of skills sharing and experiential learning to cultivating self-worth, community pride and meaningful engagement with food and the land. Along the way, guests will learn how Hives for Humanity works to alleviate poverty and empower leadership, as they strive to support at-risk populations of both people and pollinators.
Pandemic-Era Luxury Experiences
Indulge in Your Perfect Trip with BC Adventure Company
Whether luxury gourmand or rugged all-inclusive backcountry adventure BC Adventure Company has an experience for you, providing a myriad of authentic adventures and events!
If you prefer to journey in style, try the Backcountry Helicopter and Fraser Valley Wine and Culinary Adventure – an incredible way to take your adventuring to new heights. After boarding a private helicopter, you and your “bubble” will fly over dramatic peaks and backcountry waterfalls; upon landing, you’ll enjoy a leisurely scenic drive to the Fraser Valley’s best wineries for a celebratory wine and culinary experience. Tip: don’t forget your camera!
Prefer an active excursion? The North Shore Canyoning Adventure challenges you to channel your inner Indiana Jones as you explore world-class canyons and waterfalls just 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver (no prior experience required). Exploring Cypress Mountain and wandering the area’s temperate rainforest, industry experts will enable you to don top-quality safety gear and clamber through lush canyons, venture right up to rushing waterfalls and jump into crystal clear pools.
Seeking an even more rugged escape? Sign up for the all-inclusive Garibaldi Lake Backpacking where you’ll learn and love the experience of backcountry camping. On an intermediate hike near Whistler, you and your crew will march through old-growth forests, wildflower meadows and scenic mountainscapes abundant in wildlife. Accompanied by two professional hiking and backpacking guides, you’ll assist in the set up of camp near one of North America’s last remaining southern glaciers, then choose your own adventure to determine which of the many nearby trails you’ll hike in the morning.
Seeking Solace from COVID-19
Rainforest Bathing Enhanced
Forest bathing is all the rage – but what exactly is it? Originating in Japan, the concept – traditionally known as shinrin-yoku – involves mindfully experiencing nature through our senses. By bridging the gap between ourselves and the natural world, we can reduce stress, restore energy and vitality, and emerge feeling rejuvenated and ready to tackle the world, now more important than ever following the collective stress enduring from the pandemic.
Leveraging the numerous benefits of spending time in nature – and with restrictions on indoor gathering motivating people to increase their time outdoors – BC Adventure Company built on the principles of shinrin-yoku to design the immersive Rainforest Bathing Tour. Guided by a professional trained in forest bathing, guests plunge into uncut rainforest, learning how thousand-year-old cedars and Douglas firs collaborate to survive.
While listening to ocean waves crashing against granite cliffs, you’ll learn and experience the biochemistry and health benefits of coniferous forests. You’ll also view incredible vistas of downtown Vancouver, Burrard Inlet and Bowen Island, and a national historic lighthouse, before wandering the Capilano River Canyon and Cleveland Dam, which supplies some of the cleanest drinking water in the world. End your zen-inducing excursion with an al fresco culinary experience along the river as you take in the sounds of the flowing water. Learn the art and science of Shinrin Yoku on this excursion, and allow that knowledge to guide your wellness journey for decades to come.