Christa Swain is the new person behind the counter at the Chemainus & District Chamber of Commerce Visitor Centre, greeting tourists into Chemainus and providing valuable information on the town’s many services, amenities and attractions.
Swain, 23, from Duncan, takes over from Mikaela Alldred, who has ventured into a new business opportunity.
“I think I’m going to really like being in the tourism industry,” said Swain.
“I love talking to people and seeing where they come from. There’s a lot of people travelling from the East Coast. It’s cool to see how they can find similarities from their homes and being here.”
Swain did some extensive travelling of her own during 2017 by spending a month in the Philippines.
Otherwise, she’s had her nose to the grindstone studying and plans to do a lot more in the years ahead.
The 2013 Cowichan Secondary School graduate recently completed her Bachelor of Business from Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo.
“I did a double major in human resources and management,” she explained.
Swain just finished all her exams and June 6 will be her official graduation day.
Recent summer jobs have included working at the Maple Bay Marina and the Shoe Warehouse store in Duncan as a supervisor.
“My plan has been to go to law school,” Swain added.
“I think I’m just not done with school yet. I just love learning and being in that environment.”
She’ll be writing her Law School Admission Test and hopes to eventually attend UBC. “Be nice to stay on the West Coast, for sure,” Swain said.
That’ll mean another three years in school, but she’s looking forward to eventually reaching her goal.
Swain was in the right place at the right time for the Visitor Centre job.
“I was looking for a new position,” she said. “It would be nice to get some other experience.”
Swain spent three days with Alldred and then officially started work last Monday, April 30.
Besides consulting with visitors, she’ll be doing the weekly newsletter and working on the website.
“It’s nice to be able to use my school skills in a work environment,” Swain indicated.
She’s excited about being in the centre of the town hub during the busy tourist season to welcome guests and many repeat visitors.
“I feel like it’ll be a lot of familiar faces once I’ve been here for a while which is really nice,” Swain said.
The Chamber recorded 2,279 visitors and 47 tour buses at the centre during regular hours for the first three months of the current year.
