Derik Ewen leads the construction efforts of Kwa’lilas Hotel’s renovations. As the Manager of the K’awat’si Construction Company, a community-owned organization which he helped build from ground up, Derik works to maintain strong relationships with clients, manage projects and worksites and learn more daily about the Gwa’sala-’Nakwaxda’xw community and culture where many of his projects are located. He is quick to share his tricks of the trade with his teams to find unique solutions for unique problems and is never afraid to be an additional pair of hands when projects need that extra push.

With over 25 years of experience in the construction industry, Derik is fluent in all building trades and building codes, local and provincial. He built a successful career as a general contractor managing residential and commercial building projects on the foundation of his early Millwright training and has a great deal of respect for master trades people and a continual desire to learn new construction methods.

Derik has held previous senior contracting positions working in remote locations such as Zeballos and Gilford Island. He lives with his family in Nanaimo.