I fell in love with the ocean

I found work building fiberglass commercial  boats in Victoria at Pelagic Pacific designed by Vic Goldrup .  I worked for Vic in Campbell River until being sent to Hadley's Bay near Minstrel Island to finish outfitting boats.    Michael was two and Susan and I lived with 8 other adults along 1/4 mile of road, in the middle of nowhere, or so we thought.  

Actually Terrace BC was the heart of nowhere after I talked my way into a empty pre-paid course repairing outboard motors.  Carrie was born in 1975, Manpower said congratulations on your new arrival here's $10 extra a month, unemployment said we hear you are receiving an extra $10 a month and took it away.

A tough year but that ticket allowed me to get a job for working for BC Packers in Steveston, Namu and Queensboro.  Steveston gave me a job and sent me to Namu.  Namu, allowed us to save $10k, Susan worked in fresh fisn, and then send Susan to SFU.   Working at Queensboro made that happen!  That allowed us to get into Louis Riel House where I also worked as a part time assistant manager.   After BC Packers I went to work for Finning Tractor but I was laid off during the 1980 recession with 1000 other Finning employees.  My dad passed in 1980.  Susan was taking full loads and working part time so I built a H-89 computer and taught myself basic.  

By 1983 our savings were gone and we had $13k in student loans ($40k in 2024).   In 1984, having earned her teaching certificate but one semester short of earning her five-year degree , Susan accepted her first temporary teaching contract with SD#72 on Cortes Island.  By then we were as poor as church mice.  Susan borrowed her Dad's camper and worked until we had enough money to move to Cortes.

I found work on Quadra Island, a 40 minute ferry ride from Cortes.  I hitchhiked across Quadra every day meeting all sorts of people.   It was great!  We had crossed the finish line!  We were safe, in good health and on Cortes stood to earn over $60k a year from that point on.  We were Rich!  Safe place for the kids after the terrors of the notorious serial killer of  Burnaby children.  I thought that I had died and gone to heaven.  It lasted two months, eight weeks.  

I fell off the Q-Cove Boatworks marine ways on a Friday in September 1984.  The fall should have killed me. 

Forrest Gump Ran, I began to swim.  I swam for five years. 

• 1984 - Injured at Q-Cove

• 1986 -  Two years after I fell, my claim for compensation was denied due to a preexisting condition.    A spine.

  • I had injured my neck, broken my back at T-12 with a prolapsed disk at L5 - I moved like the tin-man of Oz

  • It was the middle of a recession,  healthcare  was not in the budget

  • I was denied physical therapy,  I was told to work it off

  • I was prescribed 16 different medications

  • I was unable to work full time between 1984 - 1989 

• 1989 - Five years after I fell  I was hired to figure out new GIS technology in Woss, BC.   

• 1994 - Ten years after I fell, the Canadian Government after they took us to court for $28k - we borrowed and paid 

• 2000 - Sixteen years after I fell, the Canadian Government stopped seizing our income tax returns.

• 2004 - Twenty years after I fell, we paid off the loans. 

twenty years to recover

2005 - Twenty One Years after I fell off the marine ways at Q-Cove Boatworks

• I was working full time as Manager of Information Systems 

• I had multiple business customers 

• I had $250k in RRSP's.  I had $10k of Apple at $80    

• Susan and I took a five week vacation.  We spent $25k. 

• SIMPLICITY, PATIENCE, COMPASSION.

• GOING WITH THE FLOW. 

• LETTING GO. 

• HARMONY.

“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,

For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,

For the want of a horse the rider was lost,

For the want of a rider the battle was lost,

For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,

And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.” ― Benjamin Franklin