The Stories That Brought You Here

Welcome Home, David Leadbeater

Welcome to the fourth episode of this special series called - Welcome Home. This is a chance to meet some of the new residents to Pender Island, hear why they chose to live here, how they are participating in the community and what the experience of living here has been like so far.

Next up in the series is David Leadbeater. Having been born and raised in Calgary, the idea of living in the Gulf Islands always seemed like a dream to him. Soon after retiring from his career with an excavating company in the Lower Mainland, he and his wife Deanna, made that dream happen.

In this interview, David will describe how he moved to the Fraser Valley in the mid-seventies and met his future wife at a Halloween party. The two stayed in that area for decades raising their two sons. Now all four of them have pooled their resources and are co-owners of the property on Pender. As well, David will speak about and the pleasure he receives from kayaking in the ocean and tell the incredible story of the first home, he and Deanna lived in after they were married, a reconstructed CPR train station. All that and more in a great interview with a great guy. Enjoy!

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Welcome Home, Stefani Williams

Welcome to the third instalment of this special series called - Welcome Home. This is a chance to meet some of the new residents to the island, hear why they chose to live on Pender, how they are participating in the community and how the experience of living here is going.

Next up in the series, is the fantastic Stefani Williams. While this is actually her second time as a resident of the island, it was the first one that had a deep impact on her life. She opened Slow Coast Coffee in her early-twenties and it was there, she would meet her future husband, Chris. Early on in their relationship, they moved away off the island, and soon became pregnant with twin boys. Stef will describe how her young family's life unfolded during those many years away and what made them ultimately return to Pender in 2021.

As well, Stef will speak about the benefits of living in a multi-generational housing situation, how she created her own clothing business, why she was passionate about homeschooling her children, and her joy of frequenting farm stands.

All that and more, in a great little interview. Enjoy!

Welcome Home, Jorgen Jespersen

As the world has changed over the past few years, so has our island. Many people have decided to make a big move in their lives and relocate to our little paradise. This series is a chance to meet some of our new residents, get to know them a bit better, find out why they chose Pender, how they would like to participate in the community and ultimately, welcome them to their new home.

The series continues with Jorgen Jespersen. In the early spring of 2021, Jorgen, his wife, Lee-Ann and their two daughters made the move from Edmonton to Pender. In the years leading up to this, their family had made numerous trips to the island to visit their close friends. Those experiences inspired them to make a big change in their lives and move to the West Coast.

Jorgen will describe how this all unfolded, as well, speak about his sixteen year career as a youth worker in Edmonton and how he and his wife got joined a running club on the island.  He will also explain how he got involved with the ambulance service on the island and share stories about growing up on a dairy farm in Barrhead, Alberta. All that and much more in a delightful little interview, with a great guy.

 

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Welcome Home, Alexandra Harrison

As the world has changed over the past few years, so has our island. Many people have decided to make a big move in their lives and relocate to our little paradise. This series is a chance to meet some of our new residents, get to know them a bit better, find out why they chose Pender, how they would like to participate in the community and ultimately, welcome them to their new home.

This series begins with Alexandra Harrison. In 2021, she and her partner, Joe, had been living in Brentwood Bay on the Saanich Peninsula. That spring, they decided that they would begin to look for a house to purchase. Through a combination of the impactful experiences she had in her youth at her grandfather's home on Galiano Island and Joe's deep involvement in disc golf, Pender seemed like a dream if they could make it happen. 

Alexandra will explain how things unfolded for them along the way, describe the fascinating story of how she started her own business as a proposal writing consultant, how that work allows her to work from home and the positive experiences she has had living here. All that and more, in great little interview with a fantastic person.

Enjoy.

 

 

Episode 48 - Adam Olsen

This time around, I speak with the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saanich North and the Gulf Islands, Adam Olsen. Having grown up on the Saanich Peninsula as a member of Tsartlip First Nation (W̱JOȽEȽP), Adam will speak at length about many of the unique experiences he and his family had during those early years. This will include the story of how his parents developed a business involving Cowichan sweaters.

Adam will also describe the lessons he learned from a previous job as a server at Butchart Gardens and his pursuit of becoming a hockey play-by-play announcer. He will give thanks to the person who first encouraged him to become involved in local politics. He will also speak about the commonality of substance abuse in our society and how important it is to acknowledge the damaging effects of stigmatization. 

All this and much more, in a very wide ranging interview with a very interesting person from our community.

Enjoy.

Southern Gulf Islands Grandparent Storytelling Series - Paul Williamson from Pender Island

When Paul was a young boy, he spent his summers visiting his grandparents at their home on the Sunshine coast. The memories from that time have influenced him greatly. So much so, that he was inspired to build a home on Pender Island similar to the one his grandparents had. Paul tells a short story about the importance of being able to provide similar experiences for his grandchildren today.

Southern Gulf Islands Grandparent Storytelling Series - Joanna Weeks from Mayne Island

Joanna met her friend, Barbara Ann, at the age of three while living on Pender Island. They reconnected years later while attending the same high school in West Vancouver. This led to a lifetime of friendship between the two. Joanna describes some of the many shared experiences they had. Some of those as young mothers, each raising families of four children and spending summers together on Mayne Island.

Southern Gulf Islands Grandparent Storytelling Series - Richard Blagborne from Saturna Island

Richard tells the story of helping to preserve the Saturna Island community hall, which was build in 1933. He also shares some details about other original community halls in the Southern Gulf Islands, their historical significance, acoustic qualities and why we should care about keeping them standing.

Southern Gulf Islands Grandparent Storytelling Series - Carol Robson from Galiano Island

Carol began her experience of living on Galiano Island at the age of two. After moving off the island at age twelve, she eventually returned in 2001 to care for her ailing mother during the last six years of her life. Carol will speak about her memories of those years and what it meant to her to have returned home to Galiano.

Episode 47 - Shelley Richards

In 2005, Shelley and her husband, Steve, purchased property on Pender and started building a house. By the following year, they had moved in and began living on the island.  We start the interview with Shelley (who was also a new Mom at the time) reflecting back on those years and detailing some of the experiences she had as a new resident.

From there, Shelley speaks about how she developed a passion for food, which led to her creating her catering business - Shel's Kitchen. She will also talk about what it was like growing up the youngest of six girls, the profound impact her Mom had on her life, and how hosting karaoke nights while living on Vancouver Island, turned into her writing and performing her own music.

All that and more in a fantastic little interview with a fantastic person.

Enjoy.