It’s Been a Blast!

It’s been a blast! Historians and sociologists tell us that humans connect more through story telling than through lengthy descriptions or histories. Well, I am a story teller. So here goes! I was conceived in Trinidad and Tobago, born in Victoria, BC and moved to Nova Scotia, all by the time I was less than three months old (total moves, by ship and train, of over 15,000 km!). I lived or worked in 3 Canadian provinces (B.C, Que and N.S.) in18 communities, ranging from a town of about 100 people on the Nova Scotia coast, to a farming town in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, to 15 communities in BC ranging from 19 people on an island on the coast to Metro Victoria and Vancouver in the south to Mile 300 of the Alaska Highway in the far north. I had 3 careers, working at 17 work sites: forestry (1.5 years – forest fire fighter x 2, tree feller, tree planter, and remote island despatcher, all at the ripe old ages of 17 to 19!), banking (15 years, 10 positions, in 9 branches, in 7 communities, including 4 as a small-town branch manager in the North Okanagan) and law, where I became a partner in a large Vancouver law firm and grew my law practice into managing major financial transactions, at times of over $600 million. I have taken courses from 7 universities, with degree credits from 5, most (other than 3 years at law school) via night classes or correspondence. At almost age 35, I quit banking and went to law school, with my stay-at-home wife, Ardis, and 4 young children, ages 8, 6, 3 and 1 in tow. I became a BC lawyer at age 38 and an Alberta one at age 49. Our 4 children all married, and have blessed us with 9 grandchildren. I have been heavily involved in community leadership. I have served on over 40 volunteer boards or committees, all of local, provincial, national, and international, heading 15 of them, including my law class, the BC Chamber of Commerce and the Clan MacLeod Societies of Canada. Federally, I have been a political campaign manager for each of the “Progressive” Conservatives, in a local nomination race and the Liberals, in a General Election, for a Federal Cabinet Minister. My career can be summarized with a little ditty (maybe put to the music of Sinatra's "That's Life"): I have been a “logger, lender, lawyer and leader, laterally in Lumby, Langley, law school and lawyers Lawson Lundell”. That’s 17 L’s - love all that “L” alliteration. Maybe later I will become a linguist or lay about – 2 more “Ls”! I had many unique or interesting work experiences, including being in 5 robberies or attempts (4 armed), carrying a corpse out of the bush (as a banker!), going into a medium security prison under an assumed name, and negotiating major financing transactions of over a half billion dollars. I have had personal interactions with many Canadian Prime Ministers, BC Premiers, Bank of Canada Governors and more. I have received many awards, including The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal. I have done maybe thousands of pages of writing on business, law, leadership, things MacLeod and Scotland, family stories and genealogy, Canadian history, public policy, and politics. I was raised to question authority and often did. I have not been shy about being in the public eye pretty much my whole life. I have done scores, if not hundreds, of speeches. While in business leadership, I also did countless media interviews and presentations, some of them nationally. In my early 20s, I took singing lessons for 3 years, and did a lot of public singing over the years. I played a lot of different sports (mostly ice hockey, floor hockey, softball and soccer) up until about age 46, and then did a lot of swimming up until age 66. I have taken some risks, both career wise and in some life activities, but came out relatively unscathed. I have also been very fortunate, even lucky. I have been a bit of a jokester, and have pulled off a few very funny (at least to me!) stunts. In addition to those experiences, I have had many other unique or interesting ones, with aircraft (all of helicopters, water bombers, float planes and little 4-seaters), small world connections spanning 75 years, and “interesting” vistas out of office windows. Unfortunately, I contracted multiple sclerosis and in 2000 I had to take medical leave from my law practice. But my right hand works and I am ok from the neck up (some might dispute that!), so I can read and write. I am not in any discomfort so I am not complaining (and besides, the only w(h)ine anyone is interested in comes in a bottle). As above, I have been known as a story teller. So, here goes.