DAVE MORRIS recently spent six months, instead of his usual three, in New Zealand, visiting his daughter and her family, when the pandemic put everyone in lockdown and closed the country’s borders. When he could finally leave, he returned to his 36-foot converted Atagi fishing trawler on Quadra Island, which he has called home since 2012.
“I like having everything within arm’s reach,” he says about his life on the boat. And he can head out when the mood strikes him. “It’s quiet here and I write,” says the author of several books, two of which (Cold Water People and Disappearance) are available at the Campbell River Library, “because that’s just what I like to do.”
Dave says his next novel will, like his previous ones, be character-driven, and likely influenced by his pandemic experiences. “I am working on an idea now.”
The native Ontarian originally moved to the UK in 1991 to teach French, Spanish and German, both there and on the European continent. Eventually, he left that path and, for the next 12 years, ran a market gardening business in North Norfolk. “It was much better for my brain,” he says, referring to the fresh produce he grew for local restaurants and Farmer’s Markets.
While Dave now rarely speaks the languages he once taught, he has found peace in his lifestyle. “I am closer to nature here on my boat,” he says, “and less constricted by walls and the needs of others.”
KERRY MULHERN, a native Vancouverite, is concerned about the post-pandemic reality ahead, especially for the millennial generation and their offspring. He feels fortunate to have had so many opportunities to live his life in Vancouver, adding, “we live in the best country in the world.”
A long-time outdoor enthusiast, Kerry regularly hikes Grouse Mountain’s BCMC trail year-round, skis Whistler and cycles around town. While attending SFU Burnaby, he developed a love of theatre, and began his early work as a prop technician. Later, he did gigs at The Cultch and the Arts Club stages.
In 1999, Kerry started spending his summer holidays at the outdoor Caravan Farm Theatre in Armstrong, where he eventually started running the bar as a volunteer and continued to do that until last summer.
Along his way, Kerry engaged the support of a psychiatrist to help him navigate some life issues. “It helped me be who I am; it’s been a life-saver for me to have had that ongoing support,” he says, recommending the process.
This time of self-reflection inspired Kerry to change his work from creating props to supporting people with physical and mental challenges. Now semi-retired, he still works with one or two clients.
“I give back by helping others,” he says, while also creating hand-painted neckties for his friends and continuing a lifelong wood sculpting hobby.
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