A lifestyle decision brought me to Victoria.
I'd made a number of trips west for both business and pleasure (skiing and hiking, mainly). It was my trip to Expo 86 followed by a boat trip up the coast to Skagway, Alaska and a 5-day hike over the Chilkoot Trail that finally convinced me that this was where I wanted to live. The combination of natural beauty, weather and an array of outdoor pursuits added up to a healthier environment.

I was still in Toronto at the time, working with two partners in a small property development/management company called Centor. The three of us had been friends and real estate partners for at least 20 years.

Moving to BC would mean leaving them and a lifetime of other friends and family behind. And it would also mean a change of career, for to reestablish myself in real estate in an unfamiliar market was neither practical nor appealing - it didn't fit with the lifestyle I'd planned for this stage of my life.

I had changed careers once before. Fresh from university I'd worked for 5 years as a professional forester throughout Northern Ontario. Then, in 1966, I'd returned to school for my MBA and, since graduating had been involved in real estate. Whatever third career I now chose would likely be my last so I was especially eager to choose wisely and well.

To more knowledgeably prepare for my own retirement, I had been taking a series of financial planning courses offered by the Canadian Institute of Financial Planning and by the time I'd completed the final course in the Fall of 1990 I had decided what I would do as a third career. In the same manner I was preparing myself, I would help prepare others for a secure retirement. I would be a financial planner.

The picture was complete when I found and married the woman I wanted to share my dreams with. We both new what we wanted and where we wanted to do it. So in the Fall of 1992 it was time to hitch up the wagon (Jeep Cherokee, in this case) and head west. The Fall of 1992 - time has certainly flown.

Regrets? None. We love it here and, though it's been tough sledding at times, by adhering to a disciplined conservative strategy that addresses both lifestyle and financial issues and by being able to offer a more personal and flexible service than my competitors, I have developed a loyal and growing list of clients both here and in the East. And the future looks bright.