Growing up in St. Catharines, my early connection to water includes being on the maiden voyages through the Welland Canal of many ships like “The Arctic” (Icebreaker built in 1978), thanks to my father’s employment at Port Weller Dry Docks. Being on the ship, looking out at the lake ahead, feeling the force of both the vessel and the water beneath it, gave me an instant appreciation for the importance of what we have in our own backyard - fresh water. The forest and creek leading to Municipal Beach were a natural playground for me growing up in the 70s, watching tadpoles morph into frogs was mesmerizing. As a parent, summer vacations to Sparrow Lake brought us back to nature in rustic cottages with friends around bonfires after a long day of swimming, fishing off the pier, tubing on the lake, or watching the storm roll in over “Elephant Rock”. No matter where I am, there is a sense of comfort in or on the water that, as a Pisces, I naturally feel drawn to.

Having said that, my ultimate watermark is Lake Erie. Briefly as a homeowner on Crescent Beach, summers spent there provided many meaningful moments for myself and my family - kayaking, boating, walking the beach or sitting on the porch listening to the waves lap onto the shore. The realization that our beach was part of the Fowler’s Toad natural habitat, with a notable public effort to save them from extinction, provided a cause to protect this natural environment that was our home.

Now, as a seasonal owner at Sherkston Shores, we will continue to enjoy Lake Erie just a few kilometres down the coast. And so, the passion remains to be part of the solution as an ambassador for our lakes and through my employment with Swim Drink Fish I feel I'm right at home.