Biz Bio

I sorta fell into journalism by default while working as a clerk typist at a local weekly newspaper. The short-handed editor sent me to cover a Welcome Wagon event to "bring back something to print!" I don't remember the item but apparently I must have found something as he moved me to the editorial department. It was a bit of a joe job at first, rewriting weddings and doing the copy run to printers, driving a minuscule stick-shift car to printers through rush hour traffic. And so began my adventure.

Never mind, he told me, you will learn better by doing all the necessary work that goes into a weekly newspaper. At that time, of course, it was all paper "takes" and hot lead. Looking back, I think I might have ditched the whole thing except the editor, bless him, said "you have a nose for news." As well, there were a couple of women's editors who proved to be mentors to a very green reporter.

I loved English Lit and Language at school and enjoyed reading about a wide range of subjects, but hadn't considered a writing career. Early years working in an office, interspersed with motherhood, hardly prepared me for the steep learning curve. It was exciting, exhilarating work on occasion interspersed with mundane coverage of local events.

As time passed, our publisher asked me to take over another small weekly in the chain and this led to exploring what it means to be an editor. I soon realized what I could not do and where to find writers who could fill the gaps. A friendly, outgoing sports editor with a penchant for the word "scribe" delivered his copy on time and in fairly decent prose so who was I to complain? In those days it was usual to use stringers for all kinds of beats. I learned paste-up and how to get along with printers during this period, exploring the minefield of fonts and agate measure. Someone dubbed my headlines "jam labels!"

I branched into freelance photo-journalism as well as writing for a local cable television company as a volunteer producer. A journalism colleague suggested I join the fledgeling Periodical Writers of Canada and the Toronto branch of Canadian Women's Press Club. About this time a colleague had purchased a camping magazine in Alberta, asking me to be editor for eastern Canada.

This led to membership in Outdoor Writers of Canada as well as Outdoor Writers of America and opened up a whole new world of special interest writing. Some experience of camping as a child and as a youth leader, together with love of outdoors, defined my zone for a number of years.

I wrote travel articles for various magazines and became known as a camping expert on radio and television programs.

Meanwhile, a weekly column for a Globe & Mail section titled Outdoors plus regular broadcasts on CBC Fresh Air program, further established my credentials for an eventual launch into public relations for the camping and recreational vehicle industry. What fun! We got to go camping in various vehicles and get paid for it.

My own limited company with an office and even a secretary occupied much of my time for a few years while our family went camping, visiting more than 120 different provincial and national parks, innumerable private campgrounds in Canada and many of the United States. While working for the Province of Ontario as information officer, opportunities came for news shorts with a staff camerawoman: interviews with provincial park staff, blasting at quarries, park canoe programs - stuff like that. Fascinating range of happenings.

I met many outdoor writers and editors and pitched an idea for a television series on Women Outdoors - well before it became natural to see a woman cast a line, down a moose with a bow, or ride trails on horseback. Although timing was off for that idea, my proposal for a series on family camping hit pay dirt with a commercial television broadcaster. The two-year production of 26 half hours garnered a national award for the series.

So many adventures over the years, I can't include them all, but here are some that come to mind:

hectic experience driving a motor home onto a hovercraft on a trip from Britain to France;
my first helicopter ride over Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland with an aeronautical trickster (oh, my stomach!);
being terrified while trying to control a full size motor home with standard brakes and navigating winding roads in the Smoky Mountains;
an exhausting job handling publicity for an exhibition of recreational vehicles which included trouble shooting for some irate exhibitors (can't believe I did that for six years);
lonesome traveling cross-country as solo agent for the largest manufacturer of motor homes;
challenging stint filming women-packed canoes while wading in frigid Minnesota rivers;
feeling inferior when flying to a Quetico Provincial Park event with a cabinet minister and some real reporters;

A life membership with Outdoor Writers of Canada keeps me in touch with other writers. Since retirement and moving to Owen Sound, I have explored opportunities for adventure through hiking trails, canoe routes, birding and all that Niagara Escarpment country has to offer. I've enjoyed serving on the executives of my local BTA club, IODE chapter, church communications committee and writer's group.

The internet opened up a world of opportunity: writing articles for on-line magazines and establishing a web site with a jazz blog reprinted in a local magazine. After initiating a web site for my church in 2005, I took responsibility, until recently, for updating events. Now I keep up with far-flung family and friends through email, Twitter and Facebook. And I'm way behind with organizing some six thousand photos taken over the years.