Interview with the GM of Squamish Nation Marine Group - Vancouver, British Columbia

How long have you been the general manager at Mosquito Creek?

I've been the general manager of the Squamish Nation Marine Group since 2006, managing and redeveloping Mosquito Creek Marina, Lynnwood Marina and New Brighton Port.

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‍How long have been you in Vancouver? What brought you to the area?

I've been in Vancouver since 1989. Rock and Roll! I was a professional musician before my marina career.

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‍How did you get into the boating industry?

I have always been interested in boats. I was living on a 40-foot boat at the time and a friend offered me a job as a deck hand at a local pilot company and one thing lead to another. After my stint with the marine company I moved on to a dock master position in downtown Vancouver. I stayed at that position for four years, and then this exciting new opportunity presented itself.

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‍Have you seen a lot of changes in the Vancouver boating industry since you have been there?

‍ Yes I have. There are a lot of recreational boaters in the Vancouver area. And more marinas have sprouted up and more interest in better service. There are a lot of new faces in the boating industry. Vancouverites are blessed with one of the most spectacular places to boat in the world. There are many spots to go and anchor and explore. There is also a lot of reason to stay in North Vancouver.

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‍What is some of your hobbies besides boating?

Photography. I have a little site called donnygeographic.com where I share my images. There are so many spectacular visuals we see everyday. I love my camera and crafting the shot.

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‍Sausage or Bacon?

Bacon without a doubt!

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‍If a boater pulls into the marina and wants suggestion on things to do what do you say?

I say, What would you like to do? Some people are here to look at the beauty of this amazing area while some are here for the food. There are so many great restaurants in the area. Some want to go on a real estate hunt. Some want to go golfing, hiking, sightseeing, maybe to Whistler. I generally feel them out and give them guidance based on their requests. We are very lucky here in North Vancouver. We've got the best of city living with a million different things to see and do as well as easy access to nature and recreation in our back yard.

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‍Your drink of choice?

I'm a juicer. I juice three times a day so that's a tough one. I can say there is a l ot of green juice in my life. When the weekend rolls around the green takes a bit of a back seat to a good single malt or a cold Molson.

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‍What team do you cheer on the most?

I would say that being a Vancouverite, I pretty much have to say our beloved Canucks are the team I cheer for. It's an up-and-down battle to stay on board with them but one has to have faith.

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‍Favorite band/performer?

‍ Being a musician for a good part of my life makes it hard to choose a favorite band or performer. There are so many talented people on this planet. I'm a big fan of The Beatles, Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Little Feat, Tom Waits and many, many others.

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‍Where is the coolest place you ever traveled to?

‍ I think the coolest place we have traveled to is Russia. A Viking River cruise down the Volga River from St. Petersburg to Moscow was really a very cool trip. Bali, Croatia and Beijing also rank up there.