OUR STORY BEGINS …
Our story begins on the Chilkoot Trail: an ancient aboriginal trade route through the Coast Mountains. Many moons ago, it was also travelled by prospectors, during the Klondike Gold Rush. In modern times, crazy people go backpacking along this 33 mile trail. By day they hike from the start, up an astonishing 3510 ft to the summit; in the evenings they dream under the magic and mystery of the Yukon and Alaskan skies. Not too long ago, a Toronto cop and a Vancouver nurse crossed paths on the Chilkoot, unaware that their journey would become much more than a summer backpacking trip.
Fast forward a few years, and the cop and the nurse settle near Calgary: 2 careers, 2 shiftwork schedules, 2 kids under the age of 3. Wait … where did the happy ending go?? We became human doings; not human beings under the magic sky anymore! We bounced from task to task until we barely knew if we were coming or going. Many days the only thing we wanted in the world was sleep! We had been taught to get safe jobs, work hard, earn a pension and try to do it in a way that serves others. Well, technically we were on that path. Every hour worked earned a wage—but it looked like retirement could take forever at this rate! If we survived that long!
We struggled with chaos and stress—there was no time for date night—don’t be silly! Our health and happiness started to plummet. We were overwhelmed. There had to be a better way!
Then both of our kids got sick—really sick. I’ll never forget how excited the infectious disease doctors were when they came to tell us the diagnosis. It was a superbug and our kids were cases 2 and 3 in Canada. “Do you realize what this means? They’re going to be published in a famous medical journal.” What?!?! They’re our babies. We just want to know if you can heal them. About a week later, we had another chat with the doctors. The treatments were failing—my son might not make it. Luckily, another doctor came in to offer a different treatment plan—and we will be forever grateful to Dr. Beaudry, because it worked. After weeks in hospital, we brought them home for months of healing.
That kind of experience stops you in your tracks. Careers didn’t matter. Money didn’t matter. Then, as if by chance, I picked up a book. It took about a month to read in my exhausted state: Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki. Why don’t they teach this stuff in school?
Ultimately, the cop and the nurse both left their first career paths to become entrepreneurs. Many of you will know us from our business: Mountain’s Edge Renovations (mountainsedgerenovations.com). Being self-employed now meant that we had at least 3 jobs each—haha, joke’s on us! But we could work around the family’s schedules and needs; we spent real quality time with our kids. Greg had been doing renovations for years already, and studied home building at Okanagan College. He turned his passion into Mountain’s Edge Renovations and began turning homes back into beautiful living spaces. Along the way though we realized: sometimes changing homes changes lives. For example, when you add a second bathroom for a family of 6—their entire morning routine transforms! Finishing a basement can allow more living space for teens and young adults, while they launch their careers. Adapting washrooms has allowed older adults and others to live at home for longer and with far more dignity. Recently, we have even begun transforming entire houses from near-tear-down-state to gorgeous again.
We are and were still working hard, earning through the business and serving others. Now how about that retirement?
Then we read another book, Authentic Canadian Real Estate, by Don R. Campbell. Let’s buy an income property and fix it up! Well, apparently the banks didn’t love our plan as much as we did—something about self- employed renovators being high risk! We thought we brought skills and passion to the table! We solved the financing with the help of a great mortgage broker, found a run down property, and worked to legally suite it. That first property allowed us to Buy, Reno, Rent and Learn! And we fell in love again—with our income producing asset. I literally remember looking at our annual mortgage statement that first year and thinking: I get it! That’s how mortgage paydown works! So once again we are turning a passion into a spin-off business: mountainsedgedevelopments.com. We love creating great rental spaces while providing investment opportunities for friends and family.
We still work hard, but now we’re clearly working smarter. Our real estate investments will provide for our children’s advanced education, and ultimately our retirement.
From the heights of the Chilkoot Trail, to the depths of the room at Children’s Hospital, to the birth of a business and then a second business—it’s been quite a ride! Our journey to the gold rush has taught us that family is undeniably our strongest core value. Renovations and real estate investing have literally transformed our lives; that’s why we’re so excited to offer our skills as a working partner to other families, of all shapes and sizes: during renovations, as tenants, and as investors.
