Editorial: The Women of WaveLength

Cover photo: Kathleen Grimbly, Blue Moon Explorations, by Dody KindredAt WaveLength we’ve had the good fortune of being able to share the energy of many talented women over the years.

So to celebrate the start of our tenth year... ta da!... and in keeping with the theme of this issue, I’d like to introduce you to some of the “Women of WaveLength”.

Diane Coussens is the warm and friendly voice who greets you when you call WaveLength. Diane worked in the fishing industry for twenty years and now has made the conversion to marine ecotourism. She hails from Pennsylvania, but came north to settle on Vancouver Island. She's recently taken up kayaking and loves it.

Laurie MacBride is the hardworking Executive Director of the Georgia Strait Alliance, the region's major nonprofit organization focused on the marine environment. Laurie started paddling only a few years ago, but she has taken to it like a fish to water, not surprising considering her life long boating background. She contributes articles, many beautiful photographs to WaveLength, as well as her editing skills and information about marine environmental issues. (She also puts up with me on the home front.)

My 20 year old daughter, Marika Wilson, has been serving as our Editorial Assistant this spring. Last year she travelled and worked in various Canadian towns with a volunteer service project, Katimavik. Recently she has been researching careers in kayaking for her article (see page 13 this issue) prior to undertaking post secondary studies in Tourism at a local College this fall.

Alexandra Morton contributes "Notes from the Archipelago" where she studies marine mammals and keeps a wary eye on fish farms. Like Diane, Alex hails from the US, having grown up in Connecticut. She studied captive whales with dolphin researcher John Lily in California, then came north to British Columbia to study whales in the wild. Alex lives with her husband Eric and small daughter Clio at Echo Bay on Gilford Island.

Margaret Dyke is our thoroughly Scottish bookkeeper who keeps the numbers straight, and us on track, with patience and good humour. Margaret took over the books from Cheryl McNeil (Marika's mom) who provided many years of bookkeeping service in the early years of the magazine.

Rajé Harwood lives on Hornby Island but travels northern Vancouver Island taking WaveLength to our clients with her enthusiasm, spirit, and creative energy. Rajé has also contributed writings based on her Caribbean paddling adventures and her First Nations outreach. She works for the recycling center on Hornby, has a young child and lives with her partner, Martin.

Mercia Sixta is our Advisor-at-Large, a longtime expert paddler who has been at the heart of the paddling community on the west coast for many years. Mercia is the organizer of the annual Coast Kayak Symposium on Thetis Island and works at Western Canoeing and Kayaking in Abbotsford, BC, as well as coordinating paddling workshops for the disabled as a volunteer. Mercia coordinated the on-water program for the WaveLength Ocean Kayak Festival in 1996 and has contributed material to WaveLength a number of times

Deborah Leach is the Coordinator of our popular "Paddle Meals" column, and she invites recipes (and meals!) from clever beach cooks on her paddling adventures. Deb is a public health nutritionist and lives in Victoria where she enjoys travelling by kayak, cycle and on foot. Deb says she learned lots from former Paddle Meals columnist Brenda Gaertner at our Kayak Festivals, before taking over several years ago when Brenda's First Nations legal work became too intense.

WaveLength deals with many fine Women in Paddling, including:

Angela Lee-Brooks Wetsuits, Ana Lopez Uriarte-Gabriola Cycle & Kayak, Bonny Glambeck-Rainforest Kayak Adventures, Candace Snow-Island Escapades Adventures, Deana Bruce-Edgeworks, Debbie Erickson-North Island Kayak Rentals, Dorothy Baert-Tofino Sea Kayaking, Dorothy Drope-Sunshine Kayaking, Erin Thomson-Comox Valley Kayaks, Helen Hall-Island Outdoor Centre, Holly Yates-Into the Current, Jacquie Ree-Seaward Kayaks, Jan Bains-Nimbus Kayaks, Janice Kyle-Tree Island Kayaking, Kathleen Grimbly-Blue Moon Explorations, Kathleen Westergaard-Village Island Tours, Lannie Keller-Coast Mountain Expeditions, Laura Herman-SeaDog Sailing and Kayaking, Laurie Read-Pedals and Paddles, Liz Issac-Bamfield Kayak Centre, Mariette West-Paddle Pender, Marilyn Beaubien-Casa Blanca by the Sea, Marion Schaffer-Barkley Sound Kayak Centre, Marjie Jamieson-Ptarmigan Tours, Mary Bayes-Western Canoeing and Kayaking, Maureen Moore-Sea Otter Kayak , Melanie Graham-Vancouver Island PaddleFest, Mercia Sixta-Western Canoeing and Kayaking, Myrna Boulding-Strathcona Park Lodge/COLT, Nancy Hamilton-Wilderness Kayak Company, Nikki Rekman-Northwater, Penny Crosby-Wildheart Expeditions, Phyllis Reeve-Pages' Marina, Roseanne Vanschie-Kayak Shack/Western Wildcat Tours, Sharon Comeau-Mothership Adventures, Sheila Malcolmson-Gabriola Cycle & Kayak, Sheryl Bell-SeaLegs Kayaking, Sheryl Mass-Bamfield Kayak Festival, Shirley Bone-Alberni Outdoor Adventures, Sue Kronen-Kayak Pender Island, Theresa McCarthy-Feathercraft, Tracy Morben-Majestic Ocean Kayaking, Vickie Cook-G. Cook's Tours. Apologies to anyone we missed.