“Island life wasn’t like it used to be. With the potential threat to the island, uneasiness prevailed.

Carlos (Lehder) sensed the threat of a possible attempt to kidnap him. Two men were recruited from Germany to be his personal bodyguards. Gone were the days of leisurely BBQ’s on the beach and diving on the pristine reefs and adjoining islands. This – combined with the frequent raids disrupting our lifestyle – prompted Sheldon & me to consider taking a look at moving to another part of the world. 

We considered British Columbia. With a reputation of being one of the most beautiful places on earth, this locale was fetching. After discussing our idea with Carlos, he agreed, knowing the island had lost its charm, and now only had value for conducting business. We took care of our affairs, and Morgan sent us on our way in one of our business jets. He promised he would be our first visitor if we liked Canada & decided to stay.

There were 3 passengers on this trip – Sheldon, myself, and Norman – the Golden Retriever I had purchased for Sheldon’s birthday on one of my many trips to Florida. He was a cuddly puppy then and had grown into a handsome 75-pound bundle of joy. He was our constant companion. After checking out of the Bahamas, we flew directly to Toronto where we spent the night. The next day, we completed the final leg of our trip flying across Canada to Calgary. 

We eventually found an old mining community called Kimberly, located in one of the valleys. It was a charming little village maintaining a Bavarian motif. With great determination, we finally found a cabin the shore of a beautiful lake at the foot of the Rockies. We settled into our new home, purchased a Bronco to negotiate rough winter terrain, ordered a couple chords of firewood, and fell into a relaxed mood once again. This was a completely different environment, one that we had never experienced before. Like the island, this was another unique lifestyle, much superior to ‘establishment’ living.”

-Jack Reed

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