After 29 years with Race and Company, local attorney Douglas Race said he had a life-changing revelation: he could be replaced. Looking at a strong lineup of lawyers in the firm, he spotted his chance to make a graceful exit.
"You've got to go sometime," he said with a smile from his office on Pemberton Avenue.Besides - a sailboat, some skis and a fly-fishing rod were calling him.
"I took up fly-fishing a few years ago because I don't ever want to become a golfer," he explained.An affinity for water might have also sealed the deal. Whether yacht racing, sailing or making major life decisions, the ocean is an integral part of Race's life. His decision to leave the city and practise law in the corridor came when an Airwest flight from Victoria Vancouver was rerouted onto a ferry in 1978.
The long boat ride gave him the chance to catch up with an old friend and lawyer Harley Paul. His friend invited him to join his practice by setting up an office in Whistler.
"I told myself I'd give it a year," Race recalled. He gave it close to 30.It took him eight of those years to make the move from Whistler to Squamish. Race said he was looking to cut down on travel time and become part of "a more normal small town."
Once landed in Squamish, he jumped head first into the community, becoming president of the Rotary Club, director of the Squamish Community Foundation and co-chairing a fundraising drive for the hospital.These days his community spirit is thriving as he prepares for the Olympics and the revival of the Oceanfront.
Race is a board member of the Squamish Oceanfront Development Corporation (SODC) and is also involved in the Callaghan Valley Local Organizing Committee (CALOC) and has just finished an official's course for biathlon.
"I'd like to become one of those people on the race course," he said. "It'd be some low level job, I can assure you, like shoveling snow or counting shots."Despite his involvement in town, he said he plans to steer clear of politics. The closest he has come is the SODC where he said his experience in real estate law is coming in handy.
His vision for the land centres around serving residents rather than accommodating new ones."Employment, I think is a priority. Public amenities are a priority."
He said the new plan would have less of an emphasis on housing than its predecessor.But before Race takes on a life of outdoor recreation and community involvement, he will spend a year serving as associate counsel to the firm.
In this position, he will work 60 per of his current hours, easing into a slower-paced lifestyle."Right now we're as busy as the Dickens, you really can't imagine yourself not being this busy."
