8149

 

8149 Doug MacQuarrie


 

 




1995 – 2010            Superintendent – Drinking Water Treatment - Greater Vancouver Water District

1991 - 1995             Environmental Engineering Consultant.

1989-1991               MASc Student in Environmental Engineering at UBC, Vancouver

 

1982 to 1988           Registered Representative - Richardson Greenshields, Winnipeg, MB

1980 to 1982           Sales Engineer - Armco Canada Limited, Winnipeg, MB

1974 to 1980           Owner/Manager - Kelly's Stereo Mart (Franchise), Port Alberni, BC

1969 to 1975           RCE/MILE Various postings

 After 4th phase training I was posted to the CFB Rockcliffe CE Section. In late 1970 in response to the FLQ crisis we were tasked with adapting various local DND facilities for the influx of troops mainly from Petawawa and Val Cartier that were there to protect members of parliament from potential threats. We had to fit kitchen and ablution facilities into wherever we could summon the space. Lots of very long days but we got it done.

 

I met and married my first wife, Irena in June, 1970 and our first daughter, Julie was born in early 1971.

 

In summer 1971 I was posted to CFS Beaverlodge, AB as the Station Construction Engineering Officer (SCEO)

 

Then in the summer of 1973 I was posted to 3 Fd Sqn in Chilliwack and in the spring of 1974, I volunteered for a UN tour in Egypt after the Yom Kipper war of 1973.

BGen Holmes briefing Kurt Valdheim on UNEF visit 1974 - DM on the right

 

Shortly after I returned to Canada, I took my release and I opened a Kelly’s Stereo Mart Franchise in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. Business was great right from the start. And to our delight, our second daughter, Christine was born on 14 Nov 75.


However, by the late 70’s things started to turn. Interest rates were showing no sign of easing and our business was highly leveraged. Economic circumstances for the town were turning negative as well.  Fortunately, to my good fortune, Kelly’s head office offered to buy me out and I accepted their offer.

 

Sadly, at that time, our marriage was falling apart so I decided to accept a job offer as a Sales Engineer with Armco Canada in Winipeg. Not long after moving I met Paulette. Long story short, we just celebrated or 40th wedding anniversary in December.

 

I became interested in the stock market and all things related so in mid-1982 I took a position as a broker with Richardson Securities. It was a perfect time to enter the business because the markets in general had gone through a long-drawn-out period of weakness and valuations were extreme with the Canadian big banks, for example, offering yields on their common shares as high as 15% at one point. For the next few years life was very good until …

 

The stock market crash of 1987 was brutal! It was the longest day of my life. What was so frustrating was that I was unable to do much to support my clients while it was happening. I hated things being so out-of-control. Some months later I left the business. I worked a few different gigs after that but nothing permanent.

 

In 1989 I was accepted as a Masters’ degree candidate in Environment Engineering at UBC in Vancouver. I had the good fortune of having Dr Don Mavinic as my thesis advisor. We developed a friendship that continues to this day. Don is renowned for his pioneering work in wastewater advanced treatment and was awarded the Order of Canada in 2020 for his work. See the following link: https://civil.ubc.ca/dr-donald-mavinic-appointed-to-the-order-of-canada/.

 

My first gig after completing my studies was with Stanley Associates Engineering. But in the spring of 1993, I left to offer my services as an independent consultant.

 

In the spring of 1995, I took a position with the Greater Vancouver Water District (GVWD) which was embarking on a major upgrade of the drinking water treatment systems. And in 2002 I transferred to a new a position to work directly alongside the manager for the newly created “Drinking Water Treatment Division” within the GVWD. A bit later I was appointed Water Treatment Superintendent, the position I retained until I retired in the spring of 2010.

 

In retirement I have continued pursuing my interest in the markets. I manage our conservative portfolio with a very long-term focus. I do the same for my two surviving brothers. But I also have a trading account I use to get my blood flowing in the morning (starting at about 05:30 here on the west coast).

 

Paulette and I like to travel when the opportunity presents. Our wings were clipped during the covid pandemic and since then we haven’t done as much. Air travel has gotten to be such a hassle we are not as inclined to partake anymore. I expect most of our travels in future will be by car.

 

 




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