John was born in Banff, Alberta where he had the opportunity to grow up and appreciate the benefits of living in one of Canada’s finest national parks. Throughout all his formative years, he participated in many outdoor activities including hiking, downhill skiing, snowshoeing, hockey, horseback riding, fishing, and competitive high school curling. It was while attending Banff Composite High School that John met his high school sweetheart Lauretta who together they now celebrate 47 years of marriage along with their two adult children, Jessica and John Paul. Both John and Lauretta travelled extensively for two years after graduating from high school including visits to eleven countries in Europe and an eight month stay in New Zealand. In 1973, they moved from Banff to Calgary and have since enjoyed the diverse group of friends and relationships developed over the past 40 years. John and Lauretta continue to enjoy many outdoor activities, particularly at their condo on Mara Lake, in the Shuswap, where waterskiing, fishing, and cards are family favorites. John attended the University of Calgary prior to a distinguished 25 year career in retail management for Canada Safeway. Wanting to have a more personal impact on people’s lives John completed a career change to the financial services industry in 1997 where he started his new career with one of the largest financial firms in Canada. After attaining his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation in 2000, and with a desire to provide more services to his clients, John became an financial advisor. In 2006 he became affiliated with Assante Wealth Management where he is able to provide a wide range of investment solutions to his clients through the investment dealer Assante Capital Management Ltd. John is also licensed to provide insurance solutions for his clients through Assante Estate and Insurance Services and he continues to learn and grow as an investment professional and has completed both the Canadian Securities Course (CSC) and the Conduct and Practices Handbook (CPH) course.