“Who retires to Ottawa?”
A little more than a year ago, Kevin Brown and his wife, Tracey, were on a regular annual trip from Prince George, B.C. to see their son in Ottawa. They were walking their son’s dog, and discussed the idea that maybe they should move East permanently. The two lead an active lifestyle, enjoying cycling, paddling and hiking. And they love the green capital.
Less than six months later, in March 2024, they packed up their 2400-square-foot family home and downsized to a townhouse in the south part of the city.
“People I meet in Ottawa say we were doing it backwards, and who retires to Ottawa?” says Kevin with a laugh. “Most people from Ontario want to retire on the West Coast, with more forgiving temperatures. But I can tell you, Prince George gets pretty darn cold in the winter.”
Time to reflect on what matters
Kevin was well-known in Prince George as a public relations consultant. He started his career in radio news there in his late twenties, worked briefly on the north coast and Vancouver, and moved back to Prince George to figure out his future. Although he had two “kids in high school and half a mortgage to pay,” he launched his own consulting firm in early 2003.
Through his work, Kevin became well-known in the small city, not just for the events he helped host, but also through his essential work with local governments, businesses, industry and First Nations communities and organizations. Throughout his career, Kevin was rarely missed at annual fundraisers, frequently asked to emcee events with his popular, upbeat radio voice. Over the past decade, he never missed a local Remembrance Day ceremony.
Although his father served with the Royal Air Force in the Second World War, and he has a friend in the Canada’s Reserve Force in Prince George, Kevin had never considered a career with the military, and he doesn’t have a personal connection to the CAF. It was only after he and Tracey began to plan their semi-retirement and their impending move to Ottawa that Kevin started to consider how he would ramp up his community service, as he reduced his paid work hours.
“I’ve entered what I consider my next chapter in life, and I had some time to reflect on the opportunities I’ve had and what Canada is, despite our challenges,” says Kevin. “Our military men and women have been first responders to natural disasters, they go overseas to protect our country and our security, and I started thinking about their essential role in my life in Canada. I wanted to do what I could to show up as a volunteer and say thank you.”
