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Bonnie McGhie
BONNIE McGHIE spent her early years in California, where her independent and adventurous spirit, along with difficult family circumstances, fostered a lifelong resilience. Undaunted by the endless ch...view moreBONNIE McGHIE spent her early years in California, where her independent and adventurous spirit, along with difficult family circumstances, fostered a lifelong resilience. Undaunted by the endless challenges of being female, she found employment in the movie business, including promoting (on horseback) the westerns of Wild Bill Elliott.Her thirst for adventure took her, in 1954, to Juneau, Alaska, where she met a handsome young Canadian planning to become a bush pilot. A dream, and a partnership, was born. In 1960, Bonnie moved to the Canadian Arctic, where she helped run the couple's air service, Arctic Wings; operated their trading post, Tuk Traders; and offered entertainment in Tuktoyaktuk's first movie theatre. She gained personal satisfaction from becoming a respected and valued member of this unique-and often frozen-Inuit community.Unfortunate circumstances required that, together with her three young children, she leave her husband and the North to start, from scratch, to rebuild her life. With characteristic focus and determination, she overcame her husband's questionable but deliberate decision to retain all the family assets in his name, thus leaving Bonnie and her children penniless.With the same grit that got her through her Arctic challenges, Bonnie earned a graduate degree in psychology, which led to her becoming a faculty member and then an administrator at a British Columbia provincial college. She served in leadership roles with numerous boards, among them Surrey Memorial Hospital, the BC Health Association, Canuck Place, and the BC Cancer Agency and Foundation. Later she worked as a private consultant to the boards of hospitals and other health-care organizations.Prior to retiring, she served on the board of governors for the University of the Fraser Valley as it transitioned to a full university.In retirement, Bonnie and her second husband-who she married in 1972-became respected breeders of Labrador Retrievers and qualified as Hunting Retriever judges in Canada and the USA. Bonnie lives with her husband Gord in Chilliwack, B.C., still seeking adventures, to learn and to share skills gained over her multi-faceted career.Visit Bonnie online at HardLandings.caview less