Bob and Lucinda Dupee

Bob and Lucinda Dupee of Christina Lake, B.C., are committed to family and to sport. That commitment and their love for the environment are combined perfectly in their business, WildWays Adventure Sports, which promotes people-powered recreation: kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, biking and snowboarding.

The Dupees also share a passion for the arts, and were the driving force behind the LEED-certified Christina Living Arts Centre, which opened in August 2010. They are now working on the second phase of this community complex.

Diverging paths

Bob and Lucinda were next-door neighbours and high school sweethearts while they were growing up near Boston, Massachusetts. They parted ways after college, each going on to a successful career.

“I did a post-grad degree in youth work at Oxford, in England,” Bob said. “We created an organization called Oxford Youth Works, an accredited course for training workers for youth at risk. The program just celebrated its 25th anniversary.”

Lucinda, in the meantime, was busy teaching art and running The Shelburne Craft School in Vermont, and later built an award-winning special events business with her partner. Eventually, though, she realized that she craved a more sustainable lifestyle, and left the partnership.

Together again

Bob first moved to Christina Lake in 1972 and spent seven years living off the land with no electricity or telephone. He and Lucinda eventually reconnected and she joined him in Christina Lake 30 years later. 

“I do the graphic design and the website stuff for WildWays, and stay on top of the trends,” Lucinda said. “I also do the merchandising and decorating, and making sure the landscape looks nice. Stuff that Bob despises doing, I like doing, so it’s a good partnership.”

The wheel keeps turning

Lucinda’s fundraising and marketing skills, developed during her work at a Vermont art school and her special events business, have served her well in supporting her adopted community.

“It’s about capitalizing on what you know how to do, and then showing passion and enthusiasm—and people just jump on board with you,” she said. “They see the enthusiasm and think you must be onto something good!”

During Small Business Week in October 2012, in recognition of their workplace model, the Dupees were presented with the Green Business Award, sponsored by The Boundary Sentinel newspaper.