About Tom Childs
Born in France, and growing up in various lands due to my father's international legal career, I was fortunate to be exposed to a wide variety of life-styles and cultures. My own career tended to reflect that early experience, even following an education that was almost wholly in the United States. While at university I was proud to join the United States Marines, an organization whose honor and lineage are preserved in the character and performances of those who march beneath its banners today - a relationship I shall never forget nor regret.
I chose the financial field after graduation beginning in Vancouver with the CIB of C, then moving to the investment field. With only a minor variance, finance was where I remained for the next 35 years, in four different countries, including the U.K., Canada, the U.S. and Bermuda. While Wall Street, the City of London and certainly Bermuda were engrossing places, opportunities for visits and longer-term commitments to several other countries including Australia, Africa and the eastern Mediterranean provided further insights, language exposures, and experience. I claim my origins in B.C., but I have moved so often and so far that home is a relative term. But that's an issue we hope will be static now that we are on Cape Breton Island.
By the way, while I can't claim fluency, I can get by fairly well in conversational French and Greek. I am out of practise with Spanish but can manage - comprehension is much better than my current speaking skills. As for German, I have someone I can call who will help me with visitors from Germany or Switzerland.
My wife, the professional web designer who created this site, is an American, and had a difficult time in obtaining immigration approval to reside with me here. It is due to these experiences that I thought it useful to include links to both legal and government sites on the complex immigration regulations for foreigners entering Canada - even as property owners here, or married to a Canadian. It is quite easy to make a mistake or neglect to return a form, and the results can be damaging. The links are located on the LINKS and the ABOUT CANADA pages.
I have enjoyed oil painting and muzzle-loading black powder rifle design and production in my spare time - when I have had it. Fishing and shooting with friends also holds some of the best of memories. But my friends Ben and Bibi, two Standard black Poodles, are for both my wife and me the most engrossing aspect of our family life on our hillside home.
Canada of the 21st century has changed in many ways from the western countryside I knew and loved in 1974. That was when I left for England with A.E. Ames & Co. Ltd. What we find in Cape Breton Island today, however, is reminiscent of the Canada I left those decades ago and we're very happy to be out of city life. The beauty and diverse images of Cape Breton Island are a delight. The pleasant reality of a rural location near an attractive small village goes a long way towards truly defining "Home".
I hope I can help you find what you are looking for, too.
Personal Photo Gallery
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We live here now - in Aberdeen overlooking the Bras d'Or |
Young Ben - so very much like his namesake it is amazing |
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We used to live here - behind Whycocomagh |
This was our "winter valley" view from the veranda |
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| Ben and Bibi like living in Cape Breton, too, especially walking properties with me | This is one of my recent paintings - did it for a good hunting and fishing friend |
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| The hill above our road at the peak of fall colors in 2004 | Three of the muzzle loaders I made with carved stocks |
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Stopped atop Kelly's Mountain to grab this shot on a cold, clear day |
Sunrise on morning walk with the dogs |
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Tom will take people to explore a property in almost any weather - he does tend to have the right gear for the occasion, though, from rain capes to snow shoes to hip waders and so on! (added by the wife) |
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