Bea Swanson

Feb. 26, 2002

Bea Swanson and her husband Harold came to the Sunshine Coast in 1942 from Vancouver where Harold worked at his uncle's logging camp at Deserted Bay, Jervis Inlet (Gustavson's). When he joined the RCAF, Bea went back to Vancouver until Harold returned at the end of the war. From 1946 to 1953 he worked again in logging camps around Sechelt and up Jervis Inlet, finally moving to Sechelt for his daughters'schooling. Harold worked at the Hillside Gravel Pit outside Gibsons until 1962 when, with his brother Len, he bought Porpoise Bay Gravel Pit. It continues to operate as Swanson's Redi-Mix and is run by Fred Swanson, Len's son. Bea was involved in many community activities as a founding member of the Sechelt Library, an early member of the St. Mary's Hospital Auxiliary (Sechelt) and in the Girl Guides.