Roy Wigard

Sept. 26, 2006

Gunnar 'Roy' Wigard, was born in Vancouver in 1946. One of four siblings, his father was from Finland and his mother from Saskatchewan. Shortly after Roy's birth the family moved up to a logging camp in Doriston on the west side of Sechelt Inlet. They stayed there until Roy had to start school. In Sechelt his mother saw the need for a shoe store and started Wigard's Shoe Store in 1954 running it until 1967 in an apartment block they also owned. After the shoe store was sold, Roy's mother operated Sechelt's first sewing centre for five years and finally ran another shoe store for four years. After leaving school, Roy worked in several jobs until he went to work for B.C. Ferries in 1964 where he remained for 36 years. Shortly after moving to a house on the east side of Sechelt Inlet he started his own marina. He is a charter member of the Sechelt Marsh Society and was active in the Sechelt Rod and Gun Club.