Steve was born and raised in central Newfoundland, where he spent his boyhood summers exploring the bays and coves around the family cabin in Notre Dame Bay. It was these years of exploration and discovery that fashioned a soul-deep love for the ocean, its inhabitants, and the people who depend on its wealth.
After completing a Bachelor of Theology degree in 2002, Steve came home to his beloved island. He spent the next five years working as a pastor to youth and young adults in several rural Newfoundland communities, never far from the briny smell of seaweed and rocky beaches.
In 2010, he was presented with an opportunity to study at the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University (MI) in St. John’s, NL, where he enrolled in the Environmental Technology program. Prior to completing his diploma in 2012, he was selected to represent MI on a Student’s on Ice Arctic Expedition. For two weeks, he served as part of a team who brought seventy-five teenagers from all over the world on an exploration of Greenland, and the Canadian Arctic. While he thought he was realizing a life-long dream, the voyage only served to intensify his passion for the North and ecological stewardship.
As is the case with many Newfoundlanders, the ocean never stopped calling. In 2013, Steve and his wife moved their two boys and new puppy from the bustle of the city to the remote northern tip of Newfoundland. For the past six years, he has been guiding marine excursions with Northland Discovery Tours. For Steve, it’s an ideal occupation that combines his knack for connecting with people and his passion for the ocean as well as marine life. Steve now spends his summers teaching visitors about the ocean he loves. Topics include icebergs, local whale species, native seabirds, life in rural in Newfoundland, and the occasional polar bear story.