Dad tried to steer me away from the family business and in a way he succeeded. Instead of turning wrenches I took a shot at turning phrases and became a journalist. After a few years as a sports reporter/photographer for a couple of newspapers, I became the editor of a twice-weekly newspaper in Nanaimo, B.C. In 2001, I began writing a column called, My Car. . . .with Terry Denomme which featured local hotrods, classic cars, street rods, muscle cars, British cars - you name it. It was an instant hit and became syndicated in four Vancouver Island newspapers (Campbell River Courier Islander, Alberni Valley Times, Cowichan Valley Citizen, Harbour City/Oceanside Star). Writing the column did a couple of things; it turned a passion for all things automotive into an obsession and showed me a single weekly column would never do justice to how huge this hobby is in Canada. There are too many great cars with untold stories.

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When I looked around I saw a landscape dominated by American magazines filled with American cars, American advertising and American opinions. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate and buy those U.S. magazines and at the time there really wasn't a Canadian based hot rod magazine that at least in looks and layout, matched the U.S. literature flooding the market.

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So, in June of 2005, with the very important blessing of my wife Patty, I launched Canadian Hot Rods & Classics. In October of 2006, after nine issues of too much work and too little sleep, I decided it was time to ditch the day job and give the magazine my full attention. Yep, I'm that crazy and that passionate about the hobby and I try in each issue to convey that passion to the readers.

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In 2008 we dropped “Classics” from the title and became Canadian Hot Rods which just clarified what our focus was from the beginning.

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Now, I’m more of an enthusiast than an expert (though tech and build articles will certainly be guided by professionals). Project Budget Rambler — a 1963 Rambler Classic 770 wagon with a SBC and 4-bar rear suspension — is our first magazine project car and the second  is our ’57 Ford faux Sedan Delivery nostalgia gasser.  You can follow them step by step each issue of the magazine.

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With each turn of the wrench and each article written I learn more and more. I've got a lot of catching up to do, but I never enjoyed university or college as much as I enjoy the lessons I learn each night or Saturday afternoon spent tinkering with my cars.

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So, where does this magazine draw the line when it comes to feature content? Well, as the gearhead in charge Canadian Hot Rods  will certainly reflect my tastes, which include almost anything with wheels but leans towards, traditional rods, muscle cars, street rods and customs.

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That said, I'd like to let the readers dictate, to some extent, the content of this magazine. This publication welcomes your contributions, stories and photos. Monthly features such as Rearview Mirror and Readers Rides depend on it. In some cases, we'll even pay you to contribute.(Contact us about freelance rates).