The Essence of Ed

Funny ~ Caring ~ Resilient

Dreamer ~ Generous ~ Immature

Photo Credit: Nicole Cordina (Left to right) Ainsley, Finn, Ed, Charlie, Kane and Theo

My introduction to Ed Farquharson is long-winded, but there is no other way to share his impact on my life and, indeed, my family’s lives.

Ed and I met in the early eighties. He was the assistant manager of the carpet department at Sears in Square One, and I was one of the commissioned salesmen. The connection was instant, but at the time, I had no idea it would be a life-long friendship. The employees in that store have become a family of sorts, a fact confirmed by the number of lives I have highlighted in this book.

Ed and I became fast friends and started doing extracurricular activities together.  It started with canoe trips in the Algonquin Park interior.  We would canoe in and do a couple of portages, carrying all our equipment. Then, set up a remote camp for a few days, fish, and have a great time. Ed, of course, was the skipper of our canoe for two reasons – he was more robust and wouldn’t give up the steering wheel. That was fine because, on most photography-related outings, I would be laying in the bow of the canoe, Ed paddling in the stern. Once, we chased a Loon for a bit to get the shot. Ed tries to control the boat powerfully and silently so as not to disturb the bird. He would follow my directions. Left. Right. Closer, closer…oh, too close!

Ed came up with the idea of renting a cabin on Sharbot Lake near Peterborough.  We loved the convenience of having a bigger craft than the canoe; it was a 14’ aluminum boat.  Ed, of course, was the skipper at the motor, and I was in my usual position, laying down in the bow, camera ready. Ed spotted a Heron in the mist; we chased that heron from one landing spot to the next for half an hour. It was a perfectly lit landscape; the fog made the setting special, and the bird complied, constantly moving in the same direction and keeping the perfect light setup. That outing is famous for capturing what would turn out to be my first limited edition print, “Heron in the Mist.” I liked the idea of a lakeside cabin with a small boat and many photo opportunities on that trip.

My First Limited Edition Print - "Heron in the Mist", taken with Skipper Ed at the helm on Sharbot Lake. Circa 1985

The following year, we took our wives and children. First, we need to double back slightly for a moment. At the time, I was petrified of dogs, and Ed just brought a new family member into the equation, Luke, a big Doberman. I remember visiting Ed’s house, and Luke was all over me trying to sniff this and that; I kept my bag between us. Ed, of course, laughed at my dilemma. However, Luke turned out to be a gentle giant. And I eventually learned to accept him around me without drama.

I instilled that fear of dogs in my children. As mentioned, we decided to go to Sharbot Lake with both families. Ed took his family, including Luke. Donna and I took our five-year-old son, Chris and our eight-year-old daughter, Tara. At first, both children were extremely nervous as Luke’s shoulder was almost up to Chris’s. Ed was way nicer to my children than he was to me. He taught them that Luke would instantly sit on command. In time, they got over that nervousness and by the end of the weekend, Chris was chasing Luke all over the cabin and commanding him to sit. It was priceless.  I remember that as we said our goodbyes, Ed promised us that the next time we got together, he would make sure Luke didn’t sit for a long time before the visit so Chris could chase him further. Thanks to Ed and Luke, I can’t imagine my life without a dog. As I write this paragraph, Shiloh, my Labrador retriever, is sleeping under my desk, using my feet as a pillow.  Life doesn’t get much better than that; thank you for that, Ed.

(Images of Luke and Ed’s daughter Nicole below courtesy of Ed Farquharson.)

Shiloh and me.

A second and very significant change for us was the cabin at Sharbot Lake. It made us realize that we would love to have the cottage lifestyle to raise our children. Over the next few years, Donna and I started articulating what we wanted in our “cottage.” We would go for a walk around the neighbourhood and describe what our perfect place would look like.

Ed once again played a pivotal role.  As the skipper on another park interior canoe trip, he designed a trip starting at Smoke Lake inside Algonquin Park. Access would be via the Highway 60 Corridor. Before we enter the park, the last bridges are over the Oxtongue Lake and Oxtongue River.  As we went over the Oxtongue Lake Bridge, my heart skipped a beat; I fell in love with that spot.  Once again, I remember that feeling when we passed over the water. I thought owning a cottage on this lake would be amazing.  Little did I know we would purchase a cottage on that lake the following year.

Ed was among the first Sears people to trust me with their life savings when I changed careers and entered Financial Planning. That trust and faith in me went a long way, as the transition was indeed a massive step out of a comfort zone that I built in twenty years in retail. It has turned out to be a fantastic move into a thirty-two-year career.

After we bought the cottage, it became “the go-to place” for the gang of guys from Sears. We had several trips and outings with the cottage as our base.  There were many great memories of card games, hikes and canoe trips from there.

Canoe trippers along the Oxtongue River Photo Credit: Ed Farquharson

Ed took his family, including his father, who summered on Oxtongue Lake in the fifties and sixties. Interestingly, when he visited with his children and grandchildren at the Kerba Kabin, it became four generations of Farquharsons to stay at our humble abode! Ed, my friend, you and your family are always welcome. Photo Credit: Farquharson Archives

The view of Oxtongue Lake from the cottage deck

There was another trip of a lifetime in our shared experiences. Seven guys from Sears put away $50 per month at the end of a year and a half by saving coffee money. We aggregated enough collectively to fly down to Tortola and sail a fifty-two-foot Beneteau around the British Virgin Islands. Ed, once again, was the Skipper of the dinghy as we chased the boat to get some picture of our ship under sail. Ed and the guys hoisted me up a sixty-foot mast during the trip's final days.  Thus, I confirm that I did trust these guys with my life.

I trusted these guys with my life! I fear heights, so Ed, Jim, and Ron tied me to a Bosun's seat and hoisted me up the mast to get this shot (before drones).

Follow this link to my “The Big Ticket Cruisers” trip. Seven guys from Sears saved coffee money for two years to sail around the British Virgin Islands for seven days. https://www.nkerba.com/blog/the-big-ticket-cruisers

Ed eventually retired, and as part of his story, he moved to Scotland after he retired. He badgered me for six years, promising to host and chauffeur us around his new homeland. He would be our guide and would take us to all the must-see photo sites. One more time, he was the skipper on our trip. It was the trip of a lifetime.

It was natural for me to insist on Ed doing his essence portrait. Meet Ed in his own words.

Looking back at your life, you come across many forks on the road. Which one made a significant impact on the rest of your life?

There is a fork in the road ahead. You can see the sign ahead and you’re coming up on it fast. The problem is that you aren’t sure which fork is the correct one. Taking the wrong fork could mean a costly detour. How do you choose? There is no GPS for life.

  I was working in Canada, trying to make lots of money.  My Father Passed away unexpectedly, and the experience shocked me. My Father was an amateur photographer (slides and 8mm movies). I took some of his old slide photos of Aberdeen Scotland, printed them and then flew to Aberdeen to try to recreate the images standing in the exact spot they were taken. I was able to complete that task.  In doing so I started to feel at home in Scotland, like I belonged there.

  I returned to my work life, but something tugged at me, so I visited Scotland a few more times. I did feel at home there. I got my UK Citizenship, retired at 57, and permanently moved to Scotland.

  Seven years later, I am still exploring Scotland. The move was the best thing for me. I am now pursuing an acting career here. Photo credit below: Farquharson Archives

What challenges have you overcome?

My biggest challenge was forcing myself to look at life entirely differently. Instead of trying to make more money with the hope of happiness to follow…I just started letting happiness happen.

What hint would you have to share for the benefit of others?

  The Most Important things in life are your Children and Grandchildren and so on.

Photo Credit: Nicole Cordina (Left to right) Ainsley, Finn, Ed, Charlie, Kane and Theo