Mike grew up in Nova Scotia and has a passion for the outdoors and the ocean. He spent most summers at camp, either as a camper or staff. He also spent over 11 years involved with the Scouting Movement.

After graduating from the University of New Brunswick with a B.P.E. (Sport Science), Mike headed to Ontario’s Sheridan College where he trained to be an Athletic Therapist working with various high school, university and professional teams. After spending the 2000 season working as an Athletic Therapist Intern with the Toronto Raptors, Mike decided to explore the world and headed off to Japan. He started teaching English, later becoming involved with curriculum design for children’s programming; training and managing international staff; and surfing at local beaches.

Returning to Canada, Mike headed to Alberta’s oil patch in search of fortune. He spent two years working on drilling rigs before deciding to change streams and get back into youth programming.

Mike accepted a position at the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation working as the Program Manager for the camp in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia. He was responsible for overseeing the program design and implementation for summer and year-round programs.

Mike joined the CUI team in January 2011, combining his passion for the outdoors, with years of teaching and training experience, and mechanical knowledge.