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EDITOR'S DESK

Kerrie and Allen Livingston: Beacons of the beach

by Judi McLeod

August 25, 2003

In these dwindling days of August, the concrete of downtown Toronto physically surrounds me. But in roving spirit, I’m still on the beach of Wasaga, where I’m being entertained by genial hosts Kerrie and Allen Livingston.

Over the past six years, we have pitched up at a number of cabins, cottages, and Wasaga motels. Fate smiled on us last week, when we discovered Apple Vacation Properties.

The pale green cottage with screened windows swinging out from every room featured a deck complete, with a barbecue. Long on charm, the inside décor was dominated by everything connected to the apple, a theme that matches the name of their two Applebee and Applewood locations.

The couple who make it all work goes to great lengths to make your holiday memorable. Kerrie, a Holiday Inn public relations executive for years, has a storehouse of beachballs and sand pails for the youngsters, and drops off bonfire wood for the adults. No small detail is too much for the Livingstons.

Kerrie’s accent and attitude had me identifying her as a fellow Maritimer within minutes of our first meeting. Hubby Allen, who can fix anything, hails from Scotland.

Hardworking and industrious, the property managers of Apple Vacation Properties are relative newcomers to the Beach.

Their infectious attitude is akin to a breath of fresh air in the sweltering August heat. Striking out anew in the beach community, they were hit with a number of mounting misfortunes that could fill the pages of a book. Only 44, a year ago Kerrie found herself in a new community in a wheelchair. Without warning, she had suffered a debilitating stroke. Within months, Allen, whose talent as a handyman keeps the cottages in good repair, was told he would have to have an operation, which in order to ease his constant pain, could cost him the use of his right hand. The couple made a down payment on a cottage for themselves, which they painstakingly renovated between maintaining their cottage rentals. In order to bring the new cottage up to standard, they pulled "a few all-nighters". Waiting for delivery of their furniture in storage, they received the bad news that their furniture, although insured, had been stolen. Most of the stolen items were antiques inherited from Kerrie’s late father, a judge.

"One day on our way to cleaning up for new Applebee renters, I sat in my car crying. "God, I can’t take it anymore," I told Allen. Then it dawned on me, God is not likely to move on anyone’s dramatics," Kerrie said.

So Kerrie and Allen dragged the cleaning materials out of the car and simply carried on.

That is the winning attitude of this couple, who can’t seem to stop themselves when it comes to helping other people.

In her "spare time," Kerrie works as a volunteer for a local church. Part of her job is counselling young people in trouble.

"My minister keeps me in perspective," she explains. "When things get rough with the volunteering and I mention it to him, he’ll always say, `Better brace yourself, Kerrie, we’re sending you another troubled youth first thing in the morning."

The minister, a former biker who sports a ponytail, is described by the Livingston’s as "one cool dude".

Kerrie’s attitude about her stroke took her to the road to recovery.

"I went through a bad period where I didn’t want to get of bed, let alone out of my wheelchair.

"Then one day, I decided there was a lot of good in life to get out of bed for. That kind of thinking, supplemented with lots of prayers, got me to where I am now," she says.

Misfortune notwithstanding, there’s a lot of salt-of-the earth New Brunswick left inspiring Kerrie Livingston.

The couple regaled us with stories over two dinners, making the workaday world of Toronto seem far away.

Kerrie and Allen are the kind of people you wish you had known all your life.

Meanwhile, Wasaga Beach gets into your blood, but beacons like the Livingstons give you reasons to go back.

Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com


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