Harry and Sissel

Harry and Sissel were born and raised on two different islands on the west coast of Norway,    Harry on Radoy and Sissel on Fedje. They met at high school and married in 1974, almost 20    and 22 year of age.

We have three grown children, David, born in 76, Kristil born in 79, and Rebekka born in 81.

While in Norway Harry studied Business Administration and completed his BA diploma in  1978. He was employed by a bank, Sparebank West; was the managing director of a boat           building company, Saga Boats; and worked for an insurance company, Vesta. Sissel studied law at the University of Bergen, without completing the degree. She was teaching at various elementary schools, and employed as a clerk by the Norwegian Post.

We all moved to Sooke in 1986.The children attended Saseenos Elementary School, Journey Middle School, and Edward Milne Community School. Both of us were involved with various PACs.

We started fish farming in the Sooke Basin and expanded with three farms north of Tofino. In 2000 we sold out of the fish farming business. The same year Sissel received her CGA designation through CGA Canada.

Today our children have spread out. David is married to Marit, lives in Oslo, Norway, and they have two children, Teodor and Ingrid. Kristil is married to Colin, lives in Oak Bay, and they have two children, Mathilde and Duncan. Rebekka is married to Anne, lives in Toronto, and they have one daughter, Gillian.

We owned and managed French Beach Retreats for 12 years, a vacation rental property; Sissel has been working part time as a CGA in Langford and Sooke. We have also been involved with several of the non-profit groups in Sooke, and Sissel is still a director of Kludahk Outdoors Club. The last couple of years we have been retired and are enjoying our grandparent status.

For the last decade we have been talking with neighbours and friends about all of us moving onto our property and create a little community by the water. Then, a while ago, we heard about a similar idea, called co-housing, and that a group was being formed here in Sooke. Sissel took Margaret’s course, but the timing was not right for us to become involved.

Early spring of 2016 we contacted Andrew Moore with the questions whether he thought there was interest in another co-housing group in Sooke. Together with Andrew and Margaret we did some preliminary investigations, set up a public meeting to measure the level of interest, 30 people showed up, and from there the idea has evolved to where we are today.

Coming from Norway were we both grew up in small communities, both Harry and Sissel are interested in politics, although we do not always agree, and community living. We both enjoy reading, hiking, biking and travelling. Harry likes woodworking while Sissel enjoys knitting, gardening and painting/drawing. We both enjoy spending time with our grandchildren and going for walks with Tulla, our adopted grand-dog.