David M. McGowan

David Milton McGowan is a novelist who occasionally writes rhymes and songs. His stories generally contain Canadian themes since he believes his birth-land doesn’t receive the recognition it deserves for its contribution to the world. In addition, that other countries receive denunciations that could be equally applied to Canada despite a benevolent reputation.

Truth matters and lies must be exposed

 He was born in Collingwood General and Marine Hospital in early 1949. He attended Union Public School from 1954 to 1956, Kirkville Public School from 1956 to 1959 and Collingwood Senior Public School from 1959 to 1962.

During these years he sang in the Junior Choir of Collingwood’s United Church. He also competed in the Ontario Conservatory of Music in Owen Sound achieving second place as the solo vocalist in his age group.

In July 1962 his family moved from Ontario to the Peace River Country in North East British Columbia. For two years Dave took his schooling through the British Columbia Government’s Correspondence Courses and then attended North Peace Secondary School in Ft. St. John, BC.

During the summer break from school of 1963 Dave cared for and herded 20 Hereford bulls on “Goodseed Farms” south of the Peace River. During the following two summers he worked on a neighbouring facility, the “Penalty Ranch” owned and operated by Rhené Dhenin a Peace Country pioneer, packer, guide and highly accomplished horseman.

            During these early years he received early instruction from his father in how to play guitar. He was in several week-end dance bands and played in dance halls from Eureka River Alberta to Hudson’s Hope, BC and from the limits of the North Peace to the southern limits of the South Peace. In 1969 he was the “lead” singer in the “Country Ramblers” a group of six musicians who toured from Dawson Creek, BC to Dawson City, Yukon Territory performing in every community hall, (and sometimes garage) along the route and for “Discovery Days” in Dawson City, an annual event celebrating the Klondike gold rush of 1898.

            In 1968 he married Marie Lulu Royal. They had one child, Douglas James. They divorced in 1976.

            In 1970 Dave McGowan moved to Vancouver where he played in a variety of clubs through-out that city, New Westminster, Surrey and Langley and for three months in Calgary. In early 1972 he formed the group “Jade” and played throughout BC from Macleod Lake to Vancouver. Later that year the group moved to Ontario performing throughout the province. When that group broke up, he joined “The Chantells” playing again throughout Ontario and into the US states of New York and Ohio.

            The life of a performing musician can be, at the very best of times, inconsistent. From 1968 into 1974 he was also a “rough-neck” and “derrick-hand” on oil field service rigs, farm hand, farm equipment mechanic, commercial gardener, parts man, and on several occasions a truck driver.

            In 1974 he left “the music road”, settled in Windsor, Ont. and spent two years delivering steel throughout Essex, Trent and Kent Counties. Then in 1976 he joined Canox (the Canadian division of British Oxygen Corp.) as a delivery driver. Within one year he was the branch co-ordinator and a year later the branch manager. In 1980 he took the opportunity to move back to the west and spent a year as a technical sales rep for Canox in Calgary, AB.

Following that he moved to the Okanogan Valley working for West Canadian Welding Supplies in Kelowna, BC. In the fall of 1981 the company went bankrupt and Dave went back driving “long-haul” for a few months working out of Calgary and Edmonton, AB.

            In 1982 Dave moved back to the North Peace. He lived in the North Pine area for four years and worked for Borstad Welding Supplies in Ft. St. John. When that company was sold to the supplier, Union Carbide, a serious reduction in staff was instituted and Dave was once again looking for an income. Since industry was slow at the time he went back “on the road” performing as a solo country music act.

            During the first booking Dave met Karen Cheney Poole who was also performing as a single. They combined their acts forming a duo and performed together until the spring of 1991. Karen’s son Greg joined them in 1990 to form a trio. They were married in 1988.

            After leaving “the road” in 1991 Dave drove again hauling gravel and logs. Then in early 1992 he took over an existing business, “Wide World of Vacuums” repairing, rebuilding and installing house-hold vacuum cleaners and selling supplies.

            In 2000 he returned to truck driving hauling crude-oil, condensate and produced water (water that comes out of the ground along with natural gas extraction). In 2003 he began hauling gasoline and diesel fuel for United Farmers of Alberta, retiring permanently from that in 2022.

            Throughout his life Dave McGowan has been interested in history; (family, local, national and international) and collecting stories about the past. He has related some of these stories at various times and was prompted by his wife, Karen to write them down. In 1991, ‘92 and ’93 he wrote articles for Peace River Block Daily News, Alaska Highway News and The Western Producer. In 1996 his first novel “The Great Liquor War” was published. In 2008 “Partners” was published and in 2009 “Homesteader: Finding Sharon.” “The Making of Jake McTavish” in 2016 “Gunfighters, Thieves and Lawmen” in 2020 and “People of the West”, a collection short stories, in 2022.

            Dave and Karen’s combined families include four children, eight grand children and five great grandchildren.