Words Pamela Martin
Photos Wind Gypsy Photography
Every community has people who help set its tone. Some do it from a boardroom, some from a stage, some from a bike seat, a rescue flight, or a quiet conversation over coffee.
Seaside Magazine’s Men We Admire contest was created to recognize local men whose contributions are felt not only through their work, but through the way they show up for others. This year’s five honourees reflect different kinds of leadership: steady, generous, creative, brave and deeply human. They are business owners, fathers, mentors, fundraisers, environmental leaders and community-builders. What connects them is not title or profile, but character: the willingness to care, to act, and to leave their corner of the world a little better than they found it.
Jevon Upton
Jevon Upton is the kind of person who seems to carry community with him wherever he goes. A local businessman, musician, husband and father, he describes family, work, music and community as “one big gift of life.” His roots in Sidney and North Saanich run deep; he still speaks with gratitude about his parents’ decision to move here in 1978, to the town he continues to call home.
As a business owner with JR Marine, Jevon hopes his work helps his crew develop skills, confidence and pride. Work ethic is one of the values that has guided him most, along with staying positive and remembering that “you can’t have the sweet without the sour.” He credits his father as a mentor, and also points to friends who supported his career in aluminum boat building.
At home, Jevon’s admiration is directed toward his family. His wife, Lisa, is “an inspirational soul,” and his sons, Bridger and Moss, make him proud every day. For him, modern fatherhood means getting kids outside, away from screens, and teaching practical things: light a fire, catch a fish, change the oil, go for a walk.
Then there is the music. With Space Chickens, Jevon helps gather people from different corners of the community under one roof to dance, sing and feel connected. “It gives love,” he says, “and that’s something we all need.”
Jayson Biggins
Jayson Biggins was surprised to learn he had been nominated, but also honoured. “We just go around living our lives,” he says, “and it’s nice to hear that people are affected by it.” For Jayson, much of that impact comes through the natural meeting place of two lifelong passions: aviation and animal welfare.
Known by some as “Big to the Rescue,” Jayson flies wherever he is needed to transport injured birds and animals to the care that may save them. He is humble about it, but the work is urgent, practical and deeply compassionate. In wildlife rescue, time matters. Flying does not simply make the work more dramatic: it extends the reach of what can be done.
Jayson’s idea of community is broad and generous. It includes people working toward a common goal, but also the animals, wild places and living systems we are responsible for protecting. His ethic is simple but demanding: compassion has to become action. He believes we all carry responsibility to reduce suffering where we can, even while knowing no one person can save everything.
That sense of character was shaped early. A serious accident as a teenager changed his relationship with life and health, while becoming a young single parent helped him grow into the father he had once wished for. Today, he is most proud of his son, Jaron, and of the steady, useful ways a person can keep showing up.
CG Morrison
In a world that often rewards the loudest voice, CG Morrison stands out for his calm. He is the kind of leader people seek out when a decision matters, when the numbers are complicated, or when a situation needs not more noise, but more clarity.
As Board Chair of the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, CG contributes to the business life of the region in a steady and strategic way, supporting entrepreneurs and helping strengthen the economic vitality of the Saanich Peninsula. Through Black Swan Advisory, his fractional CFO practice, he brings senior-level financial leadership to small and mid-sized business owners who might not otherwise have access to it. In practical terms, that means helping people understand their numbers, make clearer decisions, protect jobs and plan for the future.
But the admiration for CG is not only about formal roles. It is also about the quieter habits: the coffee conversation, the introduction made without fanfare, the thoughtful question that changes how someone sees a problem. He is described as measured, curious and principled, someone who listens before he speaks and looks for the unconventional angle that can unlock real value.
CG represents a modern model of leadership rooted in service rather than self-promotion. Whether advising a client, chairing a meeting or supporting a colleague, his goal appears to be the same: leave the person, business or situation better than he found it.
Kevin Nunn
Kevin Nunn’s first reaction to being nominated was simple: shock. Then came laughter, followed by the words “honoured and privileged.” For those who know him, though, the nomination makes perfect sense.
Kevin is the Equipment Officer for Saanich Police, a former British Forces soldier, and a man whose approach to fundraising is anything but ordinary. He has dyed his hair Billy Idol white, run long distances, pulled a Mini Cooper around UVic’s Ring Road, ridden Tour de Rock, and completed a 24-hour cycling event, all to raise money and awareness for families affected by childhood cancer.
Now, through End2End, Kevin hopes to help raise more than $150,000 for the Island Kids Cancer Association, with funds staying on Vancouver Island to support local families. The cause is deeply personal. Kevin’s father died of cancer, and when he is struggling on a ride or in training, he thinks of children going through treatment. His own pain, he says, will pass. Theirs is far harder.
Community, to Kevin, is people showing up for those who need them. He trains before dawn, wears his End2End jersey on rides to spark conversation, and has no trouble asking for support when the cause matters this much. His values are straightforward: honesty, integrity, kindness and respect. His advice is just as direct: “It’s never too late to start. Age is a number. If you believe in yourself, that’s the first step.”
Mike Williamson
Mike Williamson laughed when he first heard he had been nominated, partly because he knows there are many admirable men in the community. Still, he was honoured to be included. A former Naval officer, later-in-life entrepreneur and co-founder of Sidney-based Cascadia Seaweed, Mike has lived in the area for about 10 years and now calls North Saanich home.
His connection to the Peninsula is both personal and professional: proximity to the water, local trails, Beacon Street conversations and a business rooted in coastal possibility. For Mike, community means shared pride and responsibility. It is neighbours looking out for each other, a friendly nod in town, a joke on a hiking path, and people supporting and celebrating one another.
At Cascadia Seaweed, Mike is helping build a company focused on sustainable ocean-based products, food security, positive environmental impact and respectful relationships with First Nations coastal communities. He speaks about responsible business leadership in familiar terms – people, planet and profit – but insists those values only matter if they are lived daily. That means giving team members the tools, removing barriers and walking the talk.
He is equally clear about culture. At Cascadia, people are “team members,” not employees. Humour helps, as does not taking oneself too seriously when it is not required. What gives Mike hope is that the company’s work is already making an observable difference: healthier ocean areas, farmers using seaweed-based products, and younger generations insisting on doing better with the resources we have.
The men featured here remind us that admiration is not reserved for grand gestures alone. It is found in consistency, kindness, courage, humour, service and heart. It is in the person who shows up when no one is watching, who builds something meaningful, who lifts others along the way, and who helps make the community feel more connected. These five men each lead in their own way, and together they reflect the best of what it means to contribute close to home.
