About Inspiration Resource

Walter’s journey began as a farm boy on a small farm in central Saskatchewan. His education began in a one room school much the same as depicted in the television show “Little house on the prairie". He went on to graduate from a residential high school in Saskatchewan, he then came to Winnipeg where he attended a religious seminary as well as the University of Manitoba.

Quote “I hitch hiked to Winnipeg to further my education and to explore a religious calling…. I had never been to Winnipeg before … was dropped off at Polo Park Shopping Centre with my accordion case which served as my suit case, $20.00 in my pocket and a lump in my throat. That’s how it all started".

The university education and the religious calling was put on hold when Walter followed his heart to the alter where he exchanged marriage vows with a girl he met at university and who is now his wife of 40 years.

Newly married with a freshly minted house mortgage and some student loans, his first job was unloading box cars for a national warehousing firm. It is here that Walter learned his first lesson in the art of advancement “if you don’t want to unloaded box cars for the rest of your life than you must do it better than the other guys unloading box cars with you".

Promoted to the pharmaceutical drug depot, then to the position of mainframe computer operator / data processing manager, then Office mgr, Manager of Administrative Operations, Assistant Branch Manager at a Life insurance company, then to the ownership of his own construction company, after which Walter became the Branch and Regional manager of a drug wholesale, Regional manager of a Medical surgical supply business and entered the drug retail business registering under his newly created Consumers Drug Mart Banner.

In addition to the traditional drug store setting, the Consumers Drug Mart stores housed medical clinics, podiatrists, homeopaths, nurses, chiropractors, massage therapists, herbalists, and other non traditional drug store health care services. His stores embraced a holistic theme complete with plants, pine hutches and water falls.

Through the years Walter became active in all aspects of business management, development and governance. He became active on many boards and through the many years of service on the various boards of national and regional corporations, cultural associations and faith based organizations in the positions of board member, board chair, board president and advisor to boards, Walter has developed a thorough understanding of how boards do and do not work, why boards may or may not be effective and how to make boards effective.

Walter’s passions are making things work, speaking, singing, conducting choirs, solving problems, fixing broken companies, celebrating success, walking on frozen ponds and lifting the spirits of those he meets.