The idea for WholeHealth.guide has been simmering for several years.
In some ways, the seeds were planted more than twenty years ago — but I had no idea at the time.
In 2004, I met a couple in Vancouver who were creating something called Modern Urban Guide, which evolved to become We Are Local. It was a fold-out printed map that highlighted independent local businesses in different neighbourhoods like Commercial Drive, Main Street, and Kitsilano. Cafes, restaurants, clothing shops and other local businesses were featured on the map. Those businesses would share copies from their locations for visitors and locals to discover other places in the community.
I remember thinking how powerful that was.
With Gorilla Food (an organic restaurant I owned), and the two other cafes I was a part of, I advertised in the map for several years.
It was a simple idea, but it created a connective tissue between a community of independent businesses.
If someone walked into a cafe, they might discover a local clothing shop. If they visited a store, they might find a restaurant nearby. The map helped people explore the city and neighbourhoods while supporting local businesses.
That idea stuck with me.
A Hub for Health Conversations
Over the years, my work in the food world placed me at the center of a very interesting and inspiring community.
Through Gorilla Food and the broader natural foods community of Vancouver, I found myself constantly surrounded by people passionate about health.
- Yoga teachers.
- Massage therapists.
- Herbalists.
- Naturopaths.
- Personal trainers.
- Farmers.
- Nutritionists.
- Athletes.
- Artists.
- Entrepreneurs.
Every day at the restaurant there were conversations about wellness.
People debated nutrition philosophies. They discussed herbal medicines, meditation practices, and the latest research about movement, longevity, and mental health.
Sometimes these conversations were aligned. Sometimes they were oppositional. Everyone had their own ideas about what health meant.
But over time something became clear to me.
Health wasn’t just one thing.
It wasn’t only about food.
It wasn’t only about exercise.
It wasn’t only about medicine or technology.
It was something much bigger.
Discovering Wholeness
I thought for a long time that health was primarily about food and nutrition. I believed that the right foods were the key to wellbeing.
I still think it’s ultra important, but gradually I saw that other factors were just as powerful.
- Physical movement
- Emotional wellbeing
- Mental health
- Relationships
- Purpose and meaningful work
- Community
- Connection to nature
- Spirituality
These pieces interact constantly.
Someone can eat perfectly and still struggle if they feel isolated, stressed, or out of alignment.
Another person might thrive because they have a strong community, meaningful work, and a sense of purpose.
Health, I realized, is really about wholeness.
Everything is connected.
The Idea for a Guide
Around 2018, after closing the last Gorilla Food restaurant, I found myself at a crossroads.
For years my life had been deeply tied to the restaurant and the community around it. Suddenly I had space to reflect on what might come next.
One question kept returning:
How can I continue to serve my community?
Being near Vancouver’s downtown Eastside for so long, I was inspired to take courses in social work and counselling, which exposed me to another side of community support — and the networks of resources that help people navigate difficult times.
At one point I was assigned a project to create a resource binder of local support services.
That exercise reminded me of the We Are Local guide and how powerful it can be simply to connect people with the right resources.
The idea for creating a new kind of map promoting health businesses began to light me up.
What if there was a map that helped people discover the many different resources that contribute to whole health?
Not just health food stores or gyms.
But the entire ecosystem of wellbeing.
From Map to Digital Guide
At first I imagined something similar to the tourist maps you get in a hotel or at the car rental office.
A printed map of health resources.
But 2018, in the smart phone era, it quickly became obvious that a digital platform would have far greater potential.
With a website or app, people could easily explore different practitioners, services, and wellness resources all in one place.
They could discover yoga teachers, therapists, farmers markets, natural health practitioners, community groups, and educational events.
The guide could become something more than a list of services.
It could become a hub for the whole health ecosystem.
Rooted in Community
I was chipping away and building the site part time, but an opportunity to start a farm inspired my wife and I to move from Vancouver to Powell River / qathet.
I would have put the idea aside, but it kept calling me and I could see how it could also add value to the community here.
Living and farming here has deepened my appreciation for how closely health is tied to place.
This region offers something special.
Clean air. Clean water.
Ocean and forest.
A strong sense of community.
And, many practitioners, farmers, artists, healers, and educators creating a rich ecosystem of health and wellbeing.
Yet many of these resources are hidden unless you already know someone in the community who recommends them.
WholeHealth.guide exists to help make the ecosystem more visible.
A Community Guide for the Journey
Ultimately, WholeHealth.guide is about connection.
It connects people with the practitioners and resources that can support their wellbeing.
It connects practitioners with each other.
And it reminds us that health is not just an individual pursuit — it is something that grows within community.
Health is not a single practice or philosophy.
It is the interaction of many different elements of life.
- Food.
- Movement.
- Relationships.
- Purpose.
- Spirit.
- Environment.
- Community.
Together these form the landscape of whole health.
WholeHealth.guide is simply a way to help people navigate that landscape.
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