Laurie Page has been a resident of Nakusp since 1990 when she and her husband, Bill Sones, set up their veterinary practice on Alexander Road.
The two had wanted to have their own practice and had been to Nakusp many times to do some hiking or to visit the local hot springs.
Though they looked at other places such as Kaslo and Revelstoke, they felt Nakusp had a better climate for gardening and growing vegetables.
“I’m a prairie girl, so the mountains were a little bit towering in other places and closed in,” she said. “With Nakusp, they’re the view, but they’re not right on top of you.”
For Page, being a vet came about not only because of a love of animals, but an interest in science, lifelong learning and being able to do something that involves the hands the brain and the heart.
Her main work interests are behaviour and nutrition.
“It’s involved in every part of an animal’s life, what they eat, and I think there is so much misinformation about nutrition, and so much good information too,” she said. “It’s a very interesting, ever-changing field.”
Page said nutrition for pets isn’t much different than it is for humans. She sees a lot of fad diets come up that people kind of jump on. She’s more interested in the science of nutrition, like how things change and how things work.
Along with being a vet, Page is very involved in the community. For many years she and Bill looked after their autistic son. When he left home she found she had a lot of time on her hands and decided to make good use of it.
She does a lot of organizational work. The three main boards she’s involved with are the Columbia Basin Trust, Arrow and Slocan Lake Community Services, and the Nakusp and Area Development board.
“I like to kind of look out for what is an opportunity to make a difference, what can I do that needs to be done, and what is the best vehicle for that,” she said. “Sometimes I do things on my own because I can, so it’s not always with an organization.”
Though she didn’t want to speak on behalf of residents, she thinks the reaction to the veterinary clinic in Nakusp has been generally positive.
When asked if she would ever move away from the village, Page said she’s lived here so long she doesn’t know what it would be like to live anywhere else. She enjoys the quieter pace of Nakusp, and said she isn’t very fond of larger areas that can be a little overstimulating.
“People are kind, and communicative, and friendly, and it’s safe,” she concluded. “Kids can do stuff, and kids talk to you here. I think it’s a great way to grow up, just sort of being part of an all age demographic, not being stuck with just your own cohorts.”
