Hein and Wil de Vries and family

What is there to tell about us?
Both, Wil and I were born and grew up in the Netherlands.
After graduating (resp. Geology and Library Science) we worked for a number of years in W-Africa (Mauritania and Benin), employed by the United Nations Development Programme.
Thirty-nine years ago we emigrated to Canada, setting first foot on Canadian soil in Calgary.
Here we lived, played and worked for almost a quarter of a century.
Our daughters, Kirsti and Lienke, both grew up and went to school in "Cowtown".
Over time, Kirsti and Lienke went their ways and we found our retirement heaven in Atlin, British Columbia.
A
few years later both Kirsti and Lienke moved closer and settled in and near Whitehorse in the Yukon. (2 hrs. drive from us). They have their own little families.
Kirsti has two daughters: Hannah and Kate (resp. 12 and 10) and Lienke and Matt have two sons: Sullivan (5) and Fletcher (3).

Oma and her granddaughters
at the Atlin-in-the-City Christmas Fair
Nov. 2016

Back to Top

How do we pass our time in Atlin??
Well, we camp, sail, kayak, canoe, swim, hike, bike, ski, collect firewood to stay warm in winter, set and maintain the skitrails in Atlin;
Hein teaches XC ski to schoolkids, and in his "spare" time dives into the genealogy of the family (click here: Genealogy page) and has published papers about the (non)effects the 1783 Laki volcanic eruption and the 1814 Tambora eruption might have had on the mortality in the Netherlands.
Wil organizes the local library, is making art and takes part in running the local Festival Headquarters Art Gallery where some of her and Hein's art is also for sale.
In addition to tending our vegetable garden and new greenhouse we make sure to have good healthy produce in our freezer for the winter.
Busy??? Yeah......, but we love it here.
Back to Navigation page

By clicking on any of these pictures a new window with an enlargement will open up.

Last updated 12-mar-17

Kirsti Hannah and Kate
Spring 2016

Wil painting Tombstone sep08
A favourite outing for us is a pilgrimage in early September to the Tombstone Mountains along the Dempster Highway.
Then the beautiful fall colours are at their best.

Over the summer Hein goes on longer mountainbike rides with his Atlin buddies in and over the mountains of the Atlin area.
AWESOME!!!

Another (road)biking highlight is the annual Kluane-Chilkat Bike Relay from Haines Junction (Yukon) to Haines (Alaska).
In June of 2010-2011-2012-2013 and 2014 Hein biked the race solo: 240 km over the coastal mountains in addition to some shorter local tours through the un-equalled landscapes of the Lake district of the S. Yukon and Northern BC.

In August of 2007 Frodo: our Golden Retriever came into our life and has been a great mate (lapdog, skiing and hiking buddy, etc.) ever since.
Now almost 10 yrs. old he is becoming gray like ourselves but still in good health and enjoying the daily outings on ski or snoeshoe chasing the squirrels and yes: occasionally a deer.
Frodo March 2010
To view more pictures of this amazing area:
click here (Tombstone Mountains page)
Hein downhill mnt bike
for more winter
pictures:
click here
(Atlin in the winter)
Hein has not forgotten about the sailing either, although we have a very short season.
Sailing in Atlin: more pictures
click here: Gwaihir
For pictures of Wil's Art:
click here.
Hein, Matt, Sullivan and Fletcher
Xmas 2016 at -20 C.
Frodo april 2012
Frodo on ice 09

Hein Wil Lienke Xmas 2016
Winter FUN
Matt and Lienke
with their boys Sullivan and Fletcher
spring 2016
Kate with a White-Crowned Sparrow at the Bird ringing station summer 2016
Fletcher having tobogganing fun
Feb 2017

Opa supervising Sullivans downhill run Feb 2017

Hannah (R) in a dance performance 2016
Frodo and Bo (Lienke and Matts dog) fighting for sticks. Feb 2016.
Frodo imitating a beaver
Sept. 2016

For pictures of Hein's art:

click here

Wil's 70th birthday