Gil has been enjoying the
pleasures of a thirty year romance. It’s
a romance that involves sunrises on the beach, lazy afternoons on the water and
hot steamy nights. Like any good
romance, there have been highs and lows. It’s had moments of calm and moments
of turbulence. There’s been a lot of change and growth in the romance as well. His
romance is with the island of St. Maarten and is still going strong as he
prepares to roll with the changes yet again.
Gil is originally from Montreal,
Canada. He moved to Florida over fifty years ago, with his wife, and they started
a business together. Their business was refurbishing private aircraft.
“It was a great business. We met
so many interesting people from all over the world. A lot of our clients came
from South America and the Caribbean, as well as the States. We handled
everything from small planes – like a Piper Cub, to big jets – like Gulfstreams
and Challengers.”
It was through one of their clients
that St. Maarten was discovered.
“I first came here with my wife
and daughter on a cruise, from a recommendation of a client. That was over 3O
years ago. At the time my family enjoyed cruising, it was such a great way to
see new places. When we arrived in St. Maarten, it was love at first sight. We
quickly realized that one day was definitely not enough.”
Like many people who come to St.
Maarten, Gil was hooked.
“Before we knew it, we were
traveling down here more than just once a year. It became a couple times a year
and for longer periods each time. First it was in hotels, in fact the first
place we stayed was Mullet Bay. It was such a beautiful property. I’m still sad
when I drive through there today. It was truly a paradise the way that property
was designed and landscaped. The staff was great, always took great care of us.
That’s when we really started falling in love with the people of St. Maarten. I
finally looked at my wife one day and said, ‘What about a house of our own in
St. Maarten?’ And that’s what we did.”
Gil and his family built their
first home here in he early 8O’s, in Monte Vista – located in Pointe Blanche.
“It started as a vacation home,
and all of our extended family enjoyed many holidays there. Christmas was
always our favorite time of year. My wife would go crazy with the Christmas
decorations, and we have a big house party and invite our St. Maarten family.”
In 1995, like so many people in
St. Maarten, Gil and his family suffered property damage and loss due to hurricane
Luis. Unable to come down and secure their home, they relied on the help of
good friends to secure the property.
“It was hard. We were stateside
and helpless. We just tried to work, while waiting for the phone to ring for
any kind of news. When we got the first tidbits of news, it was heartbreaking.
We knew our little island had suffered a major blow. We actually made
arrangements and flew out of Florida 2 days later, on a private charter, and
just barely made it to the island. We actually had to go by helicopter from St.
Thomas and we landed at Belle Creole because the airport was closed. It took us
two days just to get to the Dutch side. What we saw was beyond description. It
was just catastrophic. I hope to never see that kind of destruction again.”
St. Maarten rallied, pulling
itself from the muck left behind and began rebuilding. Soon the island was
flourishing once again. Around the same time, Gil and his wife made the
decision to retire to St. Maarten, making their vacation home a permanent home.
“It was such a simple decision. Our
daughter was grown and living her own life. She supported our decision 1OO%. We
have such great friends here. It was like coming home.”
Gil lost his wife in 2OO7, but
still remains in St. Maarten.
“There was no decision to make.
My wife loved this island. One of her last wishes was to spend her last days
here. As for me, I can’t see myself living anywhere else. I’ve often been asked
if I ever thought about returning to Canada, and I just have to laugh. It’s way
to cold! I’ve got thin blood now. I like my sunshine!”
Through the years, Gil has seen
St. Maarten face many challenges and over come many obstacles.
“It’s been a wonder to watch this
island grow. I can remember when you got Chicklet gum as change instead of coins.
I remember when all there was were Great Bay Hotel and Mullet Bay, nothing in
between. When you drove over the hill, there were no lights. In low season you
were lucky to spot another car on the road. The airport was a couple little
buildings and all passengers got off their planes on the runway. It was really
Caribbean.”
Gil just recently celebrated his
76th birthday. He still leads an active life. He’s the caretaker of
a house in Dawn Beach. When not working as caretaker, he focuses on his own
home. It’s a busy household with 3 dogs and a cat. Gil also enjoys getting out
and seeing the island almost every day. When asked about the upcoming 1O-1O-1O,
Gil was thoughtful.
“I don’t know. It will be
interesting to see what happens. I can understand why country status is needed
and I’m sure St. Maarten will pull through like always. I think the government
will learn quite a bit as they evolve into a stronger union. Some of the
changes are a little hard. The construction out in Cupecoy is a little
heartbreaking. So much cement. But, it’s bringing people to St. Maarten who
will put money into the economy. Sometimes it’s a love/hate relationship. There
are times when I’m sitting in traffic that’s not moving and curse the island to
the heavens above! Other times I see the sunrise peeking over the hills, count
my blessings and just fall in love all over again.”
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