When asked to share his thoughts to about what makes Manitoulin such a great place to live and work, Little Current pedorthist David Lloyd hesitates a little.
"I'm like a typical Islander now," he laughs. "I don't want to give too much away."
Since moving to the Island, the entrepreneur has adopted the lifestyle of an Islander: he's a hard worker and is enjoying the many advantages-both to his work and his personal life-that have come with the move.
Growing up, his family had spent time on the Island during the summer, so he was familiar with Manitoulin and the treasures it had to offer. He had spent 14 years living and working in Hamilton, but soon other incentives drew him closer to the North.
"Eventually, since I had a lot of friends in the Sudbury area, I decided to come up here in 2001," he says. "At 14, I lived in Lively for a year. I made some good friends there, and we always kept in touch. I always enjoyed coming back here."
After four years of operating the Sudbury BioPed location, and visiting their Island camp on the weekend, the Island pull proved to be a strong one for Mr. Lloyd and his wife, and they started to formulate a plan for moving here permanently within five years.
But when they found an ideal piece of property in Kagawong, that five-year plan was quickly moved up. A flurry of new changes ensued, including the construction of a new home, a marriage at Michael's Bay last summer, and the recent happy arrival of a new baby.
Mr. Lloyd says he feels fortunate that the nature of his business permitted him to relocate to the Island, because of the dynamic it allows him to foster with his clients. He opened BioPed in Little Current last fall. "In smaller areas, I can spend more time with my clients, and I don't have to treat them like it's an assembly line, one after another," he notes.
With the technological options now available on the Island, including high-speed Internet, he says keeping in touch with business associates and staying abreast of developments in the industry are easily done.
In his profession as a certified Canadian pedorthist, Mr. Lloyd aims to correct pain in the feet, back, hips, knees, calves and shins caused by foot disorders and exacerbated by the use of nonsupportive footwear.
Through an initial consultation during which he makes a three-dimensional model of the client's foot, Mr. Lloyd is able to identify any foot-related problems and create a custom set of orthotics-inserts shaped to the client's foot that are placed in his or her footwear-which reduces the pain and makes everyday activities such as walking and running much more comfortable. "We needed a business like this on the Island, and any time we can provide a new business for people, that's a good thing," he says.
Clients used to have to make the drive to Sudbury to be treated for foot conditions and to pick up their orthotics (they are made on the premises), but with the Little Current location now up and running, it saves clients the trip, Mr. Lloyd adds.
While his business has taken off by leaps and bounds, Mr. Lloyd is also experiencing success in his personal life. As the father of two little ones, he believes the Island is a great place in which to raise children.
"There is privacy and isolation here-it's a half a mile to the nearest house," he reasons. "It's peaceful and quiet, but if we want to go to a Leafs' game, it's only a six-hour drive."
