4 minute read
Dads & Grads: Greydan and Jordan
Born in 2006, the grads of 2024 are already a hardy lot. Their birth year was marked by extreme wind storms in coastal BC, Pluto lost its status as a planet, and the giant squid – once thought to be just a cryptid – was finally recorded off the coast of Japan.
They endured the financial crisis of 2008 as toddlers, the Deepwater Horizon exploded while they were in preschool, Fukushima melted down when they were in Kindergarten. Then COVID, atmospheric storms, heat domes...
Through all this chaos, dads have demonstrated to their kids how to navigate the world with hope, humour, and humility.
This year, two grads are directly attached to the small staff at qL: associate publisher Sean Percy’s youngest child, Ella, graduates from Brooks. So does editor Pieta Woolley’s firstborn, David.
We asked a few of this year’s dads and grads about life with each other. What came back was surprising: even when you don’t think they’re paying attention, boy are they ever attuned.
Here’s to the dads and grads of 2024.
Greydan Joeseph Bear Lessard Mitchell, 17, is the son of Jordan William Mitchell, 41.
Greydan has been involved in sports teams, including volleyball and baseball and enjoys mountain biking. He is currently working at Pacific Point Market a few shifts per week.
Jordan, who was born and raised in tɩšosɛm, worked at the Catalyst Mill for 12 years but currently works as a heavy equipment operator at Select Sand and Gravel. He enjoys hunting, archery, biking, and rec league hockey with a team named the Dusters.
Grad to Dad
What do you remember about your dad, from when you were in Kindergarten?
Grad Greydan • I remember listening to music in his truck on the way home from JT, everything from the Tragically Hip to Metallica.
What’s your best memory of your dad, from your teen years?
Grad Greydan • When we went on a moose hunting trip southeast of Vanderhoof, I got to shoot lots of grouse, which was so much fun.
How is he unlike other dads?
Grad Greydan • Because he’s taught me how to do so many things that other kids my age didn’t learn for years after me. He’s taught me things like how to properly use a knife.
What do you think your dad was like when he was in Grade 12?
Grad Greydan • My dad was pretty laid back and a bit of a class clown.
What has your dad taught you about life, so far?
Grad Greydan • How to change a tire and how to fillet and gut fish.
What do you plan to do, over the next five years or so?
Grad Greydan • Next year I’m planning to take a gap year while looking for education opportunities while working and taking courses through VIU for the first year of university.
How do you plan to keep your dad in your life?
Grad Greydan • By staying in touch with my family any way I can even though I would like to leave qathet for a while and maybe move back when I am older and have seen a bit more of the world than I already have.
Dad to Grad
What do you remember most about your grad when they were in Kindergarten?
Dad Jordan • I remember Greydan being very curious and excited about all things truck and machines. Classic boy stuff through and through.
What were you like in Grade 12?
Dad Jordan • I was pretty outgoing, social, active, and mostly responsible.
What did you do in the five years following high school graduation?
Dad Jordan • I did two years of unsuccessful university studies, dropped out and took a job doing construction. I met Greydan’s mom, Cindy, when I was 21.
What do you hope for your grad, over the next five years?
Dad Jordan • I hope Greydan finds a program or multiple programs that ignite excitement in him so he can start building a fulfilling career.
What will you miss most about your grad, after they move on to their next stage in life?
Dad Jordan • I will miss his willingness to get out on adventures and enjoying meals together.
What are you most proud of your grad for?
Dad Jordan • His humility, his respectfulness and strong observational approach to all things.
