Myrle was born in St. Lucia. The island is 238 square miles with a population of 278,000. English is the official language with some French influence, a kind of creole mix. Myrle says in the 1800's the French and British fought over the island 7 times and she doesn't know why. St. Lucia obtained independence from England in 1978. They have a two party political system.

 

Her father only spoke French. Her mother was english. She went to a catholic girls vocational school. They prayed a lot. Her family moved to Florida in 1970's where she finished high school and adopted the American culture 100%. She was 15 at the time. She went to collage studying hospitality, but went on to business and an MBA at Harvard. She worked in the airline industry for about 10 years but decided she wasn't satisfied behind a desk. She wanted to help people. So with an 8 year old son, in 2002 she said by to America and went back to St. Lucia.

 

She had a job with the World Bank organizing focus groups in rural areas. That was when she first became involved with Rotary. Rotarians helped her with transportation to the rural places of the island, into the mountains. She was investigating what poverty meant to different age groups.

 

She moved to Antigua and Barbuda found Rotary there. Smaller island than St. Lucia. Rotary in Antigua was an eye opener. They were a small club but did a lot. They would piggy back on all the local events. Myrle would go to different islands and help, visit the sick. When the volcano erupted at Montserrat, still a British Colony, the place was devastated. She found it terrible, taking a ferry to the island after the eruption nothing was left, no life. A hospital of injured and sick, too feable to move were visited regularly. Even just sitting and holding their hands.

 

She has hosted students who were hired to come for summer to work and address IT problems with computers at the island schools. Myrle mentored young girls on the islands in the hospitality sector.

 

She believes her young life in girl guides, rangers were preparation for Rotary and her desire to serve and help. Her future goal is to visit some of the people and places she has been to see how lives have been touched and changed.

 

Myrle has been in Brighton 5 years. She came to Canada because she married a Canadian from Oshawa. They met while working for World Bank. They moved to Canada when her son was ready for higher education.   He is not well so she takes care of him and this restricts her involvement at times.