It was a love for the outdoors that brought Dave Maitland to the Cariboo, having first moved here from the Lower Mainland in 1980 to fight forest fires in Riske Creek.
After graduating from BCIT in 1981, Dave used his credentials as a forest technician to advance his career in the area and spent years working outside planting trees, fighting fires and assessing areas for logging. Dave says he’s happy to have pursued his career when he did, because at the age of 30 he was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy (MD) and eventually lost the ability to work out in the field.
Not to be confused with multiple sclerosis, MD is a condition that affects the muscles and gradually limits one’s mobility. MD affects people of all ages, and while Dave would have been born with the condition, symptoms only surfaced in his late 20s when he began noticing an abnormal weakness in his legs and arms.
“I consider myself lucky,” he said when reflecting over his first 30 years of life. “I’m just happy that I had the opportunity to do all that because...if I’d known I had it (MD)...I probably wouldn’t have done all the things I did.”
As his condition progressed, Dave was switched to office duties in Williams Lake where he used his field-experience to ensure people were complying with sustainable forest practices. Today Dave is retired and depends on his battery-powered wheelchair to get around, but that doesn’t stop him from getting out and enjoying life.
“To have something going on like I have you can’t let it stop you," he said. "You got to challenge it...and not shut yourself down.”
In 2015 Dave had to relinquish his Ranger truck, but he continues to drive thanks to his BraunAbility wheelchair conversion van which allows him to drive directly from his wheelchair by using hand controls.
“It’s all about trying to maintain my independence,” he says. Dave likes to get out and socialize, and he recently joined the Williams Lake Seniors Activity Centre, saying “I’m hoping to be a happy, grumpy old man.” He also likes to get out and fly remote-controlled helicopters, having always been interested in aircraft and flying.
Dave calls himself stubborn because he is determined to lead an independent life, but that can be difficult with MD especially when it comes to maintaining a house. A cozy place with lots of sunlight, Maitland’s home has that good old 60's design, and a few decorations suggest a passion for aircraft and the Vancouver Canucks. But there are challenges, like when tar gets stuck in his wheels and tracks onto his living room carpet.
“I’m holding out as long as I can,” Dave says, explaining that it’s hard to find the help he needs around the house without giving away all his independence. Luckily, Dave has his service dog Beans, and while she may not be able to clean carpets for him, she can help with certain things like opening doors and carrying light objects.
The pair were matched in July through the non-profit organization Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS) after Dave's first service dog Jasper retired. Dave says he and Jasper were a legendary team, but “even dogs have to retire.” Jasper passed away in June and now sits in an urn near his living room.
Dave is still getting to know Beans and enjoys the challenge of training her on additional tasks like helping to get his shoes off. He says it’s also great to have her with him in public, because lots of people ask about her which gives him more opportunities to socialize. However, he says it’s important people always ask before petting a dog because service dogs could get distracted and lose focus on their task.
Dave has family back in the Lower Mainland, but for him Williams Lake is home. He says he loves how laid-back things are around here and he has grandchildren and friends in the area to keep up with. He sees life with a glass half full, but says “please, please allow me to see the Canucks win the Stanley Cup.”