Biography

I am married to Sandra Einarson and we have two daughters, Laura, a software engineer living in Vancouver and Ann, an organic market gardener, living in Grand Forks. 

Sandra and I moved to the Grand Forks area in 1982 and together we started our photography business Contact Photo Arts in 1983. Contact Photo Arts began as a portrait studio that soon became a one hour photo lab, offering camera sales and custom picture framing services. The business grew and we built a new store on Market Avenue in 1990.  The building is now the Board Room Cafe.

Contact Photo Arts was one of the first photo labs in Western Canada to offer online digital photo services.  We took pride in offering leading edge services and camera equipment in what was a rapidly changing industry. Contact Photo Arts was sold to Value Drug Mart in 2010 and has since changed ownership; it is still an important part of the Grand Forks business scene.

 27 years of working on Market Ave. Grand Forks, serving the local population with photo finishing, cameras and passport photos, provided us the opportunity to grow our family, our business and become part of the community. 

I have been self employed all of my working life. My first contract was with the Village of Alert Bay, my home town, for street cleaning services. I was twelve at the time and there was some concern over the legality of the contract because of my age.

Currently Sandra and I operate two e-commerce websites selling unique bicycles. Strida Canada serves customers in many countries, Cycle for Fun is exclusive to Canada. This last year I have been actively involved in planting, harvesting and maintenance for Settle Down Organic Farm. At this stage of my life I am enjoying the physical work and fresh air combined with learning something new.

Interests and hobbies include walking and hiking. Observation mountain is a favorite hike. We live on the banks of the Kettle River and enjoy the river year round.

I am passionate about learning new technologies and studying change, I am currently focused on blockchains and crypto assets. 

My role model is my mother. My mother is active in Alert Bay and has been the driving force behind the Alert Bay Library and Museum for many years. She lives independently and at age 97, is hinting at retiring someday…

My mother constantly demonstrates to me the joy and value in keeping active and learning new things, this fuels my passion for life and what I would like to achieve. 

Third Person bio from my nomination submission

Bill Wilby is an experienced credit union board director who is passionate about cooperative organizations and their potential to enhance the lives of members and communities. Bill’s hometown is Alert Bay, but Bill and his wife Sandra have lived in the Grand Forks area for the last 40 years. Together they built a photography business and raised their two daughters while enjoying a rural lifestyle.

Bill now operates two online bike sale businesses and helps as a farm hand on his daughter Ann’s organic market garden farm. Bill has served a combined twelve years as a credit union director on two credit unions, Grand Forks and Stabilization Central. For Grand Forks he has served on all committees, chaired most committees, been the vice chair and the chair of the board. Bill has held the position of chair of the local Agricultural Society and volunteers for the local food co-op.

Bill sees his service as a credit union director as a career and has participated in many training courses, meetings and system conferences. He is an accredited credit union director and holds many certificates related to governance and co-ops. Full details can be viewed here, https://billwilby.ca/

Bill feels strongly that the changes coming to the financial services industry provide opportunities for credit unions and especially for a regionally diverse credit union like G&F. Bill is future focused, studies new technologies and would like to contribute to the success of G&F building the credit union of the future.

Dedicated to the future of credit unions…and to the credit union of the future