Kate was born in northern Ontario where her family lived ‘on the land – off grid’ and where pulp mills and the railroad created the ‘economy’.

When Kate turned six, her father packed up his family and headed west to BC, establishing in the south Okanangan/Similkameen valleys where the family continued to live close to the land.

Kate’s introduction to big city life came when she moved to Vancouver to study at UBC, graduating in French Language and Literature, before going on to get her Teaching Certificate at UVIC. Kate worked as an elementary school teacher in Keremeos and Penticton before moving back to Vancouver where she worked as a French Immersion teacher.
While working with kids, Kate discovered how important the arts were as a learning and experiential practice.

In 1989, Kate helped pioneer the community garden movement in the establishment of Maple Community Garden in Kitsilano. Over the years, the Garden has been the object of many academic studies of graduate students from several continents.

Connecting the strands of her life … from living off-grid, working in the agricultural sector, enjoying academic life, teaching, volunteering in the arts along with practicing many aspects of fibre art and steering Maple Community Garden for over 35 years, she has found the inspiration for this, her debut book.

Currently, Kate is still gardening and collaborating on a community- building project on the land in the Similkameen Valley as she continues to write stories about her Earthling characters for her next book.