Darren Park, who was raised by his maternal grandmother in Cox’s Cove, says resilience was key to carrying on and establishing a thriving outfitting enterprise

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Jean Park loved being alive despite her cascading health problems, the sleepless nights, barely eating, bruises and bleeding.

Her will to live for her grandson, Darren Park, was primal and powerful. For 15 years, she fought lung cancer that had metastasized to other organs. Yet she never allowed her brain to get cloudy, refusing to track the weather of her body while continuing to go about her daily business.

“My grandmother adopted me as a baby because my mother was a young teenager when she had me. So, my grandmother was everything to me, my mother, father, everything,” says Park, now 52, from Cox’s Cove, N.L.

In Grade 9, he quit school to help his grandmother around the house, cut firewood and do odd jobs to bring in extra money to have food on the table.

“My grandmother was on social services because of her terminal illness. And I tried to help in any way I could, from working on a chicken farm or at the stadium because it was brutal. We struggled to live. Everything I owned was a hand-me-down. It was a hard time,” he recalls.

After a year, he decided to return to high school with the hopes of a better future.

“Even though I was 15 years old, I decided to return with no influence. I graduated with honours, and my grandmother was thrilled. Words are hard to articulate. Even though her body was frail through sickness, her spirit and charisma beamed. She was proud,” he says.

“Family was everything to her.”

The impact of a cancer diagnosis went far beyond the physical disease, says Park. Yet his grandmother never shrunk from the existential distress.

“We had little money, but I always had three home-cooked meals. My grandmother did as much as she could, always with grace and bravery. I could tell you stories to see what she went through, throwing up blood. It was unbelievable. But she took care of me and would not give in to the disease.”

After graduating from high school in 1989, Park left home for college in St. John’s.

"My grandmother did as much as she could, always with grace and bravery." — Darren Park

“That day broke my heart because I could see my grandmother’s suffering was coming to its final chapter.”

He was awarded a diploma in recreation and leadership and then decided to pursue another two-year diploma in fish and wildlife.

Then his grandmother took a turn for the worse.

After college, Park hurriedly returned home to Cox’s Cove to hold her frail body that had thought so hard for life, for her grandson.

At that moment, Park lost everything – a grandmother, a mother, and a father – because she had been all three carers to him.

He had no idea what his future would hold and couldn’t even imagine it as he tried to process the emotional pain.

And yet, he pulled himself back to his feet and found the strength to go on.

In the heart of the Humber Valley, Park found employment as a snowmobile and fishing tour guide.

“I started working at Humber Valley Resort, featuring a championship golf course, wellness spa, luxury vacation condominiums, and chalets. It was a huge resort, and most of my clients came from England and other foreign countries.”

Park began to grow and learn, gravitating towards something bigger while building a network.

“In 2009, I opened my business called Four Seasons Tours Ltd.,” he explains.

Based out of Cox’s Cove, Park takes people off the beaten path with his carefully constructed personal cod fishing, bald eagle, and snowmobile tours. Wildlife enthusiasts and adventure addicts experience whales, moose, birds, and the unparalleled backdrop of towering fjords.

“I am the only one in Newfoundland using a traditional boat, called a dory, doing a Transport Canada-approved tour. One of the big tours is cod fishing, which begins in July, but we catch all sorts including perch, mackerel,” he lists, while noting that four to five people ride in the dory at a time.

“I clean and fillet all the fish for the guests at my cabin, which overlooks the bay, and then they take their fresh catch away for supper. And the scenery we sail past is mindboggling. Often 25 to 30 bald eagles will sail over along the way, and some even land in the boat."

Park stresses how resilience is pertinent to success.

“Never give up. I live the dream every day, and I pinch myself every night. My dad also passed away in my arms at age 56. He died of lung cancer from working at a gypsum board (drywall) plant. All the chemicals used in the plant were harmful and caused his cancer.”

Work can forge a sense of purpose, meaning, and identity.

“It can be the overall key to our wellbeing,” says Park, who watched his father deal with stress and bad health during the daily indoor grind while providing for his family (younger four brothers).

“Watching what my family went through fuelled my drive to work outside and do something that drives my passions. So, for high school graduates, I advise you to pursue your goals. Don’t get discouraged along life’s journey when hurdles come your way. Be patient.”

"Don’t get discouraged along life’s journey when hurdles come your way. Be patient.” — Park

As someone who overcame hardship and tragedy, Park will never forget the harsh lessons in his childhood that propelled him to find success as an entrepreneur and have a greater appreciation for life.

“Every day, I am outside, soaking in the changing seasons, breathing the fresh air, and benefitting others while making a living. I appreciate the moment and the beauty around me. And I feel good mentally and physically. So, I do not take anything for granted. I am happy.”

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