Nick Loenen grew up in Nieuw Loosdrecht, the Netherlands, a water wonderland, particularly for sailing. As a teenager he immigrated with his family to Vancouver, where he lives with his wife Jayne. While pursuing a business career in residential construction he sailed his Flying Dutchman on Vancouver's English Bay. Since retirement he indulges his passion for wood working and sails the much admired Lady Jayne. Lady Jayne was on show at the Sunshine Coast Wooden Boat Show in Madeira Park, 2008, receiving the coveted Judges Award for best overall and went on to win her division at the 20th Malaspina Annual Regatta, 2009, plus the Race Committee Award the same year. Loenen's book draws on a life-time of woodworking which includes construction of a 12 foot sailing dingy, a cedar strip canoe, an Optimist and finishing a Flying Dutchman. Loenen has served in elected office as Councillor for the City of Richmond, and as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of BC. He has taught in the Political Science Department at UBC and in 1997, Dundurn Press, Toronto, published his Citizenship and Democracy, a case for Proportional Representation.