“I’m a fan of great shoes, good jeans and well-tailored dress shirts (and…a great selection of watches).”
WORDS + PHOTOGRAPHY Lia Crowe
I meet Craig for a cruise around the Olympic Village in his red, 1966 Dodge Coronet that oozes style and begs one to roll down all the windows and drive slowly. Similarly, Craig’s personal style is classic and timeless with a little flare in the details. However, what strikes me the most about Craig is his shining smile and upbeat vibe that immediately says, “fun will be had.”
When I ask what quality has led to his success, it’s no surprise when he answers, “Being positive in every interaction—smiles are contagious. Every morning my answer is the same: when someone asks, ‘How are you?/How’s your morning?’ my answer is, ‘Tremendous! Excellent! Never better!’”
As Craig and I chat about the remarkable list of huge development projects he’s working on with Magnum, I ask what aspect of his work fires him up the most.
“Floor-plan design,” he answers. “We spend six months to a year working on the design and layout of each floor plan in every new development to make sure they match our buyers’ needs, wants and budget. ‘Product design’ is essential to the success of every real estate development project.”
And what’s the best life lesson he’s leaned since age 40? “Empathy. I always take a moment to try to understand where some else is coming from.”
Craig’s biggest passion outside of work and classic cars, is his hockey team. He shares with me some of the many adventures his hockey team has been on together, for example, travelling the world to play in tournaments against other teams that were sometimes way beyond their skill level, but loving every second of it. “Our team has been together for 30 years. I’m surrounded by a special group of characters that let you know each day whether you’re in line or…out of line.”
CBC News Anchor & Reporter