Retirement isn’t an option for British-born couple Ann and Alan Newman, who produce postcards, greeting cards, souvenir fridge magnets and bookmarks that carry a variety of messages and scenery from Vancouver, Salt Spring and Quadra Islands. “We try to get the feel of the Island in our cards,” says Ann, who writes messages in the sand.

Choosing a sunny day, they take their “bags and ribbons and things,” arrange them on the beach and write a greeting in the sand. A photo of the greeting, “Thank you,” “Happy Birthday, Mom,” or any one of their 60 messages with the embellishment and scenery is turned into a card that will eventually go on one of their racks to be placed in a shop on the island.

The business venture, Ann’s Island Photography, began in 1986 when Ann holidayed on Salt Spring with her daughter. “What a beautiful island,” she said and decided to send some postcards home to her family in England. She went to Ganges to look for postcards, but found none. The big postcard companies were not interested in a small area like Salt Spring Island.

Seeing a need, Ann, who had always enjoyed photography, asked the shopkeeper if they would like pictures from Salt Spring Island on a card with accompanying envelopes.

“Well, send me a few and I’ll see what they’re like,” the shopkeeper said.

Within two weeks, Ann had a client who soon doubled the original order and later tripled it. The Island shopkeepers were overjoyed that someone took an interest in them. The pictures were so popular that the shopkeeper asked Ann if it would be possible to put the pictures on postcards.

Trying to find a printing company that would produce her cards, Ann learned she would have to order a minimum of 5,000 postcards of each of the eight scenes, 40,000 cards - too expensive a venture.

Looking at another possibility, she took her pictures to an existing postcard company and tried to convince them that they needed these types of cards.

“Salt Spring?” the owner said. “That’s too small for us.”

“By this time, it was in my blood,” says Ann, who continued her search until she found someone to print 1,000 copies each of six scenes. The printing bill was huge, and Alan was skeptical.

As soon as she received the new cards, Ann went to Salt Spring and sold 3,800 in one afternoon. Happily, she paid her bill and had some money left over.

“We have sold thousands of postcards there over the years,” says Ann.

In the meantime, the Newmans looked at the possibility of doing cards for Vancouver Island. Ann asked a Chemainus shopkeeper if they would like fridge magnets of the murals. The shopkeeper was interested. He was also interested in postcards. Ann did a few set ups that he liked and she had only to “sign on the dotted line and pay a royalty” to The Festival of Murals Society.

Things were going so well that the Newmans and their camera went on a Vancouver Island holiday. Soon they branched out into souvenirs depicting the beautiful Vancouver Island scenery.

Ann and Alan display all their products: cards, postcards, fridge magnets, acrylic magnets and panorama magnets, which can be used as fridge magnets or bookmarks, on racks they provide to the shopkeepers. Some of their unique postcards have corresponding recipes: Riverbank Casserole opposite a photo of Qualicum River Falls, Nanaimo Bars opposite the Bastion at Nanaimo, Goat Cheese Salad opposite a picture of two goats on a roof at Coombs, Grove Salad with a photo of Cathedral Grove.

During the fledgling years of their business while Al was still working at his full-time job, the Newmans squeezed their trips up island into the weekends. “It was hectic living in a motel on weekends,” says Ann.

Since Alan retired, the couple purchased a trailer and camp at their favourite campgrounds while they serve their clients. Alan does the computer work while Ann contacts their customers.

“We are incredibly blessed to have the type of business that allows us to be together, visit lots of people and camp in comfort all over Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands,” says Alan.

After a day of looking after their customers, Ann and Alan return to their campsite “for a barbecue supper with a glass of wine - not too much though,” says Alan. “I have work to do after supper!” In the evening, he records the details of their daytime sales.

Ann and Alan immigrated to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1966. Alan worked with the city police and Ann was a midwife at St. Paul’s hospital. Ten years after their arrival in Canada, they left their children with friends to holiday in Victoria and fell in love with Vancouver Island. Never afraid of a new adventure, they moved their family to Victoria the same year and Alan was hired with Corrections. Ann got a part-time job at St. Joseph’s hospital and sold Tupperware, eventually becoming a Tupperware manager. As the new job enabled her to spend more time at home with her three children, she dropped out of nursing.

Later, Ann left Tupperware and joined “Creative Circle,” another direct sales company. As regional manager, she travelled in B.C. and Alberta training new employees and doing motivational workshops.

Alan also changed careers. For nine years, he owned and operated a restaurant in Brentwood Bay. In his final career move, Alan joined the Commissionaires in charge of coast guard security, where he remained for the next 20 years.

These senior entrepreneurs won’t retire any time soon. “Our customers are all our friends as we have known them for a long time,” says Ann. “We do not want to retire from this. We are enjoying ourselves too much.”

MARCH 2011 SENIOR LIVING MAGAZINE VANCOUVER ISLAND