After more than 30 years of practicing, Larry Hill, DMD 1987, and Kathie Robertson, Dip DH 1985, are enjoying small-town living in Alert Bay on Vancouver Island. Larry and Kathie submitted the story below, which has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Our story
Nestled on Cormorant Island off the windswept shores of northern Vancouver Island, the village of Alert Bay is a place where orcas breach in the mist and community ties run deep. Here, Larry Hill and Kathie Robertson have carved out a life that blends service, adventure and the quiet magic of small-town living. Their story—which spans decades, continents and serendipitous reunions—is a testament to the power of curiosity, resilience and saying yes to the unexpected.
Finding each other
Larry and Kathie first crossed paths as students at UBC Dentistry in the 1980’s. They bonded over textbooks and late-night study sessions, but after graduation life pulled them in different directions. Larry, a former fisherman and teacher who discovered dentistry in his 30’s, built a thriving dental practice with his wife and two daughters in Nanaimo. Kathie, an independent mom who juggled dental hygiene studies with raising her son, became a globetrotting volunteer, offering care in remote clinics from Guatemala to Uganda.
Their paths diverged for nearly three decades before they reconnected at a UBC Dentistry alumni event in 2013 over shared memories.
The importance of volunteer work
Both Larry and Kathie credit volunteering as the heartbeat of their careers. Larry’s hands, once callused from fishing nets, found new purpose in his Nanaimo office and later in makeshift clinics worldwide.
Kathie, driven by a desire to venture beyond her comfort zone, helped Larry organize trips for UBC Dentistry students to Nepal, blending mentorship with humanitarian work. A realization shifted their focus locally when they saw an immense need at home in BC. The duo began volunteering in Indigenous communities including Nanoose, Chemainus, Zebellos, Kyuquot, Tahsis and a street clinic in Nanaimo. The pair believe volunteering is all about reciprocity—they received so much from these places that giving back felt natural.
Adventure also took them to remote locums in Haida Gwaii, Hazleton and Newfoundland.
Calling Alert Bay home
In 2015, a locum position in Alert Bay turned into a permanent move. The couple traded city life for a rugged coastal paradise where bald eagles circle cedar scented skies and neighbours greet each other by name.
During daily walks to the clinic, Larry passed a century-old building called the Orca Inn, which had languished on the market for years. One day he thought, “why not?” The couple bought the inn, breathing new life into its creaky floors and transforming it with a successful restaurant and pub. Saturday nights you will find Larry playing guitar in the pub and Kathie tending the bar.
Today, their life in Alert Bay is a tapestry of simplicity and purpose. They tend an organic garden fertilized with beach-harvested seaweed, and care for chickens and Icelandic sheep.
Larry and Kathie’s advice to aspiring dentists
Embrace the unknown. Volunteering isn’t just about giving, it’s about growing. And don’t fear a detour—Larry was once a teacher, a fisherman and then a dentist. Life is richer when you let it surprise you, and the best chapters are often ones you never see coming.