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Rikki Swin was born in Chicago in 1947. An expert in polymer construction and design, she started Tec Air, Inc. in 1970, an American manufacturing business specializing in plastic injection moulding. This business grew to annual revenues of US$20,000,000 and, in 1999, she sold the business. Using the resources available to her, she founded the Rikki Swin Institute (RSI) in 2001. Her volunteerism has included work with the Land Conservancy of BC, Coats for Kids, PEERS (Prostitutes Empowerment Education and Resources Society), the Victoria Conservatory of Music, and the Art in Bloom Committee of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Rikki Swin has lived in Victoria, BC, Canada, and currently resides on San Juan Island, Washington, USA.

Sydney Castle Heal was born 28 December 1925 in Hoylake, Cheshire and grew up in West Kirby. In 1942 he quit school and joined the Thames and Mersey Marine Insurance Company. The following year he enlisted in the Royal Navy, qualifying initially as a midshipman, RNVR. Later he was transferred to the RN Commandos as a Sub-lieutenant and served in the Pacific Theatre. Following Japan’s surrender in September 1945 he spent the subsequent 18 months stationed in various locations in the South China Sea. In 1947 he returned to England for demobilization, having attained the rank of Lieutenant, RNR. After working several handyman jobs, he joined the Maritime Insurance Company and by 1951 was an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

In 1952 Heal immigrated to Canada and settled in Vancouver and got a job with Parsons, Brown Ltd. In 1957 he took a new job with Vancouver Holdings, which he eventually acquired, and in 1963 he formed Georgia Shipping, a tug and barge company, with Ed Wray. After returning to the insurance business for a time, in 1973 Heal transitioned into real estate where he specialized in waterfront properties. Heal retired in 1990 and the following year established Cordillera press. During his retirement Heal authored over 20 books on maritime history. He was married twice and had two children, Rod and Andrea.

In 1991 Heal underwent sex-reassignment surgery and began using the name Stephanie Castle. A year later, along with Christine Burnham and Patricia Diewold, Castle co-founded the Zenith Foundation, an advocacy group for transsexuals. Castle edited the foundation’s newsletter, Zenith Bulletin, and published ten books on transsexualism, including the 1992 memoir Feelings: A Transsexual's Explanation of a Baffling Condition. Castle died 8 May 2017 at age 91.

Artist, writer and teacher Glenn Edward Howarth was born in Vegreville, Alberta on September 1, 1946. Howarth moved to Victoria to study art at the University of Victoria. In 1982 he had one daughter, Rhiannon Williams, with his first wife Elizabeth Williams. His long-time partner Deborah Russell had two children. Glenn Howarth died in Victoria, B.C. on July 26, 2009.

In 1970, Howarth graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from UVic. After graduation Howarth worked as an art critic, writing regular articles for both the Victoria Daily Times (1970-1973) and the Montreal Star (1970-1971).

Throughout his career as an artist, Howarth was honoured with many exhibitions including one-man shows at Bau-Xi Gallery (1975, 1976) and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (1977, 1985) and group shows at AGGV (1974, 1975, 1976, 1990, 1997, 1999), Vancouver Art Gallery (1978, 1978-79, 1990) and Maltwood Art Gallery (1984, 1991). In 1978, Howarth was elected as a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. In 1983 he was chosen as Canadian Commissioner at the Sao Paulo Biennale in Brazil and had his works shown along with three other Canadian computer artists.

Howarth’s artwork consists primarily of expressive, figurative paintings and drawings, as well as computer artworks. His works can be found in private, public and corporate collections across Canada, including the Canada Council National Collection, B.C. Provincial Collection, Vancouver Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, University of Victoria, Esso Resources Calgary Ltd.,and B.C. Ferries Corporation.

For many years, Howarth was an art educator. He taught drawing, painting, computer arts and art history at several Canadian universities and colleges, including Acadia University, University of Victoria, Banff School of Fine Arts, University of Saskatchewan, and Victoria College of Art. Howarth also guest lectured at many schools including Ontario College of Art and Design, York University and Alberta College. From his personal studios in Fan Tan Alley, Brentwood Bay and Curtis Point, Howarth also taught drawing and painting to numerous students, and in 1987 founded the Victoria Drawing Academy.