The first weekend I visited the Sunshine Coast, we decided to move here. A conversation in a shop in Lower Gibsons made it clear: it wouldn’t just be the Sunshine Coast –– it had to be Roberts Creek. Her stories about this community captivated me, especially one of the town rallying around children who lost their mother. Whether this was real or just how my memory stored it, I pictured the town gathered in a circle, lifting those children in their sorrow. It met a longing in me to return, after 20 years of city living, to the embrace of a small community. Small towns have their flaws, but their ability to come together in times of need is unparalleled.
I didn’t know Camden Verlaan, who was tragically killed in Peru nearly two years ago in a preventable tragedy. To understand who he was, I’ve been reading written memories shared by those who knew him. Camden was a young man of kindness, intelligence, and boundless curiosity. Friends remember him as a bright light, radiating like golden sunshine. He shared a rare connection with animals, as if he could communicate with them.
Camden knew both struggle and triumph, living with chronic illness while excelling in his passions. Joe De Leo shared the pride Camden took in his work at the Gumboot Cafe. After long shifts, he spent evenings perfecting the art of espresso. In a world of online ordering and contactless pickup, Camden valued something simple done with care –– reminding me of the Taoist belief I referenced last week; profound truths can be found in the mundane.
As I write this, my own son’s face glows from the digital wallpaper of my computer. Another boy with golden curls, just a few years younger than Camden was. His dreams are still malleable –– shifting between owning a diner to volunteering at an animal rescue. It’s impossible not to imagine the parallel: the shared potential, the boundless possibility, and the devastating grief of a life interrupted too soon.
When tragedy strikes, we often feel the urge to help but don’t know how. Camden’s family has given us that chance. On Sunday, Feb. 2, his father, Vince Verlaan, is hosting Camden’s Memorial and Fundraiser at 101 Brewhouse in Gibsons. They’ve also organized an online auction: airauctioneer.com/camdenv, which closes at 7:30 p.m. that day. Browse the incredible items donated by our community: every contribution supports the pursuit of justice for Camden and ensures his legacy endures.
As Eddie Vedder sings in Invincible, a song Camden’s father sent him weeks before his passing, “we are invincible when we love.” This invincibility –– the strength of love and community –– is what defines a great small community like Roberts Creek. Let’s come together to act in his spirit of kindness. Because when we love, we are light.
And in Camden’s own words, written on nearly every page of his journal: “I love life.”
