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Web developer taps Revelstoke’s sweeping seasons and digital undercurrent

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For 29-old Nathan Bertram, when he moved west from Winnipeg seven years ago, he was escaping a stale lifestyle.

“I wanted to do what I liked,” he says, “which was skiing. I put everything in my car and moved to Canmore. And literally within that week I met my now wife, Marika. And that’s when I started my consulting business.”

Ever in search of more snow, and affordable property, the couple moved to Revelstoke shortly after, where Nathan’s consulting business, True Perspective, took off. Born in South Africa, but raised in the geographical centre of North America from the age of 10, he went on to get a degree in computer science from the University of Manitoba. Afterwards, he plateaued at a series of developing jobs that left him bored. Armed with stacks of referrals for brilliant work, he surprised even himself when Revelstoke turned out to be a perfect base for his new business.

“I haven’t worked with another developer in over six years of doing this that is as easy to work with as Nathan,” says Will Cosgrove, a partner programmer from Fort Worth, Texas. With clients all up and down the West Coast and U.S., Nathan credits his ability to stay sharp in Revelstoke to its fast internet, local co-working space and strong meetup community. All of which lets him live a holistic lifestyle when he signs off.

at-work“What brought us was the skiing. What kept us here was the distinct change of seasons. In the summer, I’m gardening and fishing, and spending time with my dogs. In the winter, I’m skiing and spending time with my dogs – and my wife!”

Never bored anymore, Nathan has three Rottweilers and a large property. He’s also become an entrepreneur. While his staple work is designing backend management systems for businesses, he’s partnered with Pulse Labs to develop a web-based ski-boot fitting program that takes the “voodoo” out of boot fitting.

“You can do it here in Revelstoke and have a balanced life,” Nathan beams. “You can chase that career, get that job or start your business. And you don’t have to go anywhere else.”

This blog post is part of an ongoing series focused on the technology sector in the Kootenays. It is supported by Kootenay Association for Science & Technology and Imagine Kootenay. Read the next post in the series: Raft-guiding I.T. whiz makes his own way in Golden.