Mark moved to the Comox Valley in 2002 with his wife Ellen Vanderlaan and two young sons. He’s enjoyed his time coaching his sons in the Comox Valley Minor Hockey Association and the Strathcona Nordics cross country ski club. He now struggles to keep up with his sons as they surf, ski, bike and golf their way into young adults. Activities that occupy his free time are furniture building, playing with carving tools and learning how to make pizza and bread in a recently built wood fire oven.

Mark has been on the board of directors of the: Comox Valley Head Injury Society, Filberg Heritage Lodge and Park Society, Comox Valley Community Justice Center,  Comox Valley Squash Club, and the Comox Valley Community Foundation.