While Reggie was trying to establish himself in Toronto, something happened that would change his life permanently. He learned that he was going to become a father.

Reggie and his future wife had only been in Toronto for a month or two when they discovered that she was pregnant. His recollection of his immediate reaction was characteristically brief and direct:

“Oh fuck.”

Behind those two words was a major change in Reggie’s life. Until then, much of his story had revolved around school, friends, drugs, music and his attempts to decide what he wanted to do with his life.

Now there was going to be a child.

Returning to P.E.I.

His future wife returned to Prince Edward Island during the pregnancy. Reggie chose to remain in Toronto for the winter. As he later explained:

“I had some friends in Toronto, and I wanted to spend the winter there. When spring came around, I moved back to the Island.”

When spring arrived, he followed her home.

The move marked another important transition in Reggie’s life. His attempts to establish himself in Toronto were giving way to something very different.

He was becoming a father.

A New Responsibility

Their first child, a boy, was born, and Reggie and his future wife began trying to establish a home together on Prince Edward Island.

Fatherhood would become one of the most important parts of Reggie’s life. But becoming a father did not mean that the other parts of his life simply disappeared. Reggie’s own account of what happened after the birth of his son makes that particularly clear.

He and his future wife rented a house and began their life together as a family. At the same time, Reggie’s involvement in the drug trade was about to become considerably more serious.