[citation needed] Born in California the son of a prominent defense attorney and a graduate of Palo Verde High School in Tucson, Arizona, he moved to British Columbia in 1969 with his wife and two daughters.

Before his election to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Evans worked as a stevedore, logger, tree-planter, heavy-equipment operator, first-aid attendant, and highways surveyor.

[3] By the mid-1970s, Evans had settled in the Kootenay region of southern British Columbia, and became active in local environmental and land use initiatives, particularly in developing the Slocan Valley Forest Management Project, which aimed to control logging and protect watersheds.

He was elected to the Central Kootenay Regional District government, serving three consecutive terms as a director and hospital board member.

He was approached to run in the 2003 BC NDP leadership convention, but declined, citing his commitment to his new job with a local community service organization.