He grew up in the British Columbia gold-mining town of Pioneer Mines during the late 1950s.
He developed a triple interest in outdoor exploration, photography and electronics while still a teenager.
After a stint in the Royal Canadian Air Force in eastern Canada, he and his family moved back to B.C.
for a job in electronics with writing and photography as major side interests.
Shewchuk has also been managing editor of the 12th and 13th editions of The Canadian Writer's Guide, published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside of Toronto, Ontario.