Our story began in residency, in the small town of George, South Africa, where my wife and I first met. It was there we made the bold decision to move to Canada, a leap of faith that would shape the rest of our lives.
At just 25, we found ourselves in Northern Saskatchewan, working in remote hospitals and flying daily to isolated villages by small planes, floatplanes, and, when needed, driving across frozen lakes in the dead of winter to reach those who needed care. These experiences shaped us. There’s something deeply humbling about delivering babies mid-flight or stabilizing patients when air ambulances couldn’t fly. You learn quickly how to trust your training, think on your feet, and above all, to serve with compassion.
Eventually, we moved to Consort, a ranching community in rural Alberta. For ten years, we were the only two doctors responsible for a hospital and a community of 3,000 people. We were on call 24/7 during the week and every third weekend. It was a life of dedication and resilience, and it was deeply rewarding.
Alongside our medical journey, we faced a personal one too, five years of IVF before welcoming our child into the world. That chapter taught us perseverance and gratitude in ways we never expected.
In 2001, we visited university friends who had relocated to Squamish. It didn’t take long for us to fall in love with the place, forests and mountains on one side, the ocean on the other. It reminded us of home in South Africa. And where else could you ski, bike, and golf all in the same day?
Lēzara was born from this lifetime of medical practice, grounded in our belief that evidence-based care matters – whether in a hospital setting or in the world of aesthetics. We’re traditionalists at heart. We value natural, subtle results over trends, and always place ethics before profit.
We didn’t set out to build a clinic that simply offered cosmetic treatments. We built Lēzara to preserve the integrity of medical care within the aesthetic space. It’s why we’re so committed to using medical-grade, scientifically backed skincare. And it’s why every treatment we offer is done with intention, care, and a deep respect for the human body.
This work is personal. It’s rooted in decades of service across continents and shaped by both professional dedication and personal sacrifice. We’re proud of the clinic we’ve created, and even more proud of the trust our community has placed in us.
– Dr. Gerhard Malherbe