When most of us hear the name Roderick Haig-Brown, we think of his A River Never Sleeps (1944), or perhaps The Seasons of a Fisherman (1939). We don't automatically connect him with keeping British Columbian salmon safe from dams and being broadly active in environmental education. But in fact he rivals any conservationist for the impact he had on preserving B.C.'s natural resources. To mark the accomplishments of Haig-Brown and his wife Ann Elmore, the Museum at Campbell River launched a year's worth of celebration with a speech by the couple's daughter. Paul Rudan covered the event and offers a short biography. "After moving from England, the Haig-Browns settled in a home located on the south bank of the Campbell River. Roderick Haig-Brown became an active fly fisherman who traipsed along rivers throughout Vancouver Island. He wrote 25 books on fishing and the natural surroundings, and is recognized today as a pioneering conservationist who helped shape the values for community leaders in Campbell River and abroad. He also served as a local magistrate and, later in life, as Chancellor of the University of Victoria." In the Campbell River Mirror.
There is also an attractive (albeit rather empty) new Web site for Haig-Brown enthusiasts at www.haigbrowninstitute.org. Hopefully the creators will begin to seed the site with some samples of the author/conservationist's fine writing.
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