Comox Valley Naturalists Society

May, 2004
Frank Hovenden

With the death of Melda Buchanan last month, the Comox Valley has lost one of its elders in the true sense of the word. Melda was the environmental conscience for this valley. It saddened her to see the changes that have taken place in her lifetime here. She was here when our salmon came from our rivers, rather than government hatcheries and fish farms. She remembered when magnificent stands of Douglas fir covered the Beauforts, rather than the spindly second-growth plantations and networks of logging roads. With Melda’s passing we lose a collective link to the past, a past when the environment was to be awed not pitied and fretted over.

Melda grew up in the days when this truly was a man’s world. It was a time and place when intelligent women were still delegated to their domestic prisons, and only the very brave ventured forth into the workplace. Melda was one of these. She had a degree in mathematics and was probably Canada’s first female meteorologist. She told me of the days debriefing commercial airline pilots on the weather. Many were former WW2 pilots whose swagger let it be known that they thought there was no place in an airport control tower for a woman. It was not easy being in an environment full of egos and male testosterone. Surviving in that environment may give you a sense of her fortitude and inner strength.

She was always fiercely independent for all the years that I knew her. Although a slight woman, she possessed great physical strength. While hiking with the Mountaineering Club a young man once offered to carry her pack through some difficult terrain. He was quickly admonished with the words ”I can carry my own G.D. pack thank you very much!”. Subsequently on a hike I led to White Ridge Park I worried about her when it became necessary to ford the rain-swollen Heber River. She had no trouble wading the Heber River but I had to bite my lip and put forward an air of nonchalance, lest I end up on the receiving side of her temper.

Melda was by no means a saint but saints are probably pretty boring. Melda could be grumpy and plain cantankerous and did not suffer fools gladly. A government official who was lax in his protection of our resources would receive the full force of her wrath and a steady stream of letters and follow-up phone calls. There was little room for compromise when it came to protecting parks and nature. She was often to be seen on the front lines of environmental battles such as MacDonald Wood or Seal Bay. However, her dedication was not limited to theatrics. She served on the Seal Bay committee and many of her handmade signs still grace the trails of that park.
Her first love was always nature. In the winter she fed, not only the birds, but the deer, the raccoons and even nesting eagles if she thought the fish were scarce. Buckerfields has lost a good customer, and Portuguese Joe’s may be looking for someone to take the fish heads off their hands.

Melda was always game for new adventures and experiences. Ten years ago I found myself together with her in a double sea kayak off the west coast of Vancouver Island. What started out gentle paddle through a calm sea suddenly changed. We found ourselves quickly exposed to more turbulent seas and mounting white caps. With no chance to retreat, we dug in and paddled for all we were worth. As we got behind a lee of an Island I remember Melda's face beaming with exhilaration. The fear had been forgotten and she was ready for a new adventure.

Last Sunday after attended a ceremony celebrating her special life I realised that Melda Buchanan had impacted the lives of hundreds of people who call this valley home. Everyone at that ceremony had received a unique and precious gift in being able to share time with some one who loved this valley and all the wild things that call it home.

Fighting the good fight, and defending nature, Melda set an example of a life well lived. I pray that her spirit lives on to protect all of nature in the Comox Valley.

Click on a link below to view the CVNS newspaper column.