Remembrance of Jon

I first met Jon in Springdale in 1979 when there were whales trapped in the ice there. One of those whales was a narwhal and became the subject of controversy because the Vancouver aquarium was interested in acquiring it. Jon didn’t wade into that debate, as I recall. Rather, he was busy befriending the whales, recording their distress sounds, advising fishermen how they could help (efforts were made to supply food to the whales since they couldn’t travel far from their breathing hole) and helping problem-solve on the best way to release them from their cramped quarters. To my mind, he was an academic like no other. He appreciated theoretical analysis but was also intensely practical-minded and didn’t mind getting his hands dirty and his feet wet to solve problems. When our family later joined the Lien family farm I got some insight into Jon’s formidable work ethic and better understood (and appreciated) the depth of his committment to excellence in all things, from growing food to helping humanity. Generousity? When reporters and producers at the CBC were locked out at a labor dispute in 2006 Jon showed up at a public event with hundreds of his delicious black currant muffins to give away. At that time his physical health was starting to decline as I recall he was using a cane, which made me appreciate all the more the time and effort he put into baking for us that day. Jon has been an inspiration. My sincerest condolences to Judy and the rest of the family for their tremendous loss. Thanks for sharing him with all of us!!

This post was submitted by Marie Wadden.