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Friends, colleagues recall Van Egan, the 'soul and conscience of the community'
Dan MacLennan, Courier-Islander
Published: Friday, July 16, 2010
With the death of Van Egan, Campbell River has lost one of its finest, a soul and conscience of the community, and one of its strongest links to the legendary Roderick Haig-Brown.
Egan passed away peacefully in the Campbell River Hospital last Thursday, July 8 at age 84. This week friends, colleagues and community leaders shared their thoughts about the man and his many contributions to Campbell River.
"Van was our father's finest fishing companion and a wonderful, gentle friend to all of us," said Valerie Haig-Brown.
"I will miss him always and especially when I am in Campbell River."
"Mr. Egan was first my biology teacher, one who gently inspired and demanded of me," remembered her sister Celia. "Over the years, as my parents' close friend and colleague, he was welcomed into our house, and then became one of the most enduring parts of visits to Campbell River. I will miss him."
"He was such a strong part of our community," said North Island MLA Claire Trevena. "He was a foundation for Campbell River. He was in some ways the soul and the conscience of the community and a very good person to talk with, to listen to. He was a very good man and he will be missed."
Noted writer and fly fisher Art Lingren recounts a chance encounter more than 55 years ago that would change the shape of things to come.
"Van was a reader of good angling literature and specifically Haig-Brown's writings. A River Never Sleeps and The Western Angler drew him to (Campbell River) in 1954. Van, while fishing the Campbell's Sandy Pool with a double-handed rod and a Silver Lady, noticed someone watching him from the logging bridge. After a while Van heard a voice behind him asking him if he lost this. Van turned around and there was Haig-Brown holding a Van Egan-tied Silver Lady. With pleasantries exchanged, Haig-Brown invited Van to dinner and a game of croquet. This chance meeting on the banks of the Campbell River with Haig-Brown started a long-time friendship.
"Good friends share common interests and Van and I each had a passion for fly fishing, fly tying, fly fishing books, conservation, and the preservation of the natural world. My admiration for Haig-Brown drew us together in the early 1980s and since that time Van shared so many stories about Rod with me that I felt as if Haig-Brown was my friend as well."
Egan helped to perpetuate the memory and messages of Haig-Brown. Mayor Charlie Cornfield remembered Egan from their days together on the Campbell River Environmental Council (CREC).
"Van cared not just about the environmental values of the river but also about people," Cornfield said. "He made a big contribution to our community. I think of the issues that Haig-Brown was involved in, the river, the mine, the health of our streams. Van carried on in that tradition and kept it going. It's sort of what defined us as Campbell River. Haig-Brown was part of that defining of Campbell River. Van was that same style, enjoying our community and caring deeply for it, deeply enough that you stand up to be counted. That's what I think of when I think of Van.
20ft Alumaweld Intruder
Dan MacLennan, Courier-Islander
Published: Friday, July 16, 2010
With the death of Van Egan, Campbell River has lost one of its finest, a soul and conscience of the community, and one of its strongest links to the legendary Roderick Haig-Brown.
Egan passed away peacefully in the Campbell River Hospital last Thursday, July 8 at age 84. This week friends, colleagues and community leaders shared their thoughts about the man and his many contributions to Campbell River.
"Van was our father's finest fishing companion and a wonderful, gentle friend to all of us," said Valerie Haig-Brown.
"I will miss him always and especially when I am in Campbell River."
"Mr. Egan was first my biology teacher, one who gently inspired and demanded of me," remembered her sister Celia. "Over the years, as my parents' close friend and colleague, he was welcomed into our house, and then became one of the most enduring parts of visits to Campbell River. I will miss him."
"He was such a strong part of our community," said North Island MLA Claire Trevena. "He was a foundation for Campbell River. He was in some ways the soul and the conscience of the community and a very good person to talk with, to listen to. He was a very good man and he will be missed."
Noted writer and fly fisher Art Lingren recounts a chance encounter more than 55 years ago that would change the shape of things to come.
"Van was a reader of good angling literature and specifically Haig-Brown's writings. A River Never Sleeps and The Western Angler drew him to (Campbell River) in 1954. Van, while fishing the Campbell's Sandy Pool with a double-handed rod and a Silver Lady, noticed someone watching him from the logging bridge. After a while Van heard a voice behind him asking him if he lost this. Van turned around and there was Haig-Brown holding a Van Egan-tied Silver Lady. With pleasantries exchanged, Haig-Brown invited Van to dinner and a game of croquet. This chance meeting on the banks of the Campbell River with Haig-Brown started a long-time friendship.
"Good friends share common interests and Van and I each had a passion for fly fishing, fly tying, fly fishing books, conservation, and the preservation of the natural world. My admiration for Haig-Brown drew us together in the early 1980s and since that time Van shared so many stories about Rod with me that I felt as if Haig-Brown was my friend as well."
Egan helped to perpetuate the memory and messages of Haig-Brown. Mayor Charlie Cornfield remembered Egan from their days together on the Campbell River Environmental Council (CREC).
"Van cared not just about the environmental values of the river but also about people," Cornfield said. "He made a big contribution to our community. I think of the issues that Haig-Brown was involved in, the river, the mine, the health of our streams. Van carried on in that tradition and kept it going. It's sort of what defined us as Campbell River. Haig-Brown was part of that defining of Campbell River. Van was that same style, enjoying our community and caring deeply for it, deeply enough that you stand up to be counted. That's what I think of when I think of Van.
20ft Alumaweld Intruder