This January, at the Friends of Cortes Island Annual General Meeting, Bruce Harrison was awarded the Jo Anne Green Environmental Award. The Jo Anne Green award is an honour for leadership in community-based environmental awareness, protection and restoration. Jo Anne Green was a founder of the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) and an inspiration for many on Cortes to care for this place and imagine a reciprocal relationship with our ecosystems.

The letter that nominates Harrison reads as follows:

“Bruce has been a resident of Cortes Island for about 30 years. He has always exemplified what it means to have a small footprint in terms of his own lifestyle (he is often seen commuting on his bike between Whaletown and Manson’s) and over the past few years he has made significant contributions through the work he has done constructing and maintaining access trails which are now widely used by the community. His work on the trails at the Ester Rd. beach access, the Whaletown Commons, and the adjacent Crown land have all been a great benefit to the wider community and in fact have helped to secure the Crown land as protected park land. The trail access in the Whaletown Commons area has made Whaletown into a very walkable neighbourhood which has significantly decreased the need for motorized vehicles.”

If you have not done so already, I encourage everyone to walk the trail and see the bridge that Bruce made on the access that goes from the stream at Whaletown corner (next to Whaletown lagoon) up through the forest. All his work has been 100% volunteer!!!”

The trail that Harrison built along Whaletown Creek is officially called the Whaletown Creek Trail, but some locals call it the Bruce trail.

Cortes Currents reached Harrison by phone to get his reflections on the honour. Unfortunately due to audio quality, you won’t get to hear his words in his voice.

Harrison started by saying, “well, that was a bit of a surprise to be awarded that. It was quite an honour. I don’t think I’ve done anything remarkable.”

“JoAnne Green inspired a lot of people. And I’m kind of following in her footsteps. .. I’ve never considered myself a leader in taking on projects, but I recognize a good project when I see one. And building this trail that provides more access to the Whaletown Commons and creates a more walkable community – that was something I was quite enthusiastic about.”

“I enjoy getting involved in things that work towards living life on a smaller scale or living in place, taking care of the environment immediately around you and having your lifestyle reflect those values. In a selfish way, I was going to use the trail”, he says with a laugh, adding , “Taking on the project for selfish reasons and because it’s worthwhile, could be the same thing. It didn’t seem remarkable to me, it just seemed like the right to do at the time. ”

Harrison has been living on Cortes long enough to have known Jo Anne Green. He didn’t know her well, but knows she was active in the issues of the day.

The trail that Harrison built goes from the West end of Jocelyn Road to the ‘S’ Bend on Carrington Bay road.

Harrison recalls the trail connection being talked about among neighbours for a long time before Noba Anderson and staff at the SRD brought the idea forward with community members in an official and legal way.

While the trail building was underway, the culvert where Whaletown Creek passes under Carrington Bay Road was being replaced with a bottomless culvert more friendly to spawning salmon. Sean Wong, the DFO fish passage expert, lent some expertise and materials to Bruce’s crossing of Whaletown Creek resulting in a clean and long-term solution.

The award nomination letter describes Harrison’s small ecological footprint. Harrison said that for him, this looks like riding his bike a lot, avoiding purchasing things, getting projects done around his property by hand in a simple and slower way, and growing a garden and an orchard.

Harrison points to his parent’s frugality as inspiration for his lifestyle choices.

“They always tried to fix whatever they had before they would consider buying something new”, he said.

“It just feels right to slow down and not be so productive. It’s easy for me to say that cause I live on my own and I don’t have children. I know if someone is raising a family, there are days when… or everyday… you just have to get things done. So maybe it’s easier for me to live the lifestyle that I have, not having a family to look after.”

He goes on, “Our economy is based on a consumer philosophy, I guess. There are efforts being made now to change the way we do things to greener technologies, but I would advocate for changing our lifestyle too… Whatever we can do to create a village type lifestyle where we can walk and bike is a good thing.”

Harrison doesn’t have the internet at home. He does have a tablet-computer that he connects to the world wide web at community WIFI locations and he’s considering getting the fiber optic connection when it comes around, but he’s not sure. He says there’s a lot of value in being connected to community by the internet, but at the same time being aware of how the technology is influencing your life.

Volunteering at the board of directors hasn’t ever appealed to Harrison. He said, “my best work is done with a shovel and wheelbarrow.” He believes that whatever your skill set is, there’s always a way to get involved in community efforts.

“Don’t pressure yourself to be something you’re not. Find something that you think is worthwhile and that you’d be good at and enjoy, and start with that.”

Cortes Currents would like to thank Bruce Harrison for his community service, thoughtful approach to being human on planet earth and taking the time to share a bit about that with us.

This story was originally posted on April 27 and republished on April 30 for the Saturday Round-up.

Full disclosure: Max Thaysen is the President of the Friends of Cortes Island.

Top photo credit: Bridge at the west end of the trail, near Carrington Bay Road. Photo by Max Thaysen

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