This Man Had Principles, For That He Should Be Remembered
Thursday, June 14, 2012 @ 3:45 AM
Over the years you come across people who exhibit true grit, they are the people who are principled and stand for what they believe in no matter what the risk or consequences.
Canada lost such a man this week when 84 year old Dr. Harold Mundie died. You probably don’t know who Dr Mundie was, so please do me the service of reading on further.
During the height of the battle to save the Nechako River a scientist who knew the Sockeye salmon and knew them well, stepped up to the plate to say he could not support the notion that the Nechako River flow could be reduced down to a meagre one seventh of its flow and still, support salmon much less much else in the Nechako River.
Mundie never talked much about it; he took it on the chin from the department of Federal Fisheries, relegated to the back room for his speaking out about the plight of the river.
He was principled to a point that he would not cave in to the department who would have given him what he wanted if only he would take their position.
What a pity that a man of this intelligence and stature, a man quiet by nature, was shuffled to the back of the room. The only satisfaction that he got from his years of service in the interest of the fishery in BC was to be called a “dissident”.
Wherever Harold Mundie is today, he can look in the mirror and say he couldn’t be bought , that in my world is the ultimate compliment.
Hanging above my desk is a picture of a salmon heading upstream, that picture is signed by all of the "dissidents" who fought so hard to keep the Nechako alive, Don Alderdice, Tom Brown, Cole Shirvell, Bill Schouwenberg Dr Gordon Hartman and Dr Harold Mundie.
The Nechako River asks you to remember these scientists who fought so hard to keep the river alive and well. They should never be forgotten.
May you rest in peace Dr Mundie, I am proud to say that I knew you as you brushed by my life.
I’m Meisner
Comments
Thanks to Dr Mundie and all those that fight the good fight. To bad nothing can stop those in power from ensuring their pals keep getting rich while destroying our environment.
Just have to look at C-38 to see it.
Hear, hear! The general point that we should take away is that government scientists do not work for the party in power but for the nation and that government science should be organized so as to allow scientists to conduct their research free of political interference and to report it without censorship by political appointees. At present the culprits may be the Conservatives at the federal level and the Liberals at the provincial level, but there is a long history of such abuses by whatever party is in power.
The threat to the Nechako River still exists to-day. We still have the Kemano Two Tunnel, and there is a possibility of more water being diverted to the Pacific Ocean. If this happens who will take up the fight????
Ben Meisner was a big player in the effort to save the Nechako River, and he should also be thanked for his efforts.
I second Palopu.
Motion carried.
metalman.
Comments for this article are closed.