I never met Bob. I have never even considered myself an environmentalist. Yet when I heard that the memorial for Robert “Bob” Hunter was being held at the Hart House’s Grand Hall, I decided to go and pay my respects to the man whose selfless love for this planet has brought environmental issues to the forefront of political discourse. I entered Hart House somewhat hesitantly, and found myself surrounded by Greenpeace activists, students, politicians, television personalities, authors, people who knew Bob personally, and people who didn’t. An eclectic mix of people, but here, they seemed to belong together.
His son Conan, tears in his eyes, remembered the humorous side of growing up with the long-haired, environmentalist father in the late 60s and early 70s. His daughter Emily recalled that in his final days her father at last felt fulfilled and at ease, recognizing he had done all he could for his causes. She invited people to remember her father by ensuring that efforts to combat climate change continue. The memorial ended with a speech from Bob’s widow, Bobbi, whose emotional, heart-felt speech brought tears to the eyes of the most stoic members of the audience.
Bob Hunter was best known as the co-founder of Greenpeace. In 1969, as a journalist with The Vancouver Sun, he joined activists aboard a ship to protest America’s nuclear tests in the Aleutian Islands. The craft’s epic voyage gained much media acclaim, and ultimately prompted then-President Richard Nixon to cancel the tests. Hunter served as the organization’s first president, from 1973 to 1977, and worked as environmental reporter on CityTV and CityPulse24 for over 15 years and a columnist for Eye magazine.
He was also an educator, an adventurer, a painter, and most of all, a fighter. But his battle with cancer was one he could not win. He passed away on May 2, 2005 at the age of 63. Despite the grief and sense of loss, I left the Grand Hall feeling surprisingly optimistic. As the bagpipes played and we made our way into the street, we were given saplings of white spruce trees with a message from Bob: “Embrace your friends, love your family, celebrate all life, and hug this tree for me.”
