Julie Markham, colleague, Project Canoe
During my three years with Project Canoe (PC), from February 2002 - October 2005, I worked closely with Pegi. During that time Pegi was instrumental in turning Project Canoe from a shoestring, volunteer run organization, to a sustainable charitable organization with a strong operating board and roster of volunteer committees to help us remain financially viable.
In my time working with Pegi I found her to be incredibly humble, generous and curious as a ‘boss’ and colleague. She lived her values of caring for the earth and caring for those around her.
As we worked together in the early days to understand and implement what we knew to be Project Canoe’s core values, Pegi’s example helped us all to implement those values. Each summer we had to form a staff team that could work effectively and safely (emotionally and physically) to lead trips under potentially stressful circumstances. Each year, Pegi’s gentle, unwavering, & committed presence in the background laid the foundation for canoe trippers to lead those often-challenging trips with youth. Her leadership meant I felt confident to lead the staff, knowing that difficult decisions would be supported and that problem solving, addressing staff issues and finding extra ways to support youth was always encouraged. I’m sure Program Coordinators who came after me, felt the same encouraging leadership supporting them during their time with the program.
We used to explain to trippers (during the sometimes grueling but mostly fun five weeks of staff training) that they could expect support from the board on down, because PC was an organization that wanted to emulate what we ask of our trippers, and that is to be caring, supportive leaders.
Pegi embodied just that. She was the most caring supportive leader. She created this culture within PC every moment of her time with us.
During her leadership she will have served over at least 100 youth per summer season – many years closer to 120 youth – supporting 20 canoe trips per season, from 5 to 8 to 21-day trips, easily closely to 1,000 youth. More than just the youth, Pegi organized and led monthly professional board meetings, as well as managed many volunteer committees throughout the winter months. She oversaw staff hiring and staff training and most significantly, she raised over $100,000, every year to sustain the work that we did. She did all of this with unwavering commitment, grace and humility, always passing on her thanks and credit to others instead of allowing anyone to applaud her hard work. She was such an excellent listener, really curious to understand what was best for both our youth and our trip leaders, always endeavoring to provide the best of staff training, to learn more about the issues affecting our youth and to find ways to extend funding, find grants and community connections to enhance the program.
She was a ferocious protector of the program—and our youth—and the earth. She listened well and believed in the PC model, which meant she believed in our training, in the trip leaders we hired and the youth to all come together and experience the pleasure and the challenges of an outdoor adventure to everyone’s benefit. It was her belief in and commitment to the mandate that helped all of us to fulfill it. The program became strong and viable under her leadership.
But my fondest memories come from our interactions outdoors and in regards to the environment. Most fun was when she joined us for part of the staff trip, or came to Briggs for staff training. On trip or at youth/board events, her humour, ease and love of the outdoors was grounding for everyone around her. Overall, she'd pitch in with everything and anything, from organizing food, to gathering donations, or planting trees with youth. I also always appreciated that she ensured we kept to the PC values of incorporating environmental stewardship, by finding ways to engage staff and youth in learning about the environment and committing to activities such as building kybos, to ensure that we practice stewardship within the program.
I remember the first time we went to Briggs together. It was mid-April or early May. We wanted to see Briggs and get an idea of what this base camp was all about. I don’t think we expected several few feet of snow to be still covering the long driveway! (we knew maybe some... but that much!) She was intrepid and lovely, game to hike through snow and see it all. She was the same on our staff trips. Always wanting to hear others’ stories and do what she could to help.
Pegi was the one of my favourite people to work with and I always admired her incredible capacity to do all that she did. I know she’ll be missed by all. I wish you every comfort and that your hearts may find solace.