Ken FARQUHARSON

KEN FARQUHARSON P. Eng. (Retired) Ken Farquharson, P. Eng. (Retired), Civil Engineer, longtime committed BC environmentalist, farmer and lover of the outdoors, passed away suddenly at Victoria General Hospital, BC, on August 8, 2021. Ken was born in January 1935 in Nairobi, Kenya of Scottish parents. At 12 years old, he moved to the UK and attended Edinburgh Academy, then Corpus Christi, Cambridge. In 1959, he immigrated to Vancouver, Canada, attracted by the mountains and the outdoor life he enjoyed. He married Fiona Wilson from Whakatane, New Zealand in 1960; together they welcomed daughters Kirsty (1961) and Jane (1963). In 1979, Ken married Laura Draffehn of West Vancouver, bringing Ann and Richie Morrison, Peter Draffehn and Lindsay Winder into the clan. The arrival of his grandsons, James (2000) and William (2004), completed the family portrait. As a structural engineer, Ken worked on large projects such as the Port Mann Bridge and the Mica Dam. Increasingly, he became concerned about the environmental impact of large infrastructure projects. Ken co-founded one of the first environmental consulting firms in BC, Sigma Resource Consulting, where he led studies assessing the impacts of dams, power lines, roads, and railways throughout BC. While Ken's contribution to BC through his engineering work was significant, his impact was most evident in his environmental activism. His first role was co-founding the Save Cypress Bowl campaign which successfully stopped illegal logging and resulted in the creation of a park. He was one of the founders of the Sierra Club of BC, and Secretary and Spokesperson for the Run Out Skagit Spoilers (ROSS) Committee which worked tirelessly for 15 years to prevent the flooding of the Skagit Valley. Ken's influence was crucial during his work on the Wilderness Advisory Committee in the mid-1980s, which helped to protect the Stein Valley, Kakwa Provincial Park, and other places too numerous to name. He was a founding member of the BC Outdoor Recreation Council and served as its Chair from 1979-82. Throughout his life, Ken donated his time and energy to many causes dear to his heart. While always modest about his achievements, he received numerous awards and recognition. In 2005, Ken and Laura set up home in Metchosin, BC over-looking Whitty's Lagoon. Ken became involved in community affairs and chaired the Association for Protection of Rural Metchosin for a number of years. While in retirement, Ken continued his activism, helping to bring Teck Resources to task in cleaning up the Jordan River. His last mission was to convince the BC government to rescind the mining permits and protect the "donut" hole - the one area in the Skagit River headwaters not classified as a provincial park. That fight continues today: www.wildernesscommittee.org/SaveTheSkagit. Ken left this world, and the people who knew him, better for having him here. He will be deeply missed, as he was widely respected and very much loved.