PETER GARD STEVEN

PETER GARD STEVEN April 13, 1950 -December 23, 2023 We celebrate the life and mourn the passing, too soon, of Peter Gard Steven, who died peacefully in his sleep at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in the early morning of December 23rd with his life-long partner and spouse, Geri Sadoway at his side. Pete will be greatly missed by his two brothers, John Forbes Steven (Sharon Hill) and Jeffrey Arthur Steven; his two nephews, Charles Forbes West Steven (Meghan MacPhee) and Samuel Gard West Steven; and their mother, Peter and Geri's long-time friend, Kathleen West. Peter was thrilled to have become acquainted with his grandniece Abigail Islay MacPhee Steven, born in May of 2023 and to see her developing into a delightful little person in her own right over the past seven months. Peter is also mourned and missed by Geri's family across Canada from Nova Scotia to British Columbia: mother Marie, siblings and their spouses, children and grandchildren who are all still mourning the passing in August of 2023 of Geri's cherished sister Betty Sadoway (Ted Stensrud). Peter was an accomplished scholar, writer and teacher in the area of film and media studies. After graduating with his B.A. (History) at Queen's University (1974) he completed his M.A. (1977) and Ph.D. (1982) in Film Studies at Northwestern University, Chicago, where he joined the editorial board of Jump Cut Magazine. Returning to Canada he became co-director of DEC Films Distribution (1981 to 1990), founder and president of Full Frame Film and Video Distribution (1990-1994), sales and marketing manager and editorial board co-director of Between The Lines Publishers (1998-2005). From 1997 to 2009 Peter worked as a sessional instructor and adjunct professor teaching film history and theory, documentary film, and book publishing at various universities (Queen's, McMaster, OCAD, Ryerson), then full-time sessional instructor at Sheridan College (2007-2009) and Professor of Film Studies at Sheridan College from 2009 to 2021. His writing and research work has continued throughout. As a member of the editorial board of Jump Cut, he contributed important articles to the magazine, including a history of DEC Films and its role in development education in Canada. His first book Jump Cut: Hollywood, Politics and Counter-Cinema, was an anthology of articles that addressed independent filmmaking in North America, women's counter-cinema, gay and lesbian cinema and radical third world cinema. During the 1980's when refugee rights were under attack in Canada, he and Richard Fung produced 'SafePlace: A Videotape for Refugee Rights in Canada' (1989, V-tape) in which several refugees describe their experience of seeking refuge in their own words. Peter's work in the distribution and promotion of independent documentary films led to a book on new Canadian documentary film and video, Brink of Reality (BTL, 1993). Other books include The No-Nonsense Guide to Global Media (New Internationalist, Oxford 2003), The News: A Groundwork Guide (Anansi Press, 2010), and About Canada, Media (Fernwood, Halifax-Winnipeg, 2011). He was working on a new book project on the extraordinary Canadian publisher, Errol Sharpe, when illness made it impossible to continue. Peter is highly regarded by his colleagues in Canada and internationally. His dear friend Ellen Seiter who was part of the Jump Cut editorial collective describes him as 'an inspiring scholar, model teacher, dedicated leftist'. Jeremy Butler, another friend from Northwestern describes him as 'gracious and brave'; even though he knew his end was coming he said, 'It's been a great life for me, which I savour every day.' Pete's friend Mary, companion of many lovely sailing adventures with Geri and Pete on Lake Ontario, said that Pete had inspired her on how to live a good life – how to be serious about the injustices and to find joy in this imperfect world. Pete forged lasting friendships with the campers, counsellors and his sailing buddies he met at Camp Ponacka, with the friends from Queen's University and later at Northwestern in Chicago. Many of his strongest friendships come from his intense and committed work at DEC Films, Full Frame Film and Video and BTL, including many of the authors published by BTL. Pete was loved and appreciated by his neighbours on Cowan and Springhurst Avenues, participating with enthusiasm in the Cowanation yardsale and the annual Hallowe'en extravaganza. Pete supported Geri's work as a refugee lawyer and helped organize a private refugee sponsorship group with friends from DEC to bring a Sri Lankan refugee to Canada and then assist him in reuniting with his wife and four children. More recently Peter and Geri joined the Helping Hearts refugee sponsorship group to assist Somali refugees seeking to bring close family members to Canada. Through all of this dedicated life of work, Peter and Geri fully enjoyed their lives together, cycling and sailing in the summer, going camping and birding regularly to Pelee and Presqu'ile, caring for their beloved dog Angus for 15 years, sharing cottages with friends on Lake Huron, Georgian Bay, Lake Temagami, Lake Kinnesis, playing the guitar with Ian and other friends and listening to every kind of music but especially jazz. In the 90's Geri and Pete enjoyed trips in their Westfalia camper van to the East Coast of Canada and the U.S., to the Florida Keys, and following the blue highways and Route 66 to the Grand Canyon, and California. They also had memorable visits to British Columbia hiking above Nelson and visiting Galiano and Vancouver Island. Further abroad they visited Cuba and Mexico, England and Scotland, Spain and Italy. The people Pete admired most in his life are his parents, Jessica and Arthur Steven, who died in 2012 and 2022 respectively. And looking back over his life during these past two years of treatment for cancer, Pete said that what he has treasured the most and believes to be the most important part of his life is his dear family and his many cherished friends. Peter wished to thank the skilled and dedicated staff of doctors and nurses at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre for helping him to have two more years of life and for their kindness and empathy at every stage of this rough journey. In lieu of flowers, Peter requested that donations be made to Parkdale Project Read, or to the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT). Cremation arrangements entrusted to Turner & Porter Funeral Directors Yorke Chapel.