Peter Copland

COPLAND, Peter
July 19, 1934 - May 3, 2025

On May 3, 2025 Peter Copland passed away quietly at home, at the age of 90.

Born in Toronto in 1934, the only son of Scottish immigrants, Peter was taught the value of thriftiness, honesty and hard work. In a childhood shadowed by WWII, he also learned the simple polarity of right versus wrong. These became immovable points on the moral compass that guided his life.

His parents were not affluent, so Peter took on a large paper route at the age of nine. He was part of "The Smoothies", a scrappy neighbourhood hockey team that stoked his lifelong interest in physical pursuits that also included football, basketball, golf, skiing, and rowing. At the University of Toronto, Peter became an all star-linebacker on the football team and was eventually drafted by the Edmonton Eskimos. However, he turned down their offer when they couldn't find him an interesting job to complement the meagre salary of a pro football player.

Peter paid his own way through chemical engineering at the University of Toronto and an MBA at Western, and then went to work in Ontario's chemical industry. In 1966, his entrepreneurial drive led him to found Chinook Chemicals, which grew to become a world leader in the production of methylamine products and choline chloride.

One hot summer day, he recognized the power of a strawberry ice cream cone, and when he bought one for Grace Lorraine Christie - a lovely nurse from the Ottawa Valley - she agreed to marry him. They had two daughters together - Amy and Paula - but their marriage was cut short when Grace died in a car accident in 1979.

For five years, Peter struggled to keep up to the demands of his growing company and his growing daughters - a formidable task. One day, intrigued by a tiny personal ad in the Globe and Mail, he responded with a one-sentence invitation to call. His low key approach worked again, and in 1983 he tied the knot for a second time with Marilyn Chandler Richards and became stepfather to her three children Tim, Penny and Jordan.

Motivated by his dynamic new bride, Peter took up rowing again and before long, competed in the World Masters Games - taking home a gold medal. Soon, the couple pulled up stakes in the city where Peter had spent his entire life, and moved to Victoria, BC to be able to row year round.

Here, Peter became a key supporter of the National Team through the late 1980s and 1990s, contributing his own funds and resources to initiatives like "Feed the Athlete" which provided hot, nutritious meals during training camps. He moved on to provide leadership to Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA) as Vice President of Administration and helped steer them onto a path of financial stability and organizational success. He also created and funded the GO Rowing & Paddling Association of Canada to establish rowing clubs in communities across the country with the goal of providing a larger pool of talent to feed the Olympic rowing program. In 2017, Rowing Canada recognized Peter's contributions by inducting him into the Hall of Fame.

Peter spent his last years content to watch other athletes competing in the sports he loved; gazing at the changing light on the ocean outside his window; and enjoying regular visits with his five children, their spouses, 15 grandchildren, and a fast-growing number of great grandchildren.

In keeping with Peter's wishes, there will be no memorial service, but if there was, it would be held overlooking the Salish Sea off the coast of Victoria; the music would be Ella Fitzgerald; oysters on the half shell would be served; and well-chilled Canadian Chardonnay. So today, perhaps imagine this setting and raise a toast to Peter! If you'd like to do more, in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the charity of your choice in Peter's name.