Roger LOUBERT

Roger as in Café,
my colleague, friend, and brother
50 years ago Roger Loubert left Campbeltown New Brunswick as a true adventurer voyaging what he called "the many lands of Canada", ever fascinated by what exactly makes this country tick. Roger ended up on the edge of Canada's most western wilderness, Vancouver, before eventually discovering Maillardville. Maillardville, which he celebrated as "a Puzzle, within a riddle, within an enigma", was his key to understanding all of Canada, and it's past. Roger became a story teller, of the truest sense, and spent the next 40 years of his life walking the streets of our region sharing and exploring that story – striving to elevate people in their personal pursuits, connect them to local community initiatives, and occasionally, try and pierce a veil of ignorance we are all guilty of being blinded by from time to time.

In time, amongst all these big beautiful grand trees, mountains and oceans, Roger came to believe that while the past of Canada was only understood by understanding Canada's francophone roots, Canada's future could only be understood by understanding the first nations of Turtle Island, on which Canada built itself upon. The final period of Roger's life was dedicated to listening to, supporting, and advocating for first nations – the Kwikwetlem First Nations perhaps chief among them. For those of us who knew and loved Roger best, the spirit of his passions will be understood most deeply by walking amongst the trees of our great forests and remembering the succession of all those whom came before us in what he felt was this great and sacred land.

Roger and I used to like to talk about our region being defined by 5 municipal jurisdictions, 3 mountains, 2 rivers, 1 inlet and a whole lot of forest. Coquitlam, in conjunction with it's as yet reinvigorated Riverview lands, was for him The City of Trees. Port Coquitlam was the heritage center of the region possessing the clearest sense of itself and it's history, while Port Moody was true roots of creativity and art. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Roger would also always point out that Belcarra and Anmore were very special jewels that the region too often forgot to remember – even if perhaps sometimes they preferred it that way. While Roger's adventures brought him ocean to ocean, it was this region and the characteristic features of it's communities and land that defined the last chapters of his life in work and imagination.

The full list of people, organizations, and departments he touched could fill this newspaper. And yet, by today's modern standard's, it is hard in retrospect to be sure what exactly this strange character leaves behind. This prolific thinker accumulated zero wealth. He lived in incredibly humble monk like circumstances. He stewarded no political influence and he left here no family. And while he wrote unendingly, he published nothing. Roger, whom always referred to himself in rhyme "as in Café", was a man of the story. This fount of personality was an unapologetic eccentric dedicated to what we affectionately referred to as "the art of communication". Nothing made him happier then to have exchanged a few words with a person no matter what their creed class or affiliations were. Roger was incredibly slow to judge, and tireless in the search for the good in people.

Like Maillardville, Roger was himself a "Puzzle within a riddle within an enigma", which strains the imagination to find means to describe. But, of this there can be no doubt, Roger was a story teller, and in those he leaves behind, his story resides.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.
-Leonard Cohen

Community Initiatives
Each of these communities were a particularly big part of Roger's later interests and involvement which he foresaw playing key roles in the region's past and/or future.

Arts Connect
Riverview Lands
Place Maillardville
Kwikwetlem First Nations
Tri City Community Television
Societé Francophone de Maillardville Society
Red Fish Healing Centre
Minnekhada Park Association

And less than no other, Minnekhada was Roger's pride and joy, which in conjunction with Metro Vancouver, served to steward what he felt was the preeminent jewel of the region.

If you wish to look for places to do good things in the world, then I would suggest these as worthy of your time, consideration, and support.

- Photo Courtesy of Florence Debeugny's Maillardville, 100 years and Beyond.