When Peter Rodseth passed away in 2014, his network of friends in the Nechako Valley came together to support the family and celebrate Peter’s life. Together they learned so much about Peter, hearing about the lives he touched and how he mentored many young people.

Peter came to the Nechako Valley as a young forestry technician in the 1970’s. He built himself a log home overlooking the Nechako River Bird Sanctuary and he would become the catalyst and inspiration for community groups fighting for fair flows for the Nechako River through the 1980’s and 90’s.

Peter had a passion for rivers, forests and mountains and was happiest when canoeing, skiing, running, hiking, camping and sharing these skills with others. He guided the Cross-Country Ski Club, the Cub Scouts, Junior Forest Rangers and burgeoning runners and woodcarvers.

A master woodcarver and trail builder by trade, his crowning achievement (pictured below) was the 12 metre long by 3.2 high hand-carved red alder wood mural in the Service BC Building in Vanderhoof. It is his poem to life and his passion of the bountiful landscape of British Columbia, its rivers, and its rich history.

A caring and compassionate man, he was the environmental conscience of the community and a formidable foe of those who would despoil our only home, Planet Earth. In Peter’s words, “we must treat our fragile planet with great respect”. It is hoped his memory will embody some of Peter’s love of the natural beauty of this world and his passion for protecting its environment.

Peter continuously gave back to his community and to carry on his vision, his friends and family are following his lead. The Hans Peter Rodseth Memorial Fund is administered by Vancity Community Foundation and provides educational scholarships to students in the Nechako Valley to pursue post-secondary education at a community college or university so that they may commit to making their community a better place where natural beauty can be enjoyed and the environment protected.