In all of Canada's history there are perhaps just two individuals that have so captured the public imagination as iconic defenders of the of the natural world. In the 1920's a young Englishman named Archie Belaney, learning from the Anishinabe people of northern Ontario, transformed himself into Grey Owl and became a passionate spokesperson for the First Nations value of living in harmony with the land, the waters and the animals that sustain us all. Despite having written best sellers and lectured to thousands, our memory of this man of mystery has largely been lost except by a few dedicated canoe trippers and conservationists.

There seems to be no mystery about Dr. David Suzuki; he is surely one of the most easily recognizable Canadians of this or any age. He has entered our living rooms with welcome regularity for more than thirty years as host of numerous award winning science and nature programs. While Grey Owl became the unlikely translator of thousands of years of Traditional Knowledge of how we must live on the land, David Suzuki has come to represent the modern science of why we must live in a sustainable manner. In addition to bringing our attention to the great environmental challenges of today, he insists that the way we live on this planet be based on fact, on reason and on science. He eagerly afflicts those in power who would blunder on in blissful or wilful ignorance and knowing that David is on the case gives the rest us hope that solutions will be found. And how many kids are growing up right now wanting to be part of the solution because of David?

Though he has spent fewer nights sleeping under the stars than Grey Owl, David Suzuki is no stranger to canoe and paddle. In 2003 he paddled the Athabasca River as part of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society's Boreal Rendezvous, ten river trips to promote protection of our Boreal forest. David is a Patron of Paddle Canada.

It is David Suzuki's 75th birthday on March 24th. We at Paddle Canada might encourage you to make a donation to the David Suzuki Foundation in honour of the event but perhaps he would be more pleased if, the next time you see or read about a troubling environmental issue, you would pick up a pen and add your voice to those demanding real solutions.

On behalf of all of us at Paddle Canada, Happy Birthday, David. And thank you.

Jay Morrison (Chair of Environment Committee)

Visit the David Suzuki Foundation.