A ougtas Cole wrote about B.C.’s history UPPER Lonsdale resident Paul Hovan remembers a spe- cial neighbor who passed away recently: You probably never think about it much, but we often don’t really know our own neighbors these days. My 58-year-old neighbor, Douglas Cole, died recently while out in his yard perform- ing some ordinary chore, which is how | will always pic- ture him in my mind. He was a good neighbor, as neighbors go. He would greet cach member of my family, includ- ing our two teens, with friendliness and personal recognition. He generally asked after everyone's well-being if my wife or I encountered him on our own. T saw him in his role as a husband and father, much the same way as you probably view your neighbors in pass- ing, doing the mundane things of daily life; garden- ing, grocery shopping, play- ing with Kate (his nine-year- old) or driving by the house with his wife Christine. We weren’t friends but we were friendly — you know what I mean. Besides seeing cach other across the backyard fence our families would visit at Christmas or celebrate a New Year’s Eve or Canada Day block party together. I knew he was a history professor at SFU. Our con- versations over the years revealed to me that Douglas was passionate about some things that I also feel are important. Things like hearth and home, family, democracy, fairness, quality of life, livable neighborhoods and a ‘love of - heritage, both social and architectural. For two years worked with the North Lonsdale Historic Area Working Committee on behalf of the District of North Vancouver and the North Lonsdale Ratepayers Association, reviewing policy and establishing guidelines that would endeavor to pro- tect the unique heritage char- aster of our neighborhood. That’s how 1 sort of viewed Douglas Cole — someone who made an effort in life and to whom certain things mattered. This, however, was appar- ently just the tip of the roverbial iceberg, for this ife-iong West Coaster had much going on in his life. Douglas Cole, the guy next door, was quite renowned and well-respected in his Geld of study. He arrived at SFU as an instructor in 1966 and was appointed to the chair of the History Department from 1978 to 1980. He also served as the president of the faculty association from 1978 to 1980. Even after he stepped down he continued ty actively partic vate in ‘ac association’s afttis on the ek udve buurd. On campus he was a pop- Doug ular professor because stu- dents found him very accessi- ble and easy to relate to. He was not only an accomplished researcher, his- torian and teacher but also a frequently published author. He owas responsible — for dozens of scholarly papers, speeches, articles and seven or eight books. His books point to vet another passion, the cultural history of the Pacific West Coast. In 1977, Doug co- authored Front Desolarton To Splendour, a fascinating histo- ry of the changing percep- tions of British Colurmbia’s Head Pro XL terrain, To [8th Century explorers such as James Cook and George Vancouver, the coastal landscape seemed drearily monotonous. inkos- pitable and desolate. To artists like FAH Varley, WP Weston and Emily Carr the wilderness of B.C.'s mountains, forests and seas were worthy of deep passion and artistic worship. In 1983 he teamed up with Maria Tippet once again to write Phillips In Print: the selected Writings of Walter Phillips on Canadian Nature and Art. Twenty years later, Doug Now 29.99 Head Fushion XL Now 39.99 Head Legend XL Now 59.99 DOWNTOW? VANEOUVER, 735 Thuriaw St ANCOUVER, 7300 Camibe: St RICHMOMD S38. 1 Avad BURNABY A385 Kaovaty GUILDFORDSURALY 13nd Siro at 107 Ave SURREY 10231 sone George riwy PORT COOUTLAM 957/ iougners Hey VICTOR CS ATE MAA 21-207 MAMLOOMS 174 12 PRONCE GEORGE Sick ADLIWA BG 3H12, OQWAT Care CALGARY 737-79, SOUTH CALGAAT 253-0173. WORTOWRST CruDARY 295 720 MORITHEAST CALGAIY SEB-EDIN RED OEER Yer gies Cole still loved West Coast decorative fine art and col- lected lus own set of land- seapes. He taught a popular course on the subject at the university, Douglas’ next major work, Captured Heritage, was published in 1985 and dealt with the scramble for Northwest Coast artifacts during the intense growth ers of anthropological museums in the Jare 18005 until 1930, when funding dried up due to the Depression. He chronicled the curato greed and fervor with rial which Native coastal artifacts jal selection of models by Bauer & Rollerblade. were voraciously sought our, acquired. sold and traded to competing North American collections, both private and public. Historians and anthropol- ogists of that period were struck with the realiry that time was running out, that civilization was pushing, the primitive races to. the wall, destroving their material cul- ture and even extinguishing the Native stock itself. The book is immensely engrossing, and full of tales, myths and detailed stories of See Historian page 27 SIMON Fr Fraser University Professor Douglas Cole passed away earlier this e » ey ARAUDRADCH