Colleen McCrory

Colleen McCrory (1949/1950 – July 1, 2007) was a Canadian environmental activist.^[1][2]

Colleen McCrory
Born	1949/1950 New Denver, British Columbia
Died	July 1, 2007 Silverton, British Columbia
Nationality	Canadian
Occupation	Environmental activist
Known for	Founded Valhalla Wilderness Society

She was born in New Denver, British Columbia by the light of a Coleman lantern to Patrick and Mabel McCrory. She was raised in New Denver BC, with 8 brother's and sisters. She had three children, Sean, Rory, and Shea. McCrory founded the Valhalla Wilderness Society, a British Columbia environmental group, in 1975.^[3]

McCrory funded her campaign at first through a small clothing store in New Denver. However, a three-year boycott by loggers forced her out of business in 1985 and forced her deep into debt.^[4]

She was awarded the Governor-General's Conservation Award in 1983 and the IUCN's Fred M. Packard Award in 1988. In 1992, she was named to the United Nations' Global 500 Roll of Honour and awarded a Goldman Environmental Prize.

She ran as a candidate for the Green Party in the 2001 British Columbia provincial elections.

McCrory's efforts helped lead to the creation of:

• Valhalla Provincial Park in the Kootenay region of British Columbia ^[3]
• Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site in Haida Gwaii
• Goat Range Provincial Park in the Selkirk Mountains
• Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary and the Spirit Bear Conservancy in the Great Bear Rainforest on the central coast of British Columbia

McCrory died of a brain tumor at home in Silverton, British Columbia in 2007, aged 57.

References

1. Connelly, Joel (5 July 2007). "She stood up, and made parks happen". Seattle PI Blogs. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
2. Hume, Mark (24 February 1987). "Valhalla victors battle on". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
3. Canadian Press via CANOE "Environmentalist Colleen McCrory dead at 57" July 3, 2007 Archived June 23, 2007, at archive.today
4. Toufexis, Anastasia (27 April 1992). . Time. Archived from the original on April 9, 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2010.

External links

• "Prominent B.C. eco warrior dies at 57". CBC British Columbia
• . Time.
• Entry from Canadian Who's Who^{[permanent dead link]}