Wildsight loses a strong voice with the sudden passing of the Creston Valley’s Alex Eymann

Wildsight and conservation in the Kootenays lost a strong voice this August with the sudden passing of the Creston Valley’s Alex Eymann.

Since 2004 Alex served as a core member of Wildsight’s Regional Board, and was known and loved for his wisdom, insight, and sense of humour.

Alex loved to tell a story.  So often, during long board meetings (where there was never enough time to get through all the business on the agenda) Alex would raise his hand to comment and begin with  . . . "Back in 1962  . . . "  He'd spin his tale and a few of the newer staff would fidget and start to get antsy.  In the last few lines Alex would deliver his point - crisp and clear and it would hit everyone in a way they hadn't been ready for.  Then he would smile - a big broad Alex smile - the kind one gets when one knows a home run has been hit, and best of all, hit when everyone least expected it. 

A great debater and intellectual, Alex never argued, preferring instead relentless animated discussion, and creative, well-timed stories to win support for his ideas.

He was a man who flowed where the river took him. After decades of ‘making’ photos on his professional Hasselblad medium format film camera, Alex was one of the first to make the switch to digital photography – leaping with his typical youthful, wild abandon into the world of fast computers and digital imagery.

Alex was also not afraid to swim upstream when his values demanded. After over a century of backbreaking work clearing forests for agriculture in the Creston Valley, many farmers were no doubt shocked as Alex proceeded to purchase more land around his acreage south of Creston, and replant trees for habitat, shade, and diversity.  He and his wife Maya planted over 400 trees over the years, creating a new forest can that now is even visible on Google Earth. He loved to ‘watch’ the deer and elk near his home, ensuring they had space and habitat, and of coursing taking extra care to ensure that at least one of them each year ended up in his freezer.

An avid hunter, photographer, conservationist, project manager, and even an amateur scholar of subatomic particle physics, Alex Eymann truly was a man for all seasons.

For us he was a valued board member, a leader, a mentor, and most of all, a friend.

He will be missed.