Pat Glazner invested in Comox Valley
Dear editor,
Pat Glazner was a good friend and a good man. He was a rare person, and a beloved man.
During the years of our friendship — from my early 20s to early 30s — he played a very important role in my life, and in the life of my young family.
We weren't alone. In his quiet way Pat had a profound impact on many of the people he met in his travels and in his community.
When Pat died of cancer in his early 40s, I resolved that he should be remembered in some way. Several years after his death I started a named fund in his honour at Vancity Foundation (http://j.mp/PatGlaznerFund).
With the help of my children and some family friends, we "invested" approximately $2,500 to start the Pat Glazner Fund. The purpose of the fund is to support the important work of the Comox Valley Land Trust (www.cvlandtrust.ca).
I say "investment" because I think strategic funds and contributions like the Pat Glazner Fund are “investments in my community.” In this case, every dollar helps builds the capacity of an organization working to mitigate and prevent damage to regional ecosystems in the Comox Valley.
This isn't just about keeping our place beautiful, though I think that too is important. More importantly, however, the CVLT's work is about keeping our community livable.
Healthy. Sustainable ecologically, socially, and financially. As communities small and large begin to feel the economic impact of climate change (Hurricane Sandy is a recent example), our investments in natural systems will prove their long-term value.
They will help sustain quality of life. They will help mitigate the significant tax increases that all communities face as they respond to extreme weather. Dollars invested in natural infrastructure today will save us many dollars in the not too-distant future.
Why the Comox Valley Land Trust as beneficiary?
I was born into this region, and have spent most of my life here. The natural beauties, not to mention the natural amenities, of this place are very important to me and to my family.
One of the things I loved about my friend Pat was his ability to enjoy and celebrate this place. Walking through forests, cycling throughout the Valley, swimming in so many of the area’s waterholes — this is how I remember him.
In his last years Pat did more than enjoy the region’s natural beauty: He got active. With others, he literally put his body in the way of those who would cut down or otherwise desecrate places that he valued.
It wasn’t just the beauty of the places that mattered anymore; it was their spiritual and health-giving properties that were at stake. The feeling for protecting this place and its natural values that Pat shared with a number of other Comox Valley environmental leaders was ahead of its time.
Two decades after Pat's death, we have a better understanding of the linkages between healthy natural systems and lower taxes, better quality of life, and the sustainability of our communities.
There are many organizations that share Pat Glazner’s special appreciation for the Comox Valley. I chose the Comox Valley Land Trust because I think Pat would appreciate the work that CVLT is doing in this Valley that he loved:
• CVLT is about protecting special places.
• CVLT is about working in collaboration with other organizations.
• CVLT has a dedicated board and staff.
• Through projects (like Nature Without Borders) CVLT has build a reputation for progressive, collaborative, and quality actions that are having an impact on local government, private land owners, and development.
How are you investing in your community?
Supporting CVLT is, for me, a way of honouring the values that Pat helped me to appreciate, and a way of investing in the future of this place.
Regular monthly or annual investments in the Comox Valley via the Pat Glazner Fund are a way to support CVLT. All earnings from the fund go directly to building the Comox Valley Land Trust’s capacity to do its work: sustaining quality of life in our region.
I ask that you consider joining me in making an investment in the future of the Comox Valley:
• To donate online, please visit this Vancity Foundation link at j.mp/PatGlaznerFund.
• To donate by mail, please make your cheque payable to the Comox Valley Land Trust with a note referring to the Pat Glazner Fund. Cheques can be mailed to the Comox Valley Land Trust at 2356 Rosewall Cres., Courtenay, B.C. V9N 8R9.
Hans Peter Meyer,
Comox Valley
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