At the age of 95 years, on August 6, 2012, Martin Rossander quietly died. He said goodbye to friends the day before and said he was at peace with “moving on.”
Since that time, filmmaker Claudia Medina has put together a film to show who Rossander was and his influence on the community. The film Vision in Action: The Life of Martin Rossander, will be shown during a memorial organized by friends and acquaintances, Sunday, October 20.
Sara Blum remembers Rossander well. “It started out that I was doing weekly meetings with Martin and we brought a video camera and I was taping his stories and we became friends,” she said. Blum and Delores de la Torre were self-defined surrogate daughters to Rossander. Over the years they shared many stories, growing their relationship and supporting each other.
“He made decisions but we were there to talk to and he could trust us,” said Blum. “He was just a very special person and I felt he was also one of my life teachers.”
Rossander was born in Kerrobert, Saskatchewan to a family of Danish pioneers and it is that pioneering spirit that he carried into everything he did.
When he left home at 14, Rossander weathered the Great Depression and worked as a teamster and cowboy in Alberta. He grew into an independent, self-sufficient person and is remembered as being deeply compassionate, resourceful and generous.
In 1948, Rossander arrived in Powell River to work at the paper mill. After a couple of years he struck out on his own, buying property on Fernwood Avenue and building two cabins. The cabins were constructed of waste products found on the ocean’s shore and in the surrounding bush. The cabins have since been renovated and are still surrounded by tall trees on the one-acre parcel.
His compassion for animals led to him being vegetarian in an age where being vegetarian was not popular, and he followed that philosophy throughout the rest of his life.
Another unpopular move, at the time, was to start recycling, and Rossander drew the ire of local government officials when he and a few others went against the grain. “I could understand the [officials’] mentality as it didn’t show prosperity,” offered Blum. “You have to keep buying new to make this town look as good and prosperous as it really was.” But, it was an example of how Rossander was ahead of his time.
He was an ardent peace activist, being one of only two male members of the Voice of Women. He was one of the founders of an organization to conserve land, and his passion for preserving and conserving his own land lives on.
“I think Martin is an inspiration,” said Blum. “He used to sometimes say to me he couldn’t believe that now people are coming to him and asking his advice because for so many years he was shunned.” Blum believes people have now caught up to him and his ideals. “There are a lot of people who saw him as a visionary because he was. In the later years he got to see some really wonderful changes and be a part of them and have influenced them.”
Rossander is fondly remembered by Bruce Finlay as a friend for 26 years, sharing a passion for music. “We played old-time fiddle together for many of those years,” wrote Finlay in an email to the Peak. “We always had a very open friendship—anything and everything could be discussed from a curious and appreciative perspective.”
Blum hopes that through the film and many stories that will be shared, people will see the full picture of who Rossander was and be inspired to look at the world in a different way.
Susan Jersak will emcee the event on Sunday. It begins at 2 pm at the Patricia with the showing of the film. At 4 pm the celebration heads to The HUB 101 for an open mike and music. Refreshments will be available.
“I think it is even important for people who didn’t know Martin to get to know him a little bit,” said Blum. “He is just such an interesting guy. I talk of him as if he is still alive because in my head he still is.”
