Richard (Cole) Colebrook Harris understood that to live well was to contribute. His contributions were many—to the field of historical geography, to teaching and mentoring students, to understanding the country, to UBC, to the Unitarian Church of Vancouver, to raising a family—and continue to influence and inspire. Cole taught at the University of Toronto and then at UBC.
His scholarly awards include Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Historical Association’s MacDonald Prize, the Royal Canadian Geographic Society’s Gold and Massey medals, and Officer of the Order of Canada.
Cole will be remembered for spirited lectures, lively seminars, unconventional field trips, mealtime conversation, Shakespeare readings, enthusiastic singing, his support of creative activity, his rigour, his kindness, and his love for the Slocan Valley. To this day, his family maintains a summer home on the property near Silverton originally staked out by his grandfather in 1896.
The SVCLS is very grateful to the family for suggesting our fund as a way to honour Mr. Harris.
If you wish to make a donation in Cole’s memory,
you can:
1. Mail us a cheque (payable to "Slocan Valley Legacy Fund”) at Box 363, Slocan, BC, V0G 2CO. Please enclose a note with your name and mailing address for your tax receipt.
2. Donate via e-transfer by sending an e-transfer to donations@slocanvalleylegacy.com. Please include your name and mailing address in your message to receive your tax receipt.
3. Donate online with a credit card (Click HERE). As you go through the steps to donate this way, there will be a box with a space for a message where you can indicate the donation is in memory of Cole and include your name and address, please.
All “In Memory” donations will be recognized with a card sent to the family informing them of your contribution.
Tax receipts are issued for any donation of $20 or more.
Thank you for your generosity
You can read Cole's full obituary by clicking HERE.