Editor:
This week our community is mourning the loss ofRobin Wheeler, who died recently, too soon and too young, following a struggle with cancer.
Inspiring mentor and dear friend, Robin sparked at least six projects in the past dozen years that turned into major works of creation on the Coast from launching a sustainable arts school to Seedy Saturday to a farmers' market. Each one touched dozens of others and fired countless mini-projects, including in our household.
She wrote two books (published by New Society Publishers), led workshops and marshalled an impressive library of books and resources to spur on budding organic gardeners and sustainability pioneers.
She was a pioneer herself who turned an unimpressive swatch of raw land into a model, working garden, driven by a can-do attitude and "sprite-ful" spirit.
And over the years I knew her, I noticed Robin was something else, too: she was an auto-didact. That is, she taught herself everything she wanted or needed to know. Oh, she had lots of helpful guidance from others on many things from building construction to home repair to speaking to groups. But she never let the thought that she lacked post-secondary certification in anything stop her from dreaming big and launching projects.
As a career educator, I see this as one more way her memory will live on for me, and something I promise to support when I see it.
Michael Maser
Gibsons
