Celebrating My Friend Pam Today - Nova Scotia's Newest Eco-Hero

This afternoon I left work early, hopped on the bus and headed over to the Public Archives with my friend Patti. We used to work together at Land Registration with Pam Langille, my very dear friend who passed away last July. An email from Pam's sister Barb let me know about an award ceremony she knew I wouldn't want to miss.


















Today Pam was posthumously awarded the first ever Langille Honour in the Woods Award. This brand new award was given by the Nova Scotia Environmental Network for her tireless efforts on behalf of the Acadian forest and sustainable logging.


There to watch her daughter Katharine accept the award were about a dozen of Pam's friends, her mother Norma, her sister Barb, her husband Rick, her son Chris and her niece Mary. Pam felt so present to me when her family and other friends walked into the room. Barb brought Pam's picture along for the ceremony, and Pam's beaming smile gazed across the room at all of us, as it would have done if she'd been there herself.

These Eco-Heroes were truly Pam's soul sisters and brothers. The first award was a Lifetime Achievement Award, given to an older man, while the Youth Environmental Leadership Award was given to an energetic and passionate group of high school students who had formed an association called Mind Shift.

The Cole Award for Excellence in Environment and Health was given to a man who has spearheaded a stop-idling-your-car initiative, while the Eco-Hero Environmentalist of the Year was given to another passionate and very humorous woman who works on behalf of renewable energy. The Award for Environmental Political Will was given to the provincial opposition environmental critic, who gave a wonderful speech about how scary his role can be, when he sees what goes on.














And then came Pam's award. Katharine spoke of her mother's Snowflake Theory, where every person's personal snowflake will break a branch if they all collect together. I thought about all the recipients in the room, about how each one had taken what resources they had, focused their passions and took action. And their actions have all made real, lasting changes in our province.













Four years ago, when I made it through the interview that started my employment with the province of Nova Scotia, I was so relieved on a personal level to get a contracted position with a possibility of full-time hire in the future. I went to work at Land Registration, giddy with joy just to be there. It wasn't long before I realized I'd been blessed with a new friend with whom I bonded deeply and immediately.

Every day I arrived at work, Pam greeted me with her mega-watt smile and a delighted "Hi, Julia!" And I had the same smile for her. We laughed our way through the work days, talked passionately during breaks about all sorts of things, sparred sometimes yet always with respect for the others' viewpoint. She was in my corner, and I was in hers.

As I listened to each person's speech today, I saw and heard Pam in the way they moved, in the way they connected to others in the room, the way they burned inside with the desire to stop the damage inflicted upon the air we breathe, the sea that sustains us and the woods that shelter us. Each Eco-Hero that came to the podium shared the same qualities of shining intention, ferocious spirit and single-minded focus that Pam showed me every day.

I'm lucky, very lucky in this life to know many courageous people. Some are artists shedding their blood, sweat and tears. Some celebrate quiet victories every time they make it through the day.

Pam was a dynamo. She spoke passionately and intelligently. She gathered facts. She showed up to question things and demand answers. She sought out alternatives and provided ways to implement them. Pam was an Eco-Hero, and I'm so happy to see the Langille Honour in the Woods Award launched into the world today in her memory.

Poetry Monday - 68 - Barb's Au Revoir to Her Sister, Katharine's Au Revoir to Her Mother

On Friday I had the joyous privilege of attending two memorial services for my friend and former co-worker Pam Langille. My husband and I arrived at St. Andrew's United Church at 4:00 for an absolutely beautiful ceremony arranged by Pam's sister Barb. Then we hopped on a bus with another friend and made it to the North Street Church for the 6:00 ceremony arranged by Pam's daughter Katharine. There were large gatherings at both memorials, and most of us attended both.


Pam was a passionate advocate for several issues, including:
- people living with physical or mental challenges and their inclusion in society
- availability of alternative health care
- the buy-locally movement
- the health of the oceans
- the preservation of the Acadian forest, which means the original species trees native to eastern Canada

Even before she developed cancer, Pam had already done research into green burials. When my dad was in his last months of life, Pam did research about private citizens' abilities to have a cremation take place minus the embalming chemicals being released into the atmosphere. As it turned out, for my father-in-law we had a non-formaldehyde cremation (or any other chemical,) as my brother-in-law works for the federal Ministry of the Environment and knew how to insist upon that.

I was very honored to be asked to attend Pam's burial on her friends' land in Jeddore. Unfortunately, I could not attend as my grandmother's funeral was the very same weekend in Yarmouth, four hours' drive to the western end of the province. I was so glad that photos of this event were brought to the first memorial.


For my Poetry Monday offering, I'm sharing with you the prayer which Pam's sister Barb wrote for the first memorial. Barb spoke at the service and read Pam's final speech (which they worked on together due to Pam's increased fatigue) where Pam advocated once more on behalf of the forest she loved so very, very dearly.

This photo was taken at Pam's grave site on Kate's land. L to R: Kate, Pam's mom Norma and Pam's sister Barb.


Prayer of Thanksgiving and Concern

We give thanks for the splendour of the whole creation,
For the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life,
And for the mystery of love.
We give thanks for the blessing of family and friends,
And for loving care given to Pam in her final days
by family, friends and caregivers,
And for caring concern that surrounds us on every side in our time of grief.
We give thanks for Pam, her work, her advocacy, and her love and compassion.
May we forgive and love, as Pam did.
May we carry on and continue the work yet to be done,
And may we leave a positive footprint on the earth
and in the hearts of those we know and love.
Amen.

- Barbara Langille, 2008


The second ceremony was filled with heartfelt remembrances by those whom Pam fought alongside, on behalf of the forests of Nova Scotia. One man who spoke, Kermit deGooyer, wondered if he should mix advocacy with a memorial, which brought knowing laughter from everyone in attendance.

This next piece was printed in the program for the order of service for the 6:00 memorial, and was written by Pam's daughter Katharine.


(forest angel, eternal optimist and lover of all)

Mom,

What a beautiful life you gave. When they said two months you said "daiquiris?" When they said "take it easy" you said "Ecuador?" We rode you down the Amazon in a river boat in your palliative wheelchair. 14 days pass. Then you call me and say that you're ready for your next adventure. The angels guide you out, with song and popsicles. Way to go out with a bang, mom. The fire works escorted you through the veil. The truck was shined and the precession began. Back to the forest. Your human form wrapped in organic cotton, we laid you in the breast of the great mother and gave you back to the Earth, to the woods of which you loved so much. They welcomed you home.

Hoorah mama hot damn!

- Katharine Langille, 2008

Katharine sang at both ceremonies - here's a song from YouTube featuring Katharine and two friends performing at The Wired Monk in Halifax. Pam's daughter is in the center in the purple top.