In the legislature today I rose to pay tribute to my friend, constituent and conservation champion Al Martin. British Columbia may have lost a visionary conservationist, but his legacy will always be remembered.

Below I reproduce the video and text of my tribute.

Video of Tribute

Text of Tribute

A. Weaver: It is with a heavy heart that I rise today to pay tribute to a great man, Al Martin, who tragically passed away on October 15. Al was an admired colleague, mentor and friend to many. He was tirelessly devoted to the betterment of fish and wildlife management in our province and spent more than 30 years in B.C.’s public service. He was a beloved leader in B.C.’s conservation community.

Al’s career started as a fisheries biologist in the Kootenays in the late 1970s. In the 1980s, he moved to Victoria and worked in fisheries management before becoming the director of the watershed restoration program. Soon after that, he was the director of fish and wildlife for the province and then assistant deputy minister in the department of agriculture and fisheries.

My office had the great fortune of working closely with Al over the last five years. He was incredibly generous with his time and wisdom. A man of calm, careful, composed and deliberate words, when Al spoke, I listened. He had a strategic mind and determined demeanour. There was never anything I could tell Al. Even if I had breaking news, he’d already have a copy of it in his back pocket.

Highly professional and laser focused, the only subject that could distract Al from the issue at hand was his family. Al had three children, Alex, Michael and Joanne, and considered his beloved wife Julie’s four daughters his own as well: Michelle, Christianne, Jessica and Lexi. Al also had nine grandchildren — Elise, Penny, Omry, Mayer, Lincoln, Beckett, Sawyer, Oliver and Hudson — and he adored each and every one of them.

My policy advisor Claire was at a fisheries conference with Al last year. As they sat quietly listening to the presentation, Al took out his phone and slid it across the table without a word. On the screen was a picture of a perfect, brand-new baby. His new grandchild, he said, beaming with pride, born a few days earlier.

Thank you, Al, for your service to our province. May we honour your legacy by advancing conservation for future generations and for your beloved grandchildren.