BILL LISHMAN

1939-2017 | Toronto, Ont.

IT WAS A HUMBLING moment, the first time I met Bill. He was sitting at a side table on the Students on Ice ship prior to our adventure through the Northwest Passage in 2008-09. I had no idea he was a great explorer who had flown through Canada’s skies alongside some of our most famous birds.

Not until halfway through the expedition did I realize that the film Fly Away Home was not only based on a true story, but that Bill was Father Goose. I was amazed by everything he had accomplished with the Canada geese and later whooping cranes: he saved the latter species, which was almost extinct, by teaching them to migrate, and he did it in airplanes that he built — after learning to fly despite being colour blind.

Thus, our friendship began. When I was in Ontario I would visit him at his igloo-influenced home on Lake Scugog, called Purple Hill, which he had designed partially underground to be efficient and environmentally friendly. At Purple Hill there were always projects: once, we built a stage in the backyard adorned with tree branches, which was used that evening for celebratory song and dance.

He was an accomplished sculptor, motorcycle racer and explorer, of both poles and the world over — and not merely for the sake of exploration. He wanted to better understand what we need to do to help our world survive.

I miss my talks with Bill, the wisdom he shared so we might all live as best we can. To me, he will always be one of Canada’s greatest explorers.