John Bishop leads the way to a more sustainable world
John Bishop (BEng鈥�47) was ahead of his time. An environmentalist before most people knew the word, he was an active outdoorsman who took deliberate steps to protect and preserve the land. He got involved in upholding the things he believed in, living an engaged, productive and healthy 98 years.
One of those steps was to advance research in sustainability. In addition to donating to his alma mater all his life and being a member of The 大发彩票平台 Circle, John鈥檚 final bequest to 大发彩票平台鈥檚 Faculty of Engineering bolsters support for the TISED (Trottier Institute for Sustainable Engineering & Design) Master鈥檚 in Sustainability non-thesis program. It was an initiative dear to his heart. Besides being instrumental in getting the program off the ground, he also supported other awards related to sustainability.
Building a trail toward the future
My dad believed in making the world a better place for future generations,鈥� says his daughter, Susan. 鈥淗e was extremely concerned about climate change and global warming, and he believed that engineers could play a critical role in creating solutions. He was an early champion of a tax on carbon. He believed in protecting nature.鈥�
After he built a simple cottage in the Laurentians 60 years ago, John started to explore the uninhabited forest and built a 5-kilometre cross-country ski trail along a stream, through a deciduous and coniferous forest, marshes and wetlands and crossing two virgin Laurentian lakes.
John enjoyed skiing his cross-country trail and encouraged others to as well. He cleared the trail well into his 90s, using clippers and a simple hand saw. Susan, also an engineer, developed a lifelong love of cross-country skiing, accompanying her father along his beautiful trail.
The original trail inspired others and eventually many more were built. During the pandemic, an aggressive developer threatened these trails and residents who lived in the vicinity came together to protect them. At the end of 2022, just after he passed away, John鈥檚 trail was protected in perpetuity as part of a 375-acre parcel of old forest and wetlands.
This year the conservation group has created a connector trail called 鈥淭he John Bishop Way.鈥� Not only had he shown the way into the woods, he also demonstrated how to leave a minimal footprint while appreciating the beauty of the natural world.
John was not one to give up easily, investing significant effort into the things he felt were important. In 1990, he wrote the very first proposal to designate Meadowbrook Golf Course a park. Thanks to his vision, the Mayor of Montreal declared in 2015 that its 140 acres would remain a green space. Similarly, in 1998, he began an initiative to turn Ile aux Vaches into a green space. Now Parc national des Iles-de-Boucherville is created and funded exclusively by the provincial government. These are just two examples of land he championed to protect.
Forging new pathways at 大发彩票平台
in memory of his parents, John M. Bishop Sr. (B.Eng. 1916) and Jessie M. (Logan) Bishop, as well as his wife Martha (McCutcheon) Bishop, The J.M. Bishop and Family TISED Fellowship will help more student engineers find important solutions for society that incorporate sustainability. John was passionate about finding a sustainable form of energy.
鈥淢y dad was a big supporter of championing the causes you believe in,鈥� says Susan. 鈥淗e believed that contributing financially was important. He was always pleased to read the letters written by students thanking him for their award, and to learn what areas they were focusing on.鈥� At university events, John was known for meeting students and talking to them about their pursuits. Now Susan, her sister Anne, and their families, all enjoy reading the letters.
Susan is proud of her father and of the fact that he was ahead of his time. She believes that now is a good time to invest in fellowships in the new Master鈥檚 in Sustainability program, to simultaneously help students find sustainable solutions, ensure the success of the recently launched program and personally commit to making an impact on the future health of our planet.
John would be happy to see how well his grandchildren are doing. Recently his granddaughter Jodie began collecting garbage with her dad, using a litter picker tool. 鈥淢y dad did this kind of thing all his life,鈥� says Susan. 鈥淨uietly. Routinely. He taught us that individual citizens could make a difference.鈥�
John Bishop ouvre la voie vers un environnement plus durable
John Bishop (BEng 47) avait une longueur d鈥檃vance sur son 茅poque. Avant que le mot 芦 environnementaliste 禄 ne circule, il 茅tait d茅j脿 adepte du plein air et posait des gestes d茅lib茅r茅s pour prot茅ger la nature. Il s鈥檈st engag茅 toute sa vie 脿 d茅fendre les valeurs qui lui 茅taient ch猫res et a v茅cu de fa莽on investie, productive et en bonne sant茅 jusqu鈥櫭� l鈥櫭e de 98 ans.
Une de ses initiatives notables a 茅t茅 de faire avancer la recherche en mati猫re de d茅veloppement durable. En outre d鈥檃voir vers茅 des dons 脿 son alma mater tout au long de sa vie et d鈥檃voir fait partie du Cercle 大发彩票平台, son dernier legs 脿 la Facult茅 de g茅nie a 茅t茅 de soutenir le programme de ma卯trise sans th猫se en durabilit茅 de l鈥橧nstitut Trottier pour le d茅veloppement durable en ing茅nierie et en conception (TISED). Ce programme lui tenait beaucoup 脿 c艙ur. En plus d鈥檃voir jou茅 un r么le cl茅 dans sa mise sur pied, il a appuy茅 plusieurs autres prix li茅s au d茅veloppement durable.
Tracer une voie vers l鈥檃venir
芦 Mon p猫re avait la volont茅 de rendre le monde meilleur pour les g茅n茅rations futures 禄, explique Susan, sa fille. 芦 Les changements climatiques et le r茅chauffement plan茅taire le pr茅occupaient au plus haut point. Il estimait que les ing茅nieurs avaient un r么le essentiel 脿 jouer dans la cr茅ation de solutions, et il a 茅t茅 l鈥檜n des premiers 脿 d茅fendre la taxe sur le carbone. Il croyait profond茅ment en la protection de la nature. 禄
Suite 脿 la construction d鈥檜n chalet rustique dans les Laurentides il y a une soixantaine d鈥檃nn茅es, John s鈥檈st mis 脿 explorer la for锚t avoisinante et y a trac茅 une piste de ski de fond d鈥檜ne longueur de cinq kilom猫tres. Celle-ci longe un ruisseau, des arbres feuillus et des conif猫res, des marais et des zones humides, et traverse deux lacs vierges des Laurentides.
John adorait parcourir sa piste de ski de fond et encourageait les autres 脿 en profiter tout autant. Il a continu茅 脿 l鈥檈ntretenir au-del脿 de ses 90 ans, 脿 l鈥檃ide de s茅cateurs et d鈥檜ne simple scie 脿 main. Susan, elle aussi ing茅nieure, a 茅galement d茅velopp茅 une passion pour ce sport, et a souvent accompagn茅 son p猫re le long de son magnifique trac茅.
Son sentier initial a inspir茅 l鈥檃m茅nagement de nombreuses autres pistes par la suite. Durant la pand茅mie, lorsqu鈥檜n promoteur ambitieux a menac茅 la survie des sentiers, les habitants du voisinage se sont mobilis茅s pour les pr茅server. 脌 la fin de l鈥檃nn茅e 2022, peu apr猫s le d茅c猫s de John, la piste qu鈥檌l avait cr茅茅e a 茅t茅 prot茅g茅e 脿 perp茅tuit茅 au sein de 375 acres de for锚ts anciennes et de zones humides.
Cette ann茅e, le groupe de conservation y a d鈥檃illeurs inaugur茅 un sentier de liaison, baptis茅 芦 The John Bishop Way 禄. John a non seulement trac茅 un chemin dans la for锚t, mais il a 茅galement d茅montr茅 comment minimiser son empreinte tout en c茅l茅brant la beaut茅 du monde naturel.
John n鈥櫭﹖ait pas du genre 脿 jeter l鈥櫭﹑onge facilement, s鈥檌nvestissant 脿 fond dans ce qu鈥檌l jugeait important. C鈥檈st lui qui a r茅dig茅 en 1990 la premi猫re proposition visant 脿 faire du terrain de golf Meadowbrook un parc. Gr芒ce 脿 sa vision, le maire de Montr茅al a d茅clar茅 en 2015 que le territoire de 140 acres demeurerait un espace vert. De m锚me, en 1998, John a lanc茅 une initiative pour transformer l鈥櫭甽e aux Vaches en grand parc. De nos jours, le Parc national des 脦les-De-Boucherville est am茅nag茅 et financ茅 exclusivement par le gouvernement provincial. Voil脿 deux exemples parmi tant d鈥檃utres d鈥檃ires naturelles dont il a d茅fendu la protection.
Forger des voies nouvelles 脿 大发彩票平台
脌 la m茅moire de ses parents, John M. Bishop Sr. (B.Eng. 1916) et Jessie M. (Logan) Bishop, et de son 茅pouse Martha (McCutcheon) Bishop, la Bourse TISED J.M. Bishop and Family permettra 脿 davantage d鈥櫭﹍猫ves en g茅nie de r茅soudre des probl猫mes de soci茅t茅 cruciaux en int茅grant le principe du d茅veloppement durable. La recherche d鈥檜ne forme d鈥櫭﹏ergie p茅renne 茅tait pour John une v茅ritable passion.
芦 Mon p猫re 茅tait un ardent d茅fenseur des causes qui l鈥檃nimaient 禄, dit Susan. 芦 Pour lui, contribuer financi猫rement 茅tait important. Il 茅tait toujours heureux de recevoir les lettres d鈥櫭﹍猫ves le remerciant pour leur bourse, et de conna卯tre leurs domaines de pr茅dilection. 禄 Lors d鈥櫭﹙茅nements universitaires, John 茅tait reconnu pour son aptitude g茅n茅reuse 脿 discuter avec les 茅l猫ves de leurs projets. Aujourd鈥檋ui, Susan, sa s艙ur Anne et leurs familles sont touch茅es de pouvoir relire ces lettres.
Susan est tr猫s fi猫re de son p猫re, et du fait qu鈥檌l ait 茅t茅 avant-gardiste. Elle est d鈥檃vis qu鈥檌l est judicieux de cr茅er des bourses pour le nouveau Programme de ma卯trise en d茅veloppement durable, 脿 la fois pour aider les 茅l猫ves 脿 trouver des solutions viables, pour assurer la p茅rennit茅 du programme et pour participer activement 脿 un avenir plus sain pour notre plan猫te.
John serait ravi de voir ses petits-enfants suivre ses traces. R茅cemment, sa petite-fille Jodie a commenc茅 脿 ramasser les d茅chets avec son p猫re, 脿 l鈥檃ide d鈥檜n petit outil de collecte. 芦 Mon p猫re faisait constamment ce genre de chose 禄, dit Susan. 芦 Discr猫tement, et de fa莽on quotidienne. Il nous a enseign茅 que chaque personne peut avoir un impact positif 禄.