Built to last: the quiet force behind conservation across B.C.

For Dick Bradshaw, caring about nature started close to home. As an avid fly fisherman, he developed a deep respect for the lands and waters of British Columbia, devoting a lifetime of philanthropy to the conservation of local Pacific salmon—the lifeblood of the province’s ecosystems, cultures, and economy. 

Dick passed away on December 17, 2025, leaving behind an enduring legacy of generosity to protect the places that meant so much to him and his wife, Val. 

Whether it’s driving discoveries, strengthening biodiversity, or investing in the next generation of sustainability leaders, Dick and Val’s giving reflects a single belief: that environmental stewardship succeeds only when knowledge, people, and place are supported together.

For more than 20 years, the couple has given meaningfully and abundantly to support conservation efforts at Simon Fraser University, beginning with a thoughtful gift to advance research into the effects of sea lice on salmon in the Broughton archipelago, and later to explore virus impact on wild salmon. 

They would go on to make significant investments in SFU’s Aquatic Research Cooperative (ARC) Institute, Liber Ero Chair in Climate Sustainability and Action, Tom Buell Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Salmon Conservation, Liber Ero Chair in Coastal Studies, and Tom Buell Leadership Chair in Salmon Conservation and Management—all important and vital initiatives aimed at safeguarding B.C.’s ecosystems, wildlife, and habitats.

Recognizing that lasting change depends on those leading the charge, Dick and Val have uplifted SFU students who are dedicated to making a positive difference by giving to the Threatened Scholars and Students Fund, Dean’s 10th Anniversary Graduate Award in the Faculty of Environment, and Patricia Gallaugher Award in Coastal Science and Management. Most recently in 2025, the couple established the Liber Ero Graduate Award in Environmental Science to ensure that financial barriers will not stand in the way of bright students who are guided by the same sense of purpose.

In 2013, Dick and Val were celebrated with the SFU President’s Distinguished Community Leadership Award for their extraordinary contributions to environmental and health research and the public good. That year, Dick also received the prestigious Order of Canada and Business Laureate of BC. 

Dick and Val’s unwavering commitment to conservation and health extends beyond SFU to organizations like Pacific Salmon Foundation, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, Nature Trust of BC, McGill University, and the University of Victoria. Dick was also passionate about bridging environment with community, having chaired the Vancouver Aquarium and Marine Science Centre and served as a board member for the VanDusen Botanical Garden.

Throughout Dick’s life, he remained a steady and quiet force, shaping outcomes and prioritizing others to lead without stepping into the limelight himself. The work that Dick set in motion will endure for years to come, carried forward by the many lives he impacted—each one inspired to champion the causes he cared so deeply about.