Final Session of the Living Legacy Project: Haig-Brown Memorial Lecture
Presented in Partnership with the Campbell River Arts Council
As the grand finale of the Living Legacy Project, this special event is also the Haig-Brown Memorial Lecture, marking a powerful return to the roots of a remarkable family legacy. On Ann Haig-Brown Day, the audience is invited to join Celia Haig-Brown in conversation with her brother, Alan Haig-Brown, in a deeply personal and poignant dialogue. This session brings the entire series full circle, as it celebrates the Haig-Brown family’s enduring connection to Campbell River and the surrounding landscape.
The day feels especially significant for Alan, as he returns to the place and rivers of his birth. In this intimate setting, Alan will read from and discuss his newly completed book, White Boy Goes Fishing. The book opens with stories of lessons learned from his late father-in-law, Herb Assu, during the decade Alan spent working on the Assu-family seine boat. This transformative experience, he says, was the beginning of his multifaceted career in publishing, writing, and photography, with a focus on commercial fishing and the broader marine industry. Alan’s journey is a testament to the unexpected intersections of family, identity, and vocation.
Location: Please note this presentation will be at Vineyard Christian Fellowship which is located directly across the street from the Haig-Brown House at 2215 Campbell River Road. We will also be marking Ann Haig-Brown’s birthday will cake and refreshments so be sure to stay and indulge.
About the Presenters
Alan Haig-Brown was born in Campbell River in 1941, where he grew up immersed in the rhythms of the river and surrounded by books. After leaving school to marry and pursue a life as a commercial fisherman, Alan’s hard-earned fishing earnings later allowed him, alongside his wife Vicki Assu, to return to education and become an educator. His work in schools and administration contributed to the development of Indigenous language programs, an effort that has shaped countless lives.
In the 1980s, Alan embarked on a writing career, creating magazines and publishing several books that explored themes of fishing, the marine industry, and Indigenous stories. A photographer as well as a writer, Alan has traveled the world, capturing stories and images from the fishing communities he’s encountered. He is also the proud father of two sons with Vicki, and two daughters with Maria Myers, and has been married to Ananya Surangpimol for over 20 years.
Celia Haig-Brown grew up alongside the Campbell River, a river that would shape both her personal and professional life. After graduating from Carihi in 1964, Celia went on to complete three degrees and teacher education at the University of BC. Her career as a high school teacher in Kamloops, and later as a faculty member at UBC and Simon Fraser University, has always been driven by a deep commitment to Indigenous education.
Celia’s groundbreaking work on Indian Residential Schools, specifically Resistance and Renewal: Surviving the Indian Residential School, which won the 1988 Regional BC Book Prize, provided critical insight from Indigenous perspectives. She continued this work with Tsqelmucwílc: KIRS, Resistance, and a Reckoning in 2022, a powerful reckoning that emerged in the wake of the recovery of the 215+ and in consultation with those most affected by the residential school system.
Celia has also made a significant mark in the world of filmmaking. She is currently in post-production on her fifth documentary, which delves into the lives of women involved in the rodeo industry. Having spent 12 years in the rodeo business with her late ex-husband, Celia’s next book will blend her own life experiences with the powerful narratives captured in her film interviews.
In addition to her work in academia and the arts, Celia is a proud mother of three grown children and grandmother to six. She resides beside the Humber River marsh in Toronto with her partner and their beloved black Labrador. Celia’s contributions to education and the arts have earned her recognition as a member of the Royal Society of Canada and as Professor Emerita/Senior Scholar at York University in Toronto.
