Photo: Great Sand Hills, SK Credit: climateandchange.usask.ca
Eleanor Bowie (Melanson Award Winner, 2008)
Eleanor Bowie was born and raised in Saskatoon, but didn’t feel she was raised with a city mentality. She met her husband while working at the research station in Swift Current as a student. She had been studying pre-vet med and then agriculture when very few women were in those colleges. She didn’t finish her studies, married her husband, and moved to a ranch, knowing nothing about the lifestyle. She quickly began to learn about and love her new environment.
Bowie became a licensed lay worship leader in the United Church of Canada. She found the organization to be justice oriented and environmentally active. She loves music and art and has been involved in the music festivals and cowboy poetry events.
She believes she was recognized for the B.M. Melanson Award for her lobbying work concerning gas development and the negative long term impact on the fragile sandhills environment.