Marjorie Mader

Marjory Alleyne Mader passed away the morning of Sunday, May 13th, 2012. She was born Marjory Saunders in the Invermere Valley. An adventurous child, she had many fond memories of growing up among the mountains and lakes of the region with her friends and siblings. Marj’s father instilled in her many values that would remain with her for the rest of her life---namely her passion for reading and awareness of social injustice. She excelled in her schooling, skipping several grades and eventually entering into UBC to pursue a degree in history. While there, she worked on the student newspaper alongside her editor, the celebrated Canadian author and historian Pierre Berton. After moving to Victoria in 1942, Marj got a job as the first female reporter for the Colonist when many of the male reporters were called up to fight in the War. Her editor at the time quickly realised that she was a natural and said that she should never do anything else. Near the end of the War Marj met the love of her life, Ed Mader. Marj and Ed have been described as a team by anyone who witnessed their life together, rarely arguing and sharing the same values, including a compassion for animals (they rescued a lot stray cats!). Though she maintained a love of writing and never lost a reporter’s interest in human nature, Marj gave up full-time reporting after the War ended when she managed to convince a family friend that she and Ed could run a small, isolated tea room on the top of Sulphur Mountain in Banff. Becoming local fixtures, Ed and Marge eventually moved on to own and operate the Bow River Boathouse, one of Banff’s earliest tourist attractions, together; their time in Banff saw it transform from a small mountain town into the major tourist destination it is today. For a brief time she also worked part-time for the local paper. The pair retired out to Victoria where they continued to rescue cats and have many other adventures together. Though not religious in nature, Marj and Ed were long-time members of the Unitarian Church as well as various animal welfare associations. When Ed passed away in 1995 Marj was heart-broken, yet maintained her formidable independence, generosity of spirit, and radiant mind. She will be missed by all who knew her.