John Allen Fraser, passed on April 6, 2024, at the age of 92. John served as MP for Vancouver South for over three decades until he retired in 1993. He held positions as the federal environment minister, fisheries minister and speaker of the house. 

John was a tireless advocate for environmental conservation and the protection of wild salmon. After retirement, he continued working to protect wild salmon by chairing the Federal Pacific Fisheries Resource Conservation Council and the B.C. Pacific Salmon Forum. 

John Fraser. Credit: Government of Canada

After the conclusion of the Cohen Commission into the Decline of Fraser River Sockeye Salmon, John advocated strongly for the implementation of its 75 recommendations. 

John Fraser, John Reynolds and Craig Orr holding a press conference on the anniversary of the completion of the Cohen Commission

Watershed Watch staff had the pleasure of meeting regularly with John through the Sea to Sky Fisheries Roundtable, an informal regional forum of conservationists working to protect wild salmon. It was John’s political influence that facilitated the roundtable’s many meetings with sitting federal fisheries ministers and other influential MPs. John always made time to meet and work towards solutions towards protecting wild salmon and their habitat. 

John leaves a lasting legacy of wild salmon protection difficult to match. We offer our condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.