Those closest to Glen Davis wanted to mark the 10th anniversary of his death by remembering his enormous generosity and contribution to conservation, not for the shocking and violent way he died.They hoped to transform the dark event into a celebration of his life and legacy with the creation of a new $10,000 award named in his honour, given last week to B.C. conservationist Anne Sherrod.But a decade after his execution in the basement parking lot of a midtown Toronto office building on May 18, 2007, some, including members of Davis’s inner circle, feel the late philanthropist has not received the recognition he deserves.“Absolutely, he’s been overlooked,” said lawyer Peter Quinn, a longtime Davis friend and a trustee of the late philanthropist’s estate.“He’s contributed more to the environmental well-being of this country than almost anyone else that I can think of.”Quinn would like the federal government to do something in his memory, perhaps naming a wilderness area after him. But so far, he says, there’s been “no response.”Davis’s death at age 66 left a huge gap in fundraising that’s never been replaced, says Éric Hébert-Daly, executive director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS).“It’s a constant struggle for a lot of us to have the kind of support Glen provided,” he said. “I don’t think the world knows enough about him.”Davis remains the single biggest individual donor to conservation groups in Canada, says Monte Hummel, president emeritus of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada. Hummel was head of environmental advocacy group Pollution Probe when he met Davis in the 1970s.Davis’s financial support led to the establishment of 1,000 new parks and added millions of hectares of protected land in Canada.He also contributed money to women’s rowing and golf, an acknowledgement that female athlet ...
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