A lifetime of public service is being remembered in the Battlefords with the passing of Senator Herb Sparrow.
Sparrow died Thursday of complications following a stroke, at the age of 82.
Sparrow is being remembered for his political acumen, his tireless crusade for soil conservation, his many charitable efforts and for bringing the Colonel's "11 herbs and spices" to North Battleford.
He is primarily remembered for his long years of public service in the Canadian Senate. The longtime Liberal was appointed to the senate by Prime Minister Lester Pearson in 1968 and retired in 2005, having served 37 years in the upper house.
Before that, Sparrow served as a North Battleford city councilor in the late 1950s and early '60s. He had also been president of the provincial Liberal party in the 1960s and ran twice unsuccessfully as a Liberal candidate for the provincial legislature.
Sparrow's career in the Senate spanned 37 years but was most notable for his championing farming and environmental causes - none greater than the dangers of soil degradation and erosion.
When serving as chair of the Senate Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Committee in 1984, he spearheaded a study into the effects of soil degradation in Canada.
Out of this came the report "Soil at Risk: Canada 's Eroding Future." Sparrow became a leading advocate for soil conservation and for sustainable farming policy.
Sparrow became founder and president of Soil Conservation Canada and took his message of soil conservation and sustainability on the road, spreading a message to audiences throughout Canada.
His efforts resulted in the establishment of the "Save Our Soils" program that brought about reduced tillage, the grassing of waterways and the seeding of marginal and saline land to forages.
Sparrow's work had an impact not just nationally but internationally.
"I don't think people in the Battlefords are aware that Herb was consulting to the United Nations," said former Saskatchewan Liberal leader Ryan Bater. "He was a person of great import federally."
In his final session in the Senate before retirement, several of his peers paid tribute to Sparrow on Dec. 8 2004. At the time, several noted Sparrow's distinctive independent streak in policy-making.
Senator Joyce Fairbairn described Sparrow as a "lone wolf senator" and "champion of the little guy," while Senator Len Gustafson remarked,"I have often told Senator Sparrow that he should have been a Conservative. He acted like one most of the time; but for that, he was to be admired because he was always his own man."
Locally, Sparrow had a tremendous influence on the community that went beyond politics. Long before his political career flourished, Sparrow was an earlier pioneer in the development of Kentucky Fried Chicken in Canada.
He met the legendary Col. Harland Sanders and brought his famous "11 herbs and spices" recipe to the city in the 1950s. Along with Joe Young in Saskatoon, Sparrow established one of the first KFC franchise locations in Canada.
"He was a visionary business guy," said former North Battleford mayor Glenn Hornick. "I don't know if many people looked at him like that. He really was."
Hornick also pointed to Sparrow's active role in land development as a developer in Killdeer Park, as well as at Jackfish Lake.
Sparrow was active in charitable causes throughout his life. Most notably he personally sponsored a school lunch program to provide free meals to school children who might otherwise go hungry.
Sparrow also lent his support to the intellectually challenged and disabled, as well as various causes such as the Salvation Army and the humane society. The charitable efforts were ones Sparrow largely did on his own, quietly and out of the public spotlight.
Just this year, a financial commitment from Sparrow helped keep open the temporary homeless shelter at the Battlefords Indian and Métis Friendship Centre for an additional couple of months during the winter.
His honours have included membership in the Order of Canada in 2008, the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2000, Honorary Life Member of the Agricultural Institute of Canada, Honorary Member of the Soil Science Society of Canada, and just this year, to the Canadian Conservation Hall of Fame.
Locally, he was inducted to the Frontier Mall Wall of Fame, and was named Battlefords Citizen of the Decade in 1989.
The park at the Battlefords Boys and Girls Club location on 104th Street bears Sparrow's name.
With the news of Sparrow's death, tributes are being paid to him locally and across the country. Mayor Ian Hamilton extended his condolences and paid tribute to Sparrow for the impact he had on the community.
Sparrow was "certainly well known for lending his support to a number of issues," said Hamilton, pointing to Sparrow's support for causes such as the school meal programs, the homeless shelter initiative at the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre, and others. Hamilton also paid tribute to Sparrow for his business contribution to the community.
"He was very prominent in the community and very recognizable," said Hamilton.
Glenn Hornick recalled Sparrow as a man the city could turn to for results in Ottawa.
"I learned real quickly as mayor of the City of North Battleford that if you wanted to get anything done that involved federal money or federal decisions, you needed to have Herb on your side," said Hornick.
He recalled doing a presentation on small business in Ottawa to the committee on banking while Sparrow was in the Senate. Sparrow was instrumental in setting up that meeting, Hornick recalled, and a lot of what was brought up in that presentation ended up becoming law, he said.
"He carried a lot of weight in Ottawa - he was able to get things done where others had failed," said Hornick.
Sparrow was also notable as a mentor to up and coming politicians, particularly in the Battlefords. Bater was one of those who credited Sparrow as a strong influence.
"Herb was a good friend and mentor to me and taught me a lot in my time in politics," said Bater.
He also pointed to the energy Sparrow would devote locally to the charitable causes he believed in, "oftentimes without people knowing it."
"For that reason I've always regarded Herb as a man of great honour and class," said Bater.
Nationally, colleagues in Ottawa paid their respects.
Saskatchewan's long-serving Liberal MP Ralph Goodale called Sparrow "a great advisor and a really keen student of politics and government." He paid tribute to Sparrow's organizational and strategic skills behind the scenes, which he described as instrumental to the election of the Ross Thatcher government in Saskatchewan in 1964.
In speaking to the News-Optimist Monday, Goodale described Sparrow as a "doer" who "always had his eye on the ball." He also noted Sparrow's longevity.
"I remember when I was first elected in 1974, Herb was already there, an active and vigorous senator," said Goodale. When he returned to Ottawa as an MP years later in 1993, Sparrow was still there and "still as vigorous and hard-working."
Goodale described Sparrow as a "vigorous fighter for western Canada and rural Canada" who wore the fact he was from North Battleford" on his sleeve."
On soil conservation, Goodale called Sparrow's report "the single most important piece of literature on that crucial issue."
Goodale said the improvements in farming practices that took place since then "can be traced to the impact of his report. It was a real wake-up call and it was very well done."
In a statement, federal Liberal leader Bob Rae paid tribute to Sparrow.
"Herb's life was marked by his many years of service to Saskatchewan and Canada's West. True to his roots as a farmer and businessman, he made significant contributions to Canadian agriculture, particularly through his work in the Senate," said Rae, who pointed to Sparrow's work on soil conservation.
"Herb's dedication has been widely recognized, and he leaves behind a legacy that will be remembered."
Goodale said Sparrow "cut a very big swath" in Saskatchewan politics and will be missed.
"He was one of those characters out of that era that produced people such as Sid Buckwold and Dave Steuart - he was of that vintage and that calibre, and worked very hard for the people that he was responsible to represent. When a person like that leaves the political scene, there's a big vacuum."
The funeral service for Senator Herb Sparrow is scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m. at Don Ross Centre in North Battleford.
