Engineer Nick Sonntag devoted his life to conserving the Earth’s resources

Whether Nick Sonntag was thinking globally for the United Nations, or acting locally by setting up a market in his hometown of Gibsons, B.C., the Canadian engineer dedicated his life to preserving the Earth's resources for future generations. His gift for communicating complex problems clearly – complemented by his magnetic personality – made him a leader in his chosen field of sustainable development.

His career took him around the world as he led development efforts in countries as diverse as China, Vietnam and Sweden. After 40 years of devotion to the environment, Mr. Sonntag died of a heart attack on June 27. He was 67.

After graduating from the University of British Columbia with a BASc in engineering, followed in 1975 by a master's degree in management science, Mr. Sonntag spent four more years at the university engaged in scientific research. Professor C.S. (Buzz) Holling, an early proponent of the concept that environmental responsibility could also be profitable, sparked Mr. Sonntag's interest in the economics of ecology.

During his two years at TRIUMF , Canada's national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics, Mr. Sonntag partnered with fellow UBC graduates to form Environmental and Social System Analysts (ESSA) in 1979. It was one of Canada's first sustainability consulting firms. ESSA, assisted by the Canadian International Development Agency, eventually established an office in Vietnam, the first Western environmental consulting firm permitted to work in the country after the Vietnam war ended in 1975. During his time with ESSA, Mr. Sonntag made more than 30 trips to Vietnam, sowing the seeds for a lifelong appreciation of Asian culture.

"Nick was very taken by the beauty of the country and the people's appreciation of young people coming from Canada to assist them. He was really motivated to help," said his wife, Linda, "although he was a bit disconcerted to find himself once attending a golf game with a couple of Vietnamese ministers on a course surrounded by soldiers with machine guns."

Canadian Maurice Strong, a board member of CIDA, followed Mr. Sonntag's work in Vietnam with interest. Mr. Strong was also secretary-general of the Swiss-based UN Conference on Environment and Development. Impressed by Mr. Sonntag, Mr. Strong recruited him to be his chief of staff for an international summit on the environment, to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

This powerful position catapulted Mr. Sonntag onto the world stage. The Earth Summit, as it was popularly called, was to be the largest gathering of heads of state ever held. In his senior role, Mr. Sonntag effectively became Canada's ambassador to the world for sustainable development. "He just loved it," Ms. Sonntag recalled. "It was an environment in which he felt very easy."

When the summit ended, Mr. Sonntag applied his keen intellect to assist in synthesizing a vast array of information and ideas into what became known as Agenda 21, a sustainable-development for the UN, other multilateral organizations and governments around the world. It was one of the first such blueprints for environmental action.

Ms. Sonntag said the Rio experience was very special for her husband, forging a lifetime relationship between him and Mr. Strong. As part of the terms of employment with the Earth Summit, Mr. Strong arranged for Mr. Sonntag to spend the following year at Canada's International Institute for Sustainable Development in Winnipeg. Mr. Sonntag's experience with environmental concerns and practices worldwide, plus his impressive Rolodex of contacts (including U.S. President Bill Clinton), made him a valuable contributor to the knowledge base of the institute.

Mr. Strong continued to influence Mr. Sonntag's career by recommending him to become executive director of the Stockholm Environmental Institute, the world's second-largest environmental research body. Mr. Sonntag flew to Sweden for an interview and, in 1996, took up the prestigious position.

Accompanying him were his wife and their two children. The couple had met on a blind date in 1969 during their university days at UBC, where Linda Barnes was studying nursing. They married on Aug. 8, 1970. Children were postponed while Mr. Sonntag got his master's degree and his wife earned a BA in psychology and community nursing. After university, they spent a year travelling around Europe in a Volkswagen camper van. A son, Christopher, was born in 1981; a daughter, Catherine, arrived three years later. The family spent 1996 to 2000 in Sweden, where the children attended the international school.

Mr. Sonntag's next career move was to head up the Canadian arm of CH2M Hill, one of the world's largest engineering firms, where he arranged sustainability workshops for the company's engineers. In 2004, when the opportunity arose to expand the company into China, he jumped at the chance. He and his family spent a total of 6 1/2 years living in the polluted chaos of Beijing. Brian Nattrass, a lawyer and close friend who was inspired by Mr. Sonntag to enter the field of sustainable development, visited the Sonntags in China. He counted 150 building cranes within view of their apartment balcony, more than in all of Canada at that time.

With the Beijing Summer Olympics just four years away, the Chinese needed all the help they could get with the Western concept of preserving the environment. Mr. Sonntag, adept at bridging cultural divides, worked to get his message across.

"Nick would come back with stories of epic drinking bouts that were necessary to cement a deal in China," Dr. Nattrass recalled. "He'd prepare by getting in shape and getting lots of rest. He'd say to me 'Boy, they really wear you down and find your vulnerabilities. That's how they negotiate and close deals.'"

Mr. Sonntag left CH2M Hill in 2005 to become executive vice-president at Westport Innovations Inc., a Vancouver company doing groundbreaking work on clean engine technology. In a final overseas posting, the Sonntags spent two years in Lyon, France, where he led European development for Westport, and developed a fondness for French cheeses.

Born in London, England, on Oct. 10, 1947, Nicholas Charles Sonntag was the only child of Paul and Katie Sonntag. The family immigrated to Canada when Nick was 4. They settled in Vancouver, where his father sold hardware to manufacturing companies. His parents valued education, which Nick acquired and, in turn, used to educate others.

No matter how far his work took him into the world, B.C.'s Sunshine Coast remained his home base. He could have retired at 65 with a long, distinguished career behind him. Instead, he joined the board of Vancouver's not-for-profit Globe Foundation, contributing his perspective to its focus on building a sustainable global economy. He also investigated emerging technologies for clean water with an eye to becoming an angel investor.

But one project that fired his boyish enthusiasm was very close to home. Along with friends Gerry and Nancy Zipursky, Mr. Sonntag saw the potential of creating Gibsons Public Market in an old yacht club building in Gibsons, the coastal community northwest of Vancouver that was the setting for The Beachcombers. Not only would the market be a place for vendors to sell local produce, it would also be a year-round place for residents to connect, as well as to learn about sustainable farming and fishing practices. Mr. Zipursky and Mr. Sonntag knew that Darren Entwistle, chief executive officer of Telus Corp., had a place nearby and decided to get him involved. Mr. Sonntag picked up the phone; Mr. Entwistle is now on the board of governors for Gibsons Public Market.

"It's speaks volumes about Nick's ability to talk about the environment and the future, things that are important to us all," Mr. Zipursky said. A proposed education centre at the market has been renamed the Nicholas Sonntag Marine Education Centre.

"Although Nick lived an international life," his wife said, "to have this acknowledged in Canada and locally, where his friends and family can view his legacy – he would be deeply honoured."

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