Raymond and Marigold Patterson Fund
The history behind the Raymond and Marigold Patterson Fund is a journey of determination, exploration and romance. Born in England in 1898 and educated at Oxford, Raymond Patterson, aka R.M., served with the military in WWI during which time he became a prisoner of war. After the war, Raymond longed for adventure which brought about his emigration to Canada and in 1924, a homestead in the Peace River area of Alberta. His passion for the Nahanni region, where he made a solo canoe trip to the Nahanni River, later became the basis of his 1954 book “The Dangerous River.”
Upon returning to England, Raymond met his wife-to-be, Marigold, over tea at his mother’s house. The two were married in July of 1929 at All Saints Church in Knightsbridge. Much to the chagrin of her mother, Raymond took Marigold back to Canada by way of steamship to Montreal and by train to Jasper. From 1929 until 1933, Raymond and his new wife lived at the Buck Spring Ranch where they raised sheep on the Ghost River near Cochrane, Alberta and nurtured their love of exploring the Canadian Rockies.
After growing tired of shepherding, the Patterson’s moved southwest of Calgary to Longview, where they purchased the Buffalo Head Ranch. In the face of hardship during the Depression years, they ran it as a guest ranch and grew much of their own food. Even through the difficult times at Buffalo Head, the couple continued to enjoy numerous riding expeditions into the Rockies.
After selling the ranch 1945, the Patterson’s moved to Shoal Harbour near Victoria, B.C. It was there that Marigold became an expert gardener and Raymond wrote about his adventures, publishing five books, including “The Dangerous River.” In 1960, they sold their home and traveled for two years in Europe. They returned to Canada in 1962 and settled in Victoria to enjoy the remainder of their days. Raymond suffered a stroke and died in hospital at the age of 87. Marigold continued to live on her own and made her last trip to Longview, Alberta in August 2000. This final visit was of great significance as she attended the ceremonial naming of a Rocky Mountain near Buffalo Head Ranch – Patterson’s Peak - after her late husband.
After breaking her leg in 2002, Marigold remained confined to a wheelchair in a nursing home. She celebrated her 100th birthday with a tea party surrounded by friends and family. Marigold died of congestive heart failure at the age of 101 on January 7, 2005.
The Raymond and Marigold Patterson Fund at the Victoria Foundation was established by their three children; Alan Patterson, Janet Blanchet and Robin Patterson. The Fund’s distributions are directed to the Canadian Parks and Wildlife Fund for its efforts in expanding the Nahanni National Park Reserve.
