Terry Salman, “What We Give”
Longtime supporter of Swim Drink Fish and lifetime philanthropist highlights his upcoming book and the value and importance of getting involved to make a difference
Although there are many ways to describe Terry Salman: a former marine, a recipient of the Order of Canada, Honorary Consul-General for Singapore, Public Service Star recipient, Terry ultimately describes himself as “an investment banker by training and a philanthropist by desire”.
Terry resides in West Vancouver, British Columbia, where he is an active member of the community through his continued involvement in various public service initiatives and through his philanthropic way of living to make a difference. When looking for a way to encourage others to lead a life of giving back and to thank those that have supported him, Terry thought what better way to share these messages than through the written word.
“I was inspired to write the book because I’m thankful for the people and connections that helped me and I wanted to articulate how one can make a difference.”
His upcoming book is called "What We Give" and is a memoir that focuses on the period of time from when Terry joined the Marines and his life thereafter. It is available for preorder now and will be officially released on November 1st, 2022.
It highlights and encourages the act of giving and speaks to how there are many ways one can give and get involved in their community. He discusses some of the major charities, public service initiatives, and organizations that he has had the pleasure of being involved with and ultimately how thankful he is for the people that helped him along the way and who helped to make a difference in his own life. Terry says that he enjoyed putting pen to paper and that he is excited to share the many things and many people that have helped to make his life better.
“I’ve met so many people and have done so many things that have helped to make my life better. Writing this memoir has been wonderful actually, a great experience.”
Terry has been a longtime supporter of Swim Drink Fish and our mission to create swimmable, drinkable, fishable water for everyone. He shares that since he’s an outdoorsman who likes to adventure by the water’s edge, it’s really important for him to see this resource and its natural beauty preserved and protected, especially because as Terry puts it “water is such a basic necessity”. When reflecting on a time where Terry was impacted by the water, he speaks of his travels in Indonesia and how when wandering the sandy shoreline he witnessed astonishing amounts of debris and pollution littered across the waves, sharing that this sight had a profound impact on him. He connects this visual back to his home country in the small beach town of Tofino, British Columbia. Reminding him of all the marine debris he often sees along the water’s edge when people do not properly care for and respect their environment.
“Whether you’re walking English Bay or in West Vancouver along the ocean or in Tofino along Chesterman’s Beach, you see all kinds of debris that comes up, an enormous amount of waste, this puts pressure on our city and our water systems.”
He wishes people took better care of the environment, especially because when it is not taken care of properly it can lead to neglect, resulting in an even higher amount of debris being discarded. This in turn not only leads to more pressure on our water, the environment, and wildlife, but also on the community.
One of the things that Terry learned from his time in the Marine Corps was that if one fails, we all fail.
“The Marine Corps gave back to me because they taught me it wasn’t about you, it was about the Marine Corps. It was a profound way of teaching you that if you fail, we all fail.”
He applies this outlook to how we can work together to tackle major environmental and societal issues, such as how our waterways are continuously facing the threat of pollution.
He shares his belief that everyone has the responsibility to help and that the best way to get involved is to first learn about what options are available to you.
“I always tell people you have the responsibility to do something, to get involved.”
Then to take the next step by actively participating and engaging with charities, committees, and other organizations through volunteering as there is strength in numbers and working together to make a difference.
One way that you can help to make a difference to your waterways is by becoming a community scientist by volunteering with us, Swim Drink Fish, by the water’s edge in Toronto, Kingston, Edmonton, or Vancouver to help with water sampling.
Not only is this a great excuse to get outside and meet new people, but by collecting water samples, we are then able to test the water quality to better understand the health of our waters and then share these results with the community to help people make informed decisions about getting in the water. All are welcome and we would love to have you join us in the field!
Thank you to Terry Salman for all you do to support Swim Drink Fish and your active involvement in making a difference and positive impact where you can. We look forward to the release of your book and how it will inspire and encourage others to give back and get involved with their community on issues they are passionate about, so that we can all work together to create a better future.