The Legacy and Generosity of Anthony Gerard Peetz

We are constantly amazed at how deeply rooted the PEETZ family is in the history of Victoria and other regions of Vancouver Island. Recently we learned a little more about the innovation and entrepreneurship that was pursued with great ambition by the youngest member of the Peetz family…

The youngest of Boris Peetz children, Anthony Gerard “Bud” Peetz lived a life and left a legacy that honoured his affection for the great outdoors and his passion for innovation.

Admittedly, any child of Boris Peetz would have been hard pressed to get away from the astounding array of fishing artifacts hand crafted by their master jeweler / North West fishing tackle pioneer father. But Bud didn’t just join his father’s business and stay there; he successful nurtured his own ventures and curiosities, and found unique ways to bring attention to the natural beauty of Vancouver Island.

As was typical during the day, Bud’s older siblings Judy and Ivan worked at PEETZ Manufacturing, and Bud joined his father’s legendary business after receiving an engineering degree from University of British Columbia following service with the Canadian Scottish Regiment in England and Holland.¹

Bud also worked for a while at McQuade’s Ship Chandlery² in one of Victoria’s heritage buildings at the bottom of Yates Street. Now home to Chandlers Seafood Restaurant, this location was once the site of the city’s earliest marine suppliers and occupied a place of importance within the bustling inner harbour and the commerce of early Victoria.

An enthusiastic skier and sailor, Bud combined his love for nature and outdoor activities with his family’s storied success of entrepreneurship and innovation. He opened Victoria’s very first ski equipment shop that was housed within PEETZ Tackle. This venture tied in nicely with his ski hill development activities on Mt. Brenton in the Cowichan Valley, and on Green Mountain in the Nanaimo Lakes area, now abandoned, but still a terrific place to hike and see Vancouver Island’s protected marmots and local elk population. Bud also organized the annual Victoria Harbour Race that celebrated racing of sailboats designed and created for under $100. He was also the founder of Victoria College Craigdarroch Castle Alumni Association.

When he passed in 2011 at the age of 86, Bud’s obituary requested that donations be made to the Land Conservancy of British Columbia and his estate created a planned gift of the Anthony Gerard “Bud” Peetz Scholarship which automatically awards one or more scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students at the University of Victoria.

A fitting send off and perpetual reminder of all that he cherished…

Footnotes