Vancouver poet Pat Lowther, shown here with fellow writer Fred Candelaria, was murdered at her home on East 46th near Fraser Street in 1975.
Eve Lazarus covers the tragedy on her blog Every Place Has A Story, but missing is this unusual sidebar:
That same year, Mrs. Sam (not her real name) was driving up Hwy 99 with family to see Shannon Falls. As they passed Furry Creek near Britannia Beach, they saw their neighbour, Roy Lowther, parked near the water with his trunk open and a carpet slung over his shoulder. Mrs. Sam thought his behaviour was in keeping with his reputation as the eccentric head of the Vancouver Writers’ Guild and they drove on.
It was not until weeks later that the Sams read in the newspaper that Roy had murdered his wife and dumped her body at Furry Creek. Mr. Sam was media shy, so they did not report the sighting to the police.
Their testimony was not needed. Roy was convicted and died in prison.
Pat’s legacy as a mother and poet lives on through her three daughters, one of whom is a writer, and the League of Canadian Poets’ annual Pat Lowther award.
Photo from Kate Bird’s collection of Vancouver Sun images: Vancouver in the Seventies.