Robert John (Bob) Campbell and Mary Patricia (Pat) Roach, along with their children Robert Patrick (Rick) and Judith Lynne (Judi), arrived in Grande Prairie in 1948. At that time the community was about 3,000 people, and the Campbell Family were one of the families to pioneer the city.
The family moved to Grande Prairie from Dease Lake, BC and before that their hometown of Winnipeg. As an employee of the Hudson’s Bay Company since he was just 18, Bob had been tapped to open the first HBC retail store in our city. Although work brought the Campbell family to Grande Prairie, the community is why they stayed.
Campbell Flowers was their family business for 20 years. The family of four lived above the shop, and everyone pitched in with Judi practicing floral design and Rick making deliveries when he was old enough.
Local business continued to be part of the Campbell family legacy; after receiving his Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy from the University of Alberta, Rick returned to Grande Prairie and opened two local drug stores, Campbell Drugs and Village Pharmacy. He ran the stores for nearly 30 years with the support of his wife Joan and their children Rob, Sheilagh, and Bruce.
Their daughter Judi’s family, her husband Guy and three children Kristi Kim, Jennifer, and Ross, also called Grande Prairie home.
Camp Tamarack RV Park was the most recent business addition to the Campbell family legacy in the area. The park, located just south of the city, takes advantage of our region’s beautiful trails and green space. Rick ran the day-to-day operations until the fall of 2013 when he decided it was time to retire “for real this time.” The Campbell family has always been dedicated to service above self; between the families, they were active members of Rotary, Kin Canada and their churches.
Although many family members have relocated over the years, Grande Prairie is still considered home to the Campbell family. Their legacy was built through their time spent in our community, establishing successful businesses and developing the city of Grande Prairie; however, the Campbell family’s dedication to giving back, service above self and creating a vibrant community, is what defines their legacy.
Today, if you visit Christ Church Anglican, you’ll see a stained glass window of a man and a dog sled, commemorating Bob’s years as a fur trader, the beginning of a journey that continues to have an impact in our community.
By establishing the Campbell Family Foundation, a donor advised Endowment Fund held at the Community Foundation of Northwestern Alberta, the Campbell family will remain involved in building smart & caring communities for many years to come.
You can make a difference in our community – not only for today but forever. When you make a donation to the Campbell Family Foundation, we invest that gift into a permanent endowment fund and the original gift is never spent. Earnings from your gift are distributed to grants to support programs in our community.
Donations can be made online here – https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/37614 or by calling the Community Foundation at (780) 538-2820.
