Student remembered as green activist, teacher

Friends and family of a young woman killed in a traffic accident last week say the province has lost a devoted environmentalist and teacher.

Leslie Bruce, 26, died after being hit by a tow truck last Thursday evening. She was crossing a highway behind the University of New Brunswick's Aitken Centre. The four-lane route, whichruns between the university campus and a residential neighbourhood, is a dangerous stretch of road often used as a short-cut by students walking to class.

Bruce was one of 30 people who crossed Canada on bicycles in 2001 as part of the Climate Change Caravan. Hillary Lindsaywas also part of the caravan, and says Bruce's activism was inspired by her love of people and the environment.

"She was just magnetic that way. And really made people see why this stuff was important. I think that will live on in a lot of people, and she'll be remembered for a very long time," she said.

Bruce grew up in Saint John, attendedSt. Malachy's High School and graduated from Mount Allison University in Sackvillewith a major in biology and a minor in women's studies. She was due to graduate from UNB this spring with an education degree.

When she was a student at Mount Allison, Bruce worked to protect a piece of old-growth forest and campaigned to establish protected areas in New Brunswick.

Mary Ann Coleman knew Bruce through her work with the New Brunswick Environmental Network. Coleman says even though Bruce had travelled the world, she was strongly rooted in her home province. "Leslie was someone who cared a lot about New Brunswick and she cared about both the environment and the communities and the people of the province and she was really committed to working for both of those."

A funeral will be held for Bruce on Tuesday at noon in Saint John.