David Edmund Baker , P.Eng

Dave was born on June 20, 1945, in Vancouver, BC. He spent his elementary school years in Nanaimo, BC and then moved to Duncan, BC for his high school years. He graduated from Cowichan High in 1963, and completed his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia in 1969. He had a successful engineering career, working in different pulp and paper mills around the world and finally, in 1989, moving to Sandwell Engineering Inc, as the Vice President of Business Development.

Although he spent much of his life on the water as a sailor and a fisherman, his first love was his music. He was an accomplished Canadian folk singer-songwriter. In 1960, while still in high school, Dave formed a rock'n’roll band and for three years his band played at high schools and community halls all up and down Vancouver Island. In 1969, Dave moved to Montreal – it was there he joined the Montreal Workshop and began singing and writing his songs. His musical muses were the culture, history and landscape of Vancouver Island and the West Coast of Canada, in particular trains – Dave was a railroad and locomotive enthusiast.

He released three vinyl LPs - Kettle Valley Line (1973), Endless Highway (1977) and Railway Memories (1981), and three CDs – This Land is What I Am (1995), Songs & Sounds of Canadian Steam (1998) and A Portrait of the West Coast in Song (2006). His biggest hits, Kettle Valley Railway, Royal Hudson, Land of Maquinna, World of Small and Old Lady Rose, have been sung by over 200 choirs across Canada, the United States, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan. The Chor Leoni Men’s Choir, the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir and the Orpheus Male Choir have performed and recorded several of his songs. Two of Dave’s songs were included on Chor Leoni’s Canadian Safari 2 album (https://chorleoni.org/product/canadian-safari-2/). His song, This Land Is What I Am, was sung by a children's choir during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics in the Richmond O-Zone (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W10zQB4eEs4).

His engineering and music career was cut short by a serious stroke in 1998 at 52 years old, at which point he lost mobility and his singing voice. After recovering, he focused his later years on promoting the songs he wrote earlier in his career.

If you wish to listen to any of his music, Dave’s songs can be found in the Canadian Museum of Music (https://citizenfreak.com/artists/91044-baker-dave). Also, plenty of recordings are on YouTube. One of his joys was watching the view counter tick up, since he knew his music was reaching more people every day.

He was pre-deceased by his father, Donald Hamilton Baker (1912-1989) and his mother, Amy Kathleen Baker (1912-2004). He is survived by his sister, Wendy McLean, his daughters, Cynthia Muller and Katherine Baker, and his son, Kenneth Baker.

A Celebration of Life will be held on March 18, 2023 in the Vancouver area. For further details on the service, please send an email to [email protected].

Please send any memorial donations to Chor Leoni (https://chorleoni.org/support/donate-now/).

Songs on YouTube

· World of Small: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjqSD4QnWpA

· Land of Maquinna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F3djwcrg1c

· This Land is What I Am: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4n0N9XhBbE

· Royal Hudson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd_qECYR9uE

· Royal Hudson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89XI7QbMXSY

· Old Lady Rose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umlLmFHZvlE

· West Coast Loggers Saga: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNBvW8k8GJo

· Vancouver Island: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7IKVoTeoDs

· Kettle Valley Railway - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V230NShpGnA

· Canadian Hobo Lullaby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muUrJDeFa4o&list=PLuphGiYwV7ZM-8YkVbCo4rAPou2Bhhzve&index=2

· Island Bound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEAQCmnq0ek

· Winter Harbour Lullaby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNx47jULSco