Dr. Charles Backman Epitomizing the value of lifelong learning

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It’s been said that one of the most important principles of success is developing a habit of going the extra mile. For Dr. Charles Backman, esteemed NWP Instructor Emeritus, going the extra mile seems to be second nature. And, just as the saying claims, this admirable characteristic contributed to Dr. Backman’s impressive track record of noteworthy educational, career, and philanthropic accomplishments.

Dr. Charles Backman epitomizes what it means to be a lifelong learner. It began with him earning his Bachelor of Science in Forestry (1976) and a Master of Business Administration (1986) from the University of British Columbia. He followed those up with a Master of Arts in International Studies (1990) and then a PhD (1993) in Economics and Forest Management from the University of Washington.

Upon becoming an instructor in the Business Administration program at Northwestern Polytechnic, Charles saw the opportunity to expand his knowledge even further and began a PhD in Strategy and Global Management at the University of Calgary. Having retired in August 2020, you might think he’d finally be done but he is currently working towards a DL Master of Science in Quantitative Finance from the University of London in the UK. Now that’s the extra mile!

When asked what inspired his love of learning, Charles remembers an impressionable experience from his youth. When he was old enough to go into a beer tavern, his dad first took him to one of the seedier establishments in Vancouver –complete with cigarette burns, carpet stains, and the smell of having too many beers at one time. His dad followed this eyeopening experience with a visit to the Panorama restaurant on the rooftop of Hotel Vancouver. A very nice place, especially back then. “Once I’d experienced both, he asked me where I wanted to end up,” says

Charles. “There was never a question of not going to university.”

The trajectory of Charles’ career and his many professional accomplishments ran concurrent with his educational pursuits, and it all began with forestry. Influenced by his father and his grandfather, the latter of whom emigrated from Sweden and worked in the coastal forest industry in the early 1900s, Charles was always interested in the intersection of forestry, trade, and sustainable development. In 1998, Charles accepted a position in the forestry program at Grande Prairie Regional College.

“As part of the Forestry Group at GPRC, I became the Training Forest Forester, in addition to my other academic responsibilities,” he explains. “I developed the process through which faculty, government bodies, and local agencies manage NWP’s Training Forest, while improving the educational experience for the student body and other stakeholders. The result was an excellent educational training ground that supports sustainable forest management at all levels.” He is proud to have played an integral role in the training forest becoming a “self-supporting, multi-stakeholder effort that is preparing the next generation of forester in Alberta.”

In 2005, Charles began putting his knowledge of international trade and resource development to work as an instructor within GPRC’s Business Administration program. Never one to sit on his laurels, he continued to find new avenues to push for progress through a multistakeholder approach. As the faculty elected member of the GPRC Board of Directors, he initiated a project to raise the profile of Applied Degrees in Alberta. The project culminated with a presentation at the annual meeting of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (now CI Can), after which Charles was elected as the ACCC Faculty Representative for Alberta.

If all of that wasn’t enough to keep him busy, Charles was also involved with GPRC’s Academic Staff Association, in such roles as the Treasurer and Member at Large. Outside of the institution, he served as Chair of the GP Speaker Series, academic member of International Papers EAC, and Treasurer of the Inverness Condominium Board.

Luckily for NWP and our students, Charles’ extra mile extends to philanthropy. He and his family have a long history of partnership with the institution, and they have supported many different events and initiatives. The Backman Family Fund awards $500 annually to a secondyear university transfer student and Charles recently made the greatly appreciated pledge of an additional $75K in bursaries for NWP students.

“The polytechnic is part of the social fabric of this region and community,” explains Charles. “Just as the institution needs to work with partners to realize its potential, I believe the students can also work together to make the region a better place. It’s important that we continually encourage each other to become better than we are today, and that together we help pave the way for future generations.”

Charles Backman’s legacy within NWP is one of generosity and persistence. On many different levels, our institution has benefited, and will continue to benefit, from his commitment to knowledge, learning and partnership. We wish him all the best on his continued educational endeavours, and we can’t wait to hear about what he plans to tackle next!