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FRIDAY, February 16, 2018
www.kamloopsthisweek.com
LOCAL NEWS John Bjornstrom as photographed by KTW reporter Dale Steeves in September 2001. The so-called Bushman of the Shuswap was photographed near his main camp close to Shuswap Lake when he spoke to KTW in an exclusive interview that preceded his arrest. Bjornstrom died in Williams Lake on Jan. 13 at the age of 58. KTW FILE PHOTO
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Farewell, Bushman of the Shuswap TRACY HUGHES BLACK PRESS newsroom@saobserver.net
John Bjornstrom, who became infamous roughly 20 years ago as the Bushman of the Shuswap, has died. An obituary published in the Williams Lake Tribune states Bjornstrom died suddenly Jan. 13 at the age of 58. Bjornstrom made the news two decades ago when he escaped from a jail in Kamloops and evaded police capture for nearly two years while living in wilderness areas of the Shuswap. He developed a series of camps and stole supplies from the many cabins in the areas between the North Shuswap, Salmon Arm and Sicamous. His brazen attempts to contact the media and share his story while still being hunted by police gained him national media exposure, but the continual thefts, bizarre letters he left at cabins and attempts to extort goods from property owners sparked anger among area residents. He also frustrated police in an number of attempts to recapture him. Bjornstrom took photos of some of his
lairs, including an underground cave he equipped with a generator to allow for the use of a computer, and a treehouse from which he could get a view of the area and avoid detection. While a fugitive, Bjornstrom didn’t shy away from the spotlight. In September 2001, he allowed KTW reporter Dale Steeves to meet him one night in a remote area on the shore of Shuswap Lake for an interview. Bjornstrom made a series of claims about why he had escaped from jail, saying his life was threatened because of his knowledge of information regarding the fraudulent Bre-X gold mining operations. He also claimed to want to expose a child pornography ring involving citizens at the highest level of politics, medicine and the judiciary. Bjornstrom also claimed to have psychic abilities and said he could see auras around individuals that would give him information about their character. But his love of the media attention proved to be the undoing of his wilderness life. Less than a month after being interviewed, Bjornstrom was caught by RCMP
Out of the bush and into the pages of KTW He appears in an instant. Suddenly. Quietly. Out of nowhere. He’s hiked 16 hours to this meeting place, deep in the mountains overlooking Shuswap Lake. It’s the first time he’s met someone in person since he escaped from Rayleigh Correctional Centre in September 1998. “I’m the one they call Bushman,” he says stretching out his hand and smiling politely. “John Lambert Bjornstrom.” So begins the front-page story in the Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2001, edition of Kamloops This Week. Reporter Dale Steeves had travelled to a remote area of the Shuswap to interview the man who was, at the time, the
most wanted person in Canada. The Bushman of the Shuswap had dominated headlines during the summer of 2001 and snaring an interview with the man the police could not find was a coup. But the timing of the interview and subsequent publication was unfortunate. As Steeves ruefully noted later, his 2,000-word story landed on doorsteps on Sept. 12, 2001, the day after the most devastating terrorist attack on North American soil. To read the original story, go online to www.kamloopsthisweek.com/bushman1/.
officers who posed as a documentary film crew wanting to do a story about him. He was arrested and eventually served an additional sentence of 23 months of house arrest. Bjornstrom did eventually step away from the spotlight. He returned to Williams Lake and a career as a truck driver. He also drove a limousine. In 2014, Bjornstrom made an unsuccessful bid to become the mayor of Williams Lake. His obituary states he was well loved by many in that community. “John brought a smile with him everywhere he went and always had a joke to share. John was selfless when it came to his many friends at the Salvation Army Drop In Center, often running a coffee tab for everyone who visited for the day. John was a friend of The Salvation Army, and loved to dress up as Santa Claus for the community Christmas dinners.” A celebration of life is planned for Bjornstrom at the Salvation Army Church in Williams Lake on Sunday, Feb. 18.
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