01/31/2026
HONOURINH THE LIFE OF STILL EAGLE FOUNDER AND VISIONARY NICK SMIRNOW
It Is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Nikolaus “Nick” Alexander Smirnow, local Kootenay legend and founder of the iconic one-stop eco shop, and BC’s first h**p store, Still Eagle Planetary Persuasions, in Nelson. He peacefully passed away on December 18th, 2025 with his daughter by his side, at the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital, following complications associated with a recent diabetes diagnosis.
Nick was born in Gunzburg, Germany to parents Bertha and Mike Smirnow and emigrated to Winnipeg, Canada in 1960 by boat. He studied journalism and computer science at the University of Winnipeg and first made his way to the Kootenays in a converted school bus in 1979, when he made his first contribution to the local community by supporting to build the second floor of The Vallican Whole. When asked why he loved the region he would say, “for the water and the trees, why else?”
Nick was a man devoted to The Earth and to the Service of humanity and was a trailblazer and visionary in many ways. Before permanently relocating to the Kootenays, he spent time in Edmonton where he founded the Third World Film Festival/Global Visions film festival. It was there that he became the Director of The Learner Centre and Tools for Peace and volunteered for environmentalist Tooker Gomberg’s City Councillor and Mayoral campaigns. During the late 80s and early 90s Nick participated in several local protests against logging in the region and was a consistent advocate for our forests and watersheds.
He relocated to Nelson in 1991 and worked briefly at The Nelson Express before starting Still Eagle, A Shop With a Conscience rooted in the intention to support local artisans, fairtrade brands, the budding h**p clothing industry and the advancement of human consciousness. Thirty-five years later, the store is still a pillar in the Kootenay community and will remain in operation in honour of his life’s work and legacy.
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