Considered a folk hero by some and a convicted troublemaker by others, Wiebo Ludwig has come to symbolize the rampant, resource-based development of northern Alberta and British Columbia like no other person in the region.
Indeed, while the area has grown rich off the fortunes of fossil fuel, many longtime residents have watched as toxic gas wells and intrusive pipelines have pockmarked the region's rugged, natural beauty.
In fact, Ludwig exists as a near-mythical figure for those opposed to the resource-based development of the region: for them, he's the man who fearlessly took on Big Oil in the late 1990s and spent time in jail for his activism.
"In a lot of places in rural Alberta, he is highly regarded and highly revered," Calgary-based author and journalist Andrew Nikiforuk told CTV.ca in a telephone interview Saturday.
But to those who make their living from oil and gas in the area, Ludwig's conviction a decade ago for vandalizing and bombing resource facilities crystallized his image as a persona non grata worthy of derision and hatred.
Those feelings were resurrected on Friday when Ludwig, 68, was arrested in connection with a series of recent attacks on installations owned by Calgary-based energy firm EnCana.
Nikiforuk, who published Saboteurs: Wiebo Ludwig's War Against Big Oil in 2002, said that Ludwig's activism was motivated by personal tragedy and justified by divine providence.
Ludwig was spurred into action in the last decade after a grandson was stillborn - something he blamed on the gas wells near his property.
"He's essentially a man without fear," said Nikiforuk.
While Ludwig's name has been back in the headlines over the past few days, his story began much earlier.
A look back at some key moments in the story:
1985: The Dutch-born Ludwig relocates to northern Alberta and buys land near Grande Prairie. Born in 1941, Ludwig's family came to North America after the Second World War.
For the next decade, Ludwig and his family -- including 11 children and 23 grandchildren -- live on the 185-hectare Trickle Creek compound. Power is generate from windmills and the family produces much of their own food.
Early 1990s: Gas resource exploration grows in the region. Ludwig has said that his farm animals began to die and his family members became ill from the toxic sour gas emissions. "The family was evacuated from their land a number of times," says Nikiforuk.
1996 to 1998: A growing number of sour gas well sites in the region are attacked. Some of the methods include explosives and nails placed on well servicing roads.
"After five years of civilly trying to deal with authorities ... the family finally went on the warpath," said Nikiforuk.
June 20, 1999: A gunshot rings out on Ludwig's land after a group of teens in trucks pull doughnuts on the property. When the dust settles, 16-year-old Karman Willis is dead. Her killer is never brought to justice.
April 2000: Ludwig is convicted on five counts of terrorism and vandalism.
November 2001: Ludwig is released from prison.
August 2002: An Edmonton Fringe play about Ludwig's trials debuts. Titled "An Eye for an Eye," Ludwig attends a performance.
Summer 2007: Ludwig confronts workers at a sour gas well near his land. Though he is initially charged with aggravated assault, the charge does is later stayed.
October 2008: A series of bomb attacks on gas facilities owned by EnCana begin. The first attack damages a pipeline near the border of B.C. and Alberta. EnCana, Canada's largest biggest natural gas manufacturer later offers a $1 million reward in the case.
July 2009: The company says it has been hit by a sixth attack, which results in a leaking pipeline in northeast British Columbia.
September 2009: Ludwig writes an open letter addressed to whoever is behind the EnCana attacks. The letter urges the bomber to stop, but it also expresses admiration.
January 9, 2010: Ludwig is released from custody without charge after being arrested a day earlier in connection with the EnCana attacks.
With files from The Canadian Press
