With a strong dedication to community and a lasting impact on UBC Athletics, we present former UBC Varsity Men’s Rugby player and distinguished alumnus, Peter Bull (BComm ’77), with this year’s Great Trekker Award.
Peter Bull has been a catalyst for change in UBC Athletics, spearheading major fundraising for facilities like the Gerald McGavin UBC Rugby Centre, establishing crucial student-athlete scholarships, and recently contributing to elevate the Rec North building. His advocacy has secured the retention of varsity sports and full-time coaches, and he championed equitable funding for women’s sports, turning the Women’s Rugby team into a national powerhouse. Peter also serves the Forward UBC Campaign Circle and supports St. Mark’s and Corpus Christi colleges.
His visionary civic leadership includes his work on the new St. Paul’s Hospital and the groundbreaking Road to Recovery Initiative. We are excited to celebrate Peter Bull’s contributions to the community and continued legacy as the Great Trekker 2026.
AMS: First off, congratulations on being named the Great Trekker for 2026.
Peter Bull: Thank you. I was surprised. I had just gotten an award as a builder in recreation and varsity sports when I received an email about the Great Trekker. That’s two in one year. That’s really something.
I looked at the list of past winners, and there’s two prime ministers, chief justices, half a dozen of the presidents of the university. It’s very prestigious. I thought, “Well, I don’t know if I belong to that group but thank you for the recognition.”
AMS: What brought you to UBC? Were you born or raised in Vancouver?
Peter Bull: I was born and raised in Vancouver. I lived 15 minutes from the Point Grey campus. I knew I wanted to go somewhere for commerce, but I also was a keen rugby player and at the time UBC had one of the best rugby teams in Canada. So, I thought why would I go anywhere else? UBC was the only school I applied to and I got in, probably by the skin of my teeth (laughs).
AMS: UBC must have been quite different in the 70s.
Peter Bull: Yes, there were very few people living on campus and it was so quiet. Sure, there were people in residences, but it was a commuter campus. Now when I go there it’s so vibrant and there are so many things going on. It’s a very exciting place to go.
I use this argument now with local students who are being recruited for rugby. Their parents say, “Well, we want our son and our daughter to have this experience of going away.” And I say, well, that’s great, but you can send them to UBC. It’s different from when you or I went to school there. It’s a very exciting place now and they’ll meet all these different people, so they don’t really have to go away to have a great experience. And if they’re a rugby player, UBC is one of the best places to be.
AMS: What was your interest in commerce, of all the degrees you could have picked?
Peter Bull: I was always interested in business, but I also had an interest in buildings and architecture. In my early teens I thought I’d like to be an architect—I like seeing how buildings come together. Then I realized that you had to be good at drawing—which I wasn’t — so architecture was out of the question, but I still had interested in building things.
After speaking with various people in development companies, I discovered that the architects are the creative people, but the guys in charge work closely with them. They are the ones who really dictate and provide a vision, and the architects work to refine that vision. It’s truly a team effort.
AMS: Rugby is definitely a through-line through your time at UBC.
Peter Bull: As I said, rugby is one of the main reasons I came to UBC, but what I discovered after graduating is how important it is to get involved in other things besides books and lectures. Take advantage of everything UBC has to offer.
AMS: So should students try to do more than just study?
Peter Bull: Absolutely. I was a varsity rugby player but whatever the extracurricular activity might be- varsity sports, intermural sports, joining a club – get involved, I think all those things just enrich your experience.
Nowadays hiring managers are looking for people who have a broad range of experiences, because a lot of those experiences reflect on the individual and their ability to work. work in teams, communicate—those sorts of things.
AMS: You were also an AMS councilor?
Peter Bull: I was the Commerce Rep on council for about two years. I had always thought the AMS and politics might be interesting, but it’s a bit of a funny story how I actually became a councilor.
Back when I was a student, you had to walk a distance from the parking lot to class in the rain or snow, and I was always a little bit late. One time I was so late, I had to park beside the SUB (now the Life Building) where there was a surface lot. And so I paid for my parking and was walking past the front row and thought, “I bet those guys at the AMS get free parking.” (editor’s note, the AMS does not get free parking). As I said, I was kind of interested in politics anyways and ended up being the Commerce Rep!
I decided to check out the AMS to get better parking and end up getting myself elected to council (laughs).
AMS: Any highlights during your time as an AMS Councilor?
Peter Bull: You know you’re getting older when one of the facilities that I was involved with was UBC’s first indoor pool, so that was a highlight. Eventually that pool gave away to a new indoor pool, but sometimes you build and it’s a stepping stone to the bigger and better project, which it was.
AMS: How did you become a developer? What was your first job after UBC?
Peter Bull: My first job after UBC was working for a commercial real estate agency. I remember their notice in Henry Angus Building. It said, “The best renumerated sales force in the world.” I thought. “Well, that’s interesting. That’s quite a statement.”
The agency had a wonderful training program. They worked you like crazy, but you’re also in the room listening to how your boss conducts himself and how he makes these transactions come together. So I said, “Hey, one year there is worth five years somewhere else.” You know, short-term pain—very little money in salary—but a long-term gain in learning and experience.
AMS: What led you to your lifelong commitment of giving back?
Peter Bull: I stayed at that agency for 10 years as a salesman, learning how to put transactions together, how to convince people, how bring people together around a common goal, but I still loved building things and working with teams.
With philanthropy, those two pieces really go together. You see the dream, express that dream, and get other people excited to be part of what you’re trying to do.
AMS: Would you say you measure success by the impact and the community that you’re building, the difference you’re making?
Peter Bull: Absolutely. There’s a great book called “Climbing the Second Mountain”. The first mountain is business success, and the second mountain is realizing, okay, now I really want to give back. For me, that’s very important. I get a lot of joy out of seeing things change for the better and knowing that I’ve been a part of that change.
AMS: Any advice for students at UBC today?
Peter Bull: I would say that you always want to be very diligent, work hard, and make sure you love it because that makes it easier to do. And most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You’d be surprised how many people are ready to help you. No one is expecting you to know it all right from the start.
AMS: Thanks so much for your time, Peter. Any last words before we wrap up?
Peter Bull: Go ‘Birds Go!
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