Bert was loved and cherished by many people, especially his family: his wife Marcelle (nee Avoine), children Lisa, Stacy (Reg) and Cindy (Simon) and grandchildren Chloe (Nathan), Gabrielle, Kate, Aida and Zane. Bert also treasured his chosen family – Nancy, Gordon, Rory and Poppy Abernathy – and a large extended family in Quebec.

On October 11, 1940 Bert joined a large family in St. Adalbert, Quebec as the 11th of 14 children to Germaine (nee Duval) and Honore Leblanc. He loved farm life, making mischief, and maple syrup. His commitment to community service started as an altar boy in this small village. Being an altar boy also helped establish his love of wine.

Always up for an adventure, young Bert moved west to Saskatchewan to work as a farm hand for the Pelletier family, and then further west to work in Northern BC (Terrace and Smithers) before arriving in the Kootenays. When Bert got to the mountains he knew he’d found home. Marcelle and Bert were married in St. Pamphille, Quebec on July 10, 1965, and started their family in Salmo BC making their home in the house that Bert built on Cottonwood Avenue. After the closure of the Reeves-McDonald mine the family moved to Kimberley, where Bert worked as a timberman and then as a shift boss in the Sullivan Mine. As the Sullivan wound down, Bert sought more secure employment in northern BC, working for many years at a variety of mines, including Erickson Gold, Skyline and SNIP. Following a serious, life altering, mining accident Bert spent years having the pieces put back together, and re-trained as a welder and blacksmith. He started his own business as a metal fabricator and spent many years enjoying the vibrant community of blacksmiths in the Kootenays, the Columbia Valley and southern Alberta. Bert was an exceptional craftsman and his creativity and skill is found in several cabins that he built, and many many beautiful woodwork, metal work and forged worked.

Play was essential to Bert, and he found joy in many activities. Some of these activities bordered on the extreme, and he definitely tempted fate more than once. Downhill skiing, heli- skiing, canoeing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, hiking, hunting, trapping, whitewater rafting, and riding horses were all experienced with joy and enthusiasm. As much as he loved being active, he also enjoyed a quiet evening in, playing cards, listening to music, attending concerts and theatre, watching a sentimental movie or a Quebecois variety show, and especially playing with children. He spent many joyful hours with his grandchildren and other kids, and always enjoyed an opportunity for goofiness, teaching, learning, story telling, exploration and play.

Bert and Marcelle enjoyed many summers at Woodbury Resort on Kootenay Lake, countless hours by the fountain in their beautiful back yard, and many memorable trips into the St Mary’s backcountry, with the Roberts family cabin at Parker Creek holding an extra special place in his heart.

He was committed to community service and volunteering. His generosity extended to family, friends and strangers (who quickly became friends). He was a volunteer ambulance driver and firefighter in Salmo, and he was active in mine rescue and first aid. Bert loved being a Boy Scout leader and enriched the lives of dozens of Kimberley youth, leading them on camping trips, backcountry adventures, and campfire stories. A highlight of his scouting experience was leading a group of boys at the World Jamboree in Alberta in 1983. Bert was a gifted story teller and shared many tales of his own adventures, and those of some fantastic characters that came alive around the campfire. Long live the three legged wolverine! In his retirement, Bert and Marcelle volunteered with Meals on Wheels and the Kimberley Food Bank.

We will forever be grateful to our Dad and Papa for showing us the true meaning of awesome. He is with us in every sunrise and sunset on the mountain peaks. You are my sunshine. Il y’a long temp que je t’aime jamais je ne t’oublierai.

Bert’s Celebration of Life will be held later this spring, after the weather clears enough to be comfortable outdoors. Please send an email to [email protected] if you’d like to be notified of the date and location. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society.

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