Passed On: Anthony Barry — St. Bride’s, N.L. fish harvester
Barry, 68, passed away in St. John’s, N.L. on July 12, 2024. He was born on February 22, 1956. Barry was a man of the sea, whose passion and drive for fishing were unmatched. He spent numerous hours navigating the waters with various crews over the years. His expertise and knowledge of the industry was unparalleled, earning him the respect and admiration of fellow fishermen. Fishing was a family affair that started with his father and continued on with a few brothers for many years. He was often referred to as the Highliner, Captain Barry.
Passed On: James Gillespie — Saint John, N.B. bait salesman and conservationist
Gillespie, 92, passed away in Saint John on January 23, 2024. He was born on July 20, 1931. Gillespie was actively involved in salmon
conservation, serving on boards like the Atlantic Salmon Federation and the Hammond River Angling Association. He also served as a Canadian Commissioner to the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization. Gillespie successfully owned and operated a worm business called Jim’s Live Bait for many years following retirement.
Passed On: Brian LeBlanc — Saint John, N.B. shipbuilder and mariner
LeBlanc, 76, passed away in Saint John on July 19, 2024. He was born in Moncton, N.B. on December 24, 1947. In 1972, LeBlanc, with his father as captain and his uncle, retrieved the Wendy-N-Brothers, a converted 55-foot fishing vessel and a mini submarine from the Azores, Portugal and returned it on a voyage across the Atlantic to Saint John. LeBlanc spoke of it as one of the greatest times of his life. Until the closing of the Saint John Shipyard, he was employed as a Burner. He was very involved in the union and was a proud Brother, Local Shop Steward and union negotiator for Local 3 Marine Workers. While at the Dry Dock, LeBlanc, along with 11 other able-bodied ship builders, rowed a 20-foot lifeboat from Digby, Nova Scotia, to Saint John. The purpose of the trip was to raise funds for a trip to the North American Highland Games and to attempt to break the non-stop rowing record of 15 hours.
Passed On: Thierry Chopin — Fredericton, N.B. academic
Chopin passed away on July 18, 2024. He was born in France. Chopin was a Professor of Marine Biology at the University of New Brunswick for 35 years, where he was globally known for his research regarding Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), which involves the vertical farming of multiple species in one system. From 2009 to 2017, he was the scientific director of the Canadian Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture Network and served as the past president of the Aquaculture Association of Canada and the International Seaweed Association. He was also an honorary Consul of France and a Knight in the Ordre National du Mérite, and Officer in the Ordre des Palmes Académiques and Knight in the Ordre du Mérite Maritime.
Passed On: Lawrence MacEachern — Creignish, N.S. welder and fish harvester
MacEachern, 88, passed away on July 14, 2024. He was born on July 16, 1935. MacEachern grew up in a fishing and farming family, leaving home at 16 to learn the welding trade in Halifax. He proceeded to work on some of Canada’s major infrastructure projects of the ’50s: the Canso Causeway and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. He inherited his father’s lobster license and fished until the age of 80.
Passed On: Ralph Timmons — Inverness, N.S. fish harvester
Timmons, 69, passed away on July 8, 2024. He was born in Inverness on August 24, 1954. After moving back to Cape Breton from Toronto, Timmons started as a helper on a few fishing boats throughout the ’80s before purchasing his own fishing boat, the Flying Swan, in the early ’90s. That was eventually replaced with the Peter Pan, the Cory and Kiel and finally was able to have his dream boat built, L’Écossois.
Passed On: George Pike — LaHave, N.S. mariner and fish harvester
Pike, 82, passed away on June 28, 2024. He was born in Newfoundland in 1942. Pike served a captain aboard the Cape Mira in Lunenburg, N.S. and Mersey Enterprise in Liverpool, N.S. He also worked as a Historical Interpreter at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic for many years. He was a good friend to all and loved the sea with his whole being. He spent forty plus years scallop and deep-sea fishing.
Passed On: Percy Hunt — St. John’s, N.L. mariner
Hunt, 81, passed away on July 24, 2024. He was born on January 18, 1943. Hunt spent his early years working on schooners around Newfoundland, where he enjoyed working on the engines and loved to see different parts of the island. He would load his motorcycle on the deck and then unload it in ports and ride around.
Passed On: Eugene Williams — Southern Harbour, N.L. fish plant worker
Williams, 74, passed away in Clarenville, N.L. on July 26, 2024. He was born on December 6, 1949. Williams worked with Avalon Ocean Products since around 1970 until March 2024.
Passed On: Denton Buck — Saint John, N.B. shipbuilder
Buck, 89, passed away in Saint John on July 22, 2024. He was born in Saint John on July 3, 1935. Buck began his career with Saint John Shipbuilding in 1950 in the mail room. He completed his high school diploma and machinist four-year apprenticeship by 1956. He later went on to positions that include Journeyman Machinist, Foreman and Machine Shop Superintendent, before retiring in 1995.
Appointed: John Mate — Vice President, Legal and Strategy, Quinlan Brothers Ltd.
Mate has been appointed the Vice President of Legal and Strategy at fish processor Quinlan Brothers Ltd. Having started his career in Toronto, Mate’s legal field experience includes several large and small businesses and several chartered banks. He also brings experience working with the fishing industry, working with fish harvesters, shipbuilders, processors and seafood marketing companies in the U.S. and Europe, as well as the federal government. After returning home to N.L., he became a partner at the province’s largest firm, where he led the Marine and Fisheries Group. After 12 years, Mate started his own firm, focusing primarily on commercial, marine, fisheries, and complex litigation since 2011.
