WILLIAM (BILL) SALLOWS
On Friday, August 24, 2012 Bill passed away peacefully, after a courageous battle with cancer at the St. Boniface Hospital, at the age of 74 years. Left to cherish Bill's memory are his loving wife of 35 years, Marge; daughter Tricia (Shaun) Rempel and their daughter Elora; sister-in-law Val Sallows of Niverville, MB; sisters Molly (Bob) McKay of Flin Flon, MB, Nola (Don) Hartgerink of Hixon, BC, Chloe (Bruce) Jorgenson of Gilbert Plains, MB, and Wanda (Stan) Herman of Kamloops, BC; Shaun's parents Imy and Larry Rempel of Altona, MB, and their family; as well as Bill's many nieces, nephews, relatives and numerous friends across Canada and the U.S. He was predeceased by his brother Terry Sallows; infant nephew Darcy; mother-in-law Mary, and his parents Ralph and Thora Sallows. While working at the Mid-Canada Radar Line in Cranberry Portage, Bill met his partner, the late Herman Kutzner. In 1959, they took a Professional Scuba Diving course in Winnipeg and in 1961, they started the Northern Divers Company in Grand Rapids. They worked with R.C.M.P. recovery, pulled vehicles from the ice on the Saskatchewan River, and cut the pilings on the Saskatchewan River bridge after it was built. They worked on the Dyke system for Mannix, retrieved equipment during construction of the transmission lines and did exploration work. From 1963 to 1964 both Herman and Bill worked on the construction of the Grand Rapids Generating Station as Journeymen for the Grand Rapids Constructors. Bill also trained as a Private Pilot and received his license in 1964. In 1964, both Bill and Herman joined Manitoba Hydro as Electrical Maintenance Technicians. However, since they still operated their Northern Divers Company after hours, Bill went to Chicago to become a Mercury Outboard Factory-Trained Service Mechanic in 1967 and repaired many outboard motors for the local Commercial Fishermen. On February 2, 1966, Bill was appointed as Justice of the Peace for the Province of Manitoba, and then as a Limited Jurisdiction Magistrate in 1971. In 1968, he received his Electrical Technician's Certificate, including four years training at Manitoba Hydro Electrical Trade School in Winnipeg. Over the years, through various management development courses, seminars, workshops and self-initiated business correspondence courses, Bill kept upgrading himself until he assumed his final role as Plant Manager at the Grand Rapids Generating Station January 1, 1977 until his retirement March 31, 1997. Over the years, Bill was involved in almost everything in his community including: Hunter and Fire Arm Safety Instructor, Snowmobile Safety Instructor, recovery of historic tramway wheels from the Saskatchewan River bed, Charter Member of the Saskatchewan River Rod and Gun Club, Recreation Club, Chamber of Commerce, Health and Social Development Committee, Professional Guide with Manitoba Natural Resources and devoted his time to preparing a dog sled race track for the Grand Rapids Annual Winter Festival. Bill was also an amateur explorer and an accomplished canoeist on several of Manitoba's northern rivers. On August 2, 1973, Bill and his partner Jim LeRoye, together with Real Berard (Tourism, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, Parks Branch) and Real's nephew Maurice, retraced the Middle Track Fur Trade Route across Northern Manitoba, beginning at Jenpeg on Cross Lake, down the Bigstone, Fox and Hayes Rivers to York Factory on the Hudson Bay. This was one of the longest and hardest in a series of canoe trips (more than 500 miles total) and took one month to complete. The resulting data collected on this trip was documented and illustrated by Real Berard producing a map The Middle Track and Hayes River Route used by present day canoeists. On August 21, 1970 Bill canoed with his partner Jim LeRoye, together with Bud Monkman and the late Bill McKinnon from Bear Lake, Bigstone, Fox and Kettle Rivers to Gillam. In 1977, the invincible Group of Six made an eventful trip on the Carrot River. Bill's partner was Ed Schreyer, who was then Premier of Manitoba; the late Herman Kutzner and Jim LeRoye; and the late Jack Maloney and the late John MacDonald. Other canoe trips included the Minago River, Fairy Rock Lake, Stevenson Lake to Island Lake, and Wekusko to Wabowden on the Grassy. Other expeditions over the years were group boating and snowmobiling in which Bill always took responsibility to ensure that everyone got to the destination safely. Bill met Marge in 1964. She was typically a secretary for the same organizations or shared the same interests and outdoor spirit, such as fish derbies, and snowmobile and boat trips with mutual friends. Bill and Marge were married in 1977 and built a cabin at North Cross Bay by themselves from scratch, with only the use of hand tools as Bill insisted on no power tools . In 2000, when Bill and Marge retired to Winnipeg, they began taking dance lessons because they both loved the same music and loved to dance. Mutual interests included lessons in wood carving at Lee Valley, oil painting, photography, video editing, and other Creative Retirement interests. They also made several trips with CAA, through Europe, Greek Isles, Egypt, around Cape Horn South America, Caribbean, Panama Canal, Mexico, Costa Rica, British Columbia and across a few states. But their final, the most adventurous and most enjoyed trip was up the Amazon and into the depths of the jungle in the heart of South America in 2011. A Celebration of Bill's Life will be held on Friday, September 28, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel of Memories in Wojcik's Funeral Chapel, 1020 Main Street at Manitoba Avenue (four blocks South of the Redwood Bridge). Bill's family wishes to thank all of the wonderful people who looked after him during his illness at: Grace Emergency, CancerCare, Health Sciences Centre and St. Boniface Hospital. Also a very special Thank You to Dr. Watrowski, Dr. P. Harris, Dr. H. Unrault, Assiniboine Rexall Pharmacy, and Dr. S. Grass. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Creative Retirement Manitoba, 270 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB R3C 2B9 or online at www.crm.mb.ca. or CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9 (204-787-4143) (toll free 1-877-407-2223). BELIEVE Believe in yourself - in the power you have to control your own life day by day, Believe in the strength that you have deep inside and your faith will help show you the way, Believe in tomorrow and what it will bring - let a hopeful heart carry you through, For things will work out if you trust and believe - there's no limit to what you can do! Wojcik's Funeral Chapel in care of arrangements.
Wojcik’s
FUNERAL CHAPEL & CREMATORIUM
2157 PORTAGE AVENUE
204 – 897 - 4665
www.wojciksfuneralchapel.com
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