At the end of last season, 24 guests from Toronto joined us including Pete, a lifelong friend of both mine and Megan, who had recently been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. By the time Pete arrived at the lodge, he no longer had the use of the left side of his body and skiing was not in the cards. Through a confluence of events nothing short of a miracle and on impossibly short notice, we managed to get a sit ski and a driver so Pete could ski one last time with his buddies. What followed was one of the most emotional moments ever experienced on Meadow Mountain. Six weeks later, Pete was dead.
To commemorate Pete’s bucket list event, on our last week of this season, Pete’s wife and two of his five kids, along with seven other close family members and friends joined us to honour Pete and dedicate the run he skied, “Bucket List”.
At the dedication, Pete’s brother, Greg, spoke about that day last year and what it meant to him. “One year ago today Pete got to knock another item off his bucket list. He didn’t even know it was on his list. He wanted to come to Selkirk to ski with his friends; unfortunately, his brain cancer had advanced to a point where he could no longer ski. I want to express my thanks to Megan and Paul, Karen Osak, Rob Timlin from Canadian Association of Disabled Skiers (CADS), lead guide Kevin Marr and the whole Selkirk team for making a miracle happen. Through their heroic efforts, they surprised Pete and allowed him to knock one last ski with his buddies off his bucket list. It was one of the most emotional days I have ever had. To see Pete’s friends and supporters surprising him by lining up like slalom gates for him to ski through was truly inspiring.”
View the Video of Pete’s Ride 2017
“To say Pete had a ball would be an understatement. In Pete’s words “It was so worth it!” Pete encouraged all of us to embrace life and each other, especially when we face obstacles. It is so worth it to keep knocking items off that bucket list.”
Here’s to you, Pete.
