Beal passed away on Wed. July 21st, 2010 in the comfort of his home after a long battle with cancer. Bill left us too soon and will be dearly missed by his beloved family and friends. The torrential rain on Thursday, were certainly fit for a Scottish farewell.
Beal came from Aberdeen, Scotland to the Toronto area in 1977 and worked as a licensed diesel mechanic. A year later, he traveled to Western Canada and fell in love with this part of the world. He lived in Calgary for a few years but one weekend, friends invited him on a ski trip to Lake Louise. He had never skied before but adventurous Beal took on the invitation and a weekend trip turned into a 4 year stay and 25 years of being involved in the skiing industry.
He felt right at home in the mountains. At 24, he was the oldest “lifty” ever and always got a chuckle at the thought. During the Lake Louise days, several of his friends were training to become mountain guides; so he was happy to tag along and experience the great Canadian Outdoors, ski touring, climbing, and hiking.
From Lake Louise, Beal moved to Whistler around 1984 and thus for about the next 12 years. He worked as a cat driver and carpenter. During that time, he built himself a cabin at Lillooet Lake where he and his friends spent a lot of good times.
Bill relocated to Fernie in 1996 and we met in 1998. I was living in Field, BC at the time and looking to relocate. So, a few friends and I decided to go on a ski trip to check-out Fernie. We were having an après-ski at the base lodge and Bill happened to walk-in. My girlfriends knew him from their Skoki days and we met briefly; although Bill always said he did not remember meeting me from that day, I sure did! That spring, I moved to Fernie and we befriended for several months (a summer of butterflies) before we became a couple and have been ever since.
In 2005, we decided it was time for a change of lifestyle and moved to Salmon Arm that spring. He got involved with “Shuswap Hut to Hut Trail Alliance” building trails in the area until his illness kept him from doing so. He liked the concept and the people he was involved with. Even through his illness, he continued his regular walks and socializing.
Bill felt that so far, he had experienced life to its fullest and that life had been good to him. Of course he felt cheated by time but made peace with it. A very personable, jolly, energetic person; people were easily drawn to him. He had a lot of good memories and stories of his years roaming this earth.
So now I’m leaving it up to you to tell a “wee story”
All my love,
Ginette
Allo Ginette. Very touching story, bien racontee. I love the pictures. Merci beaucoup de partager ca avec nous. J’ai bien hate de te voir et de se creer d’autres bons souvenirs ensemble. Y parait que tu fais de la randonnee aujourd’hui, so as Beal used to say, “keep the rubber side down”.
I first met Bill in lake Lousie …for years I thought his name was Beal. Our own life choices were similar as we also moved [seemed to follow Bill] to Whistler and again to Fernie. Always a few years after Bill set the pace. When Bill said he was leaving us and onto Salmon Arm I said to him I wasn’t moving to Salmon Arm, but given past history maybe we will follow in a few years… who knows. Great memories of a Lillooet cabin party under just the newly built roof, no walls and way too much single malt. Most lasting memory was one night heading out to the pub Bill said in his most broad Scottish finest ” a gotta a horn [a big zit] on me nose and the girls will think I’m ugly”. Never my firend you were one of the most beautiful people on this planet. Safe travels my friend onto the next place where great souls go. XOX Mike and Shelley L’Estrange – Fernie, BC.
Dear Ginette
My heart is with you and with Bill these beautiful days of summer. I am happy for Bill that his wonderful spirit is freed from the pain and sorrow of his last days. And I hope you, my friend, will find some peace in knowing you have eased his passage by being at his side all the way, as the loyal and devoted partner you have always been.
Now is the time to grieve and then to recover, enriched by the life of Bill McKenzie.
Long may he run.
Love to you both,
Helen
I met Bill through the Trail Alliance, when he applied to be on our first work crew. Bill was keen to help build trails, and had a love for the outdoors, so he seemed like a good fit. He quickly showed the crew members half his age what a solid work ethic was all about. He also provided many memorable stories and many laughs. I hope that everyone that worked with him learned one of his greatest lessons; that every day above ground is a great day! Bill helped us build trails in snow on the Larch Hills Traverse, in the blazing heat on Rubberhead, and Balmoral, showed us how to build a solid rock wall in Park Hill, and coined the phrase “tiddle” that we use to refer to making the trail look pretty. Bill has left a huge legacy of trails for our community, and a legacy of smiles in our hearts. From the stories Bill told, he lived a full life, full of laughs and adventure. He will be dearly missed.
Thank you to the friends and family for posting the obit and picture in the Whistler Question. There are many people here who have the fondest memories of Bill when he was a member of the Whistler Mountain family. I worked on the ski patrol at the time and we saw each other a fair bit. Seeing his picture helped me remember how much I enjoyed his company and have missed him since he left.
I met Bill while working on the “Larch Hills Traverse” with the Trail Alliance. Bill was one of the funniest guys I have ever met, and everyday during lunchbreaks there were always awesome conversations and jokes. I learned alot from Bill, including some of his carpentry skills. He was very patient and helpful while working, and never let anyone just give up. I think alot of us gained some new perspectives about work ethic from Bill.
I will miss him greatly, and miss running into him downtown even more. He was one of the most unique people I have had the pleasure of meeting, and I will never forget him.
All my condolences,
Sincerely,
Michael Viala
Bill was many things to many people, he had a rare charm that will be dearly missed.
I feel fortunate to have shared many ski runs, alpine hikes, cold beers and hot curries with Bill. He always brought more to the table then he left with.
Whiskey nosings in the chicken coop, stout and pickled eggs at the royal, both activities that somehow enriched your Scottish drawl, and the many fine stories that followed.
Bill was lucky to have met you Ginette that fateful summer of 98
Love from Pete, Victoria, Ainsley, and Anna Davidson Salt Spring Island
I can’t really say for sure how or where I came across Bill. Most likely it was at the Whistler Cookie Co. in the early 90′s. Then, it seems, Whistler was small enough that a trip into town during the off season would often yield more familiar faces then unfamiliar. I was new in town and he would have been there amongst the dedicated patrons sharing a laugh and dispensing wisdom. Everyone knew Bill. He liked a good story and he told a good story. And let’s face it even a bad story conveyed with his accent and use of facial expression was bound to entertain. He’s always been a regular at the coffee shop in any town he’s haunted. So in 1993 when Lee Atwell and I opened The Pony Espresso in Pemberton I saw much of Billy. We held in common a belief that no day should really be allowed to pass without some element of social interaction best enjoyed around a cup of coffee.
After the restaurant was sold I continued to run into him there, only now as a fellow patron. We would talk of all life’s important matters; gardening, women, carpentry, people, life itself-and then, whatever group had assembled would move on because, regrettably, at least some part of the day had to be set aside for work. As time wore on and Bill moved to Fernie and then to Salmon Arm our encounters would be less frequent. But he always made a point of stopping by when he was in town to look in at his place on Lillooet Lake. An appearance of the white Toyota pick-up that he managed to keep running well beyond it’s due date was the giveaway that Bill had arrived. You might see it parked at the Pony or it would rattle into the driveway and you would catch up. It was on the porch of the old Pony Espresso that he found out I was divorced. It was there that I found out he had cancer. He was as optimistic as one can be holding such news. It can seem a spectacularly unjust world at times.
And this was the nature of our relationship. I didn’t have Bill’s phone number-after all he’d be around again sooner or later.
A trip down the lake for a “wee feed” at Bill’s place was an occasion that was often best prepared for by throwing a sleeping bag in the back seat as the Kokonee were sure to be running in the little pool(aptly called the “Kokonee Pond” for it’s frequent use as a beer cooler)that formed in the waterway that ran through his property-and a surfeit of Scotch in the cupboard wasn’t going to help matters. It was at the table after a meal of something I can’t remember and a trip to the sauna he’d made out back that Bill told a story. We had been talking of strange occurrences. Strange occurrences are bound to visit one who spends a lot of time alone in a cabin in the woods. His particular story pertained to the disappearance of a package of sausages he had purchased one evening a few years back. He had come in from a trip to town and placed his groceries, in particular the sausages, in plain sight on the table, and gone back to his truck for another load. When he returned intent on making dinner the sausages were gone. Just like that. An hour long search ensued yet turned up nothing. Eventually, as he was utterly convinced that indeed the sausages in question had been, just there, on the table but an hour ago, he started a conversation. This conversation took place between himself and whom or whatever might be responsible for the disappearance of these particular sausages for he had come to suspect this was the work of something perhaps much bigger than simple oversight. “Look I don’t know hew ya arr, I dewnunt care, but all I want are those sausages……alright?” Being Bill, he saw no need for trouble but found it not unreasonable to request the return of the sausages. He says he gave up and left the building to do some chores before it got too dark. When he returned, “No werd of a lie,” he said lowering his voice, “Those bloody sausages were right there……right BACH there where I’d left them in the FERST place.” A moment passed. We raised our glasses and toasted, “To Sausages.” “Aye,” his voice drifting off, he repeated “to sausages.”
I wish I could articulate better how a man’s whole life is gone and why it is all I can come up with is an obscure tale of lost sausages but I can’t. I guess memories like these describe a younger place where life seemed normal-where the biggest fears could be relegated to those of a much more trivial nature.
I’ll miss you Bill. All of those you knew will. And Ginette, I don’t know of anything one can say that makes it easier. Still, I wish it were easier.
All the Best,
Jeff Van De Mark
Ruth Noden
Pemberton, BC
I first met “Beal” in Lake Louise. He had come to work at the ski area and brought his charm, wit and that infectious smile. I liked Bill, instantly. We became good friends and spent many a day in the back country enjoying the mountains. I left Lake Louise in 1983 and moved to Vancouver and in 1984 later moved to Whistler. There were a few old L.L. people there but I didn’t know at the time that Bill was living there as well. A few of us had decided to get together one night and “Beal” had decided to surprise me. When I walked into the house there was “Beal” in his familiar stance, leaning on the counter with his leg cocked and his other hand on his hip (see Gallery ). A most pleasant surprise indeed, to know that one of my favourite people had landed in Whistler as well. We spent many days exploring the back country of Whistler like we had in Lake Louise. I will cherish those moments and my pictures of “Beal” on our journeys and remember the great times we shared. I was recently hoping to hook up with Bill again, through the Lake Louise Reunion but failed to make the connection. I have just learned this morning of Bill passing and wish him well on his next journey but feel sad that I didn’t have the chance to share some of his time, before he set out on his next journey. Rest my friend!
Bill’s house in Fernie was down the street from mine, and he had to walk past to go up town. I could hear him coming by his whistling as he walked. Always friendly and always funny, he made the world a better place.
Rest in Peace my friend.
Gary Bissonnette
I only knew Beal for a few years in Lake Louise but always loved and appreciated his broad smile , the twinkle in his eye and his great sense of humour. He was a man of big heart and kindness, a man of action with a great love of life. I am sorry to hear he had to suffer in his last days or months here and know he is in a better place now. I never met you, Ginette, but send you my condolences on this very great loss.
I raise my glass to a very good man, Beal McKenzie, in honour of your great spirit!
Hello there Billy
When you moved to Lilloet Lake, I rarely saw you any more.
Now and again at the grocery store.
Now you have moved again.
How are we ever going to watch our favourite cult flick ( LOCAL HERO ) together if you keep moving around on me.
At least now I know where you are, and I’ll be looking for you when I get there myself.
Love to you Bill
scott
GREETINGS AND CONDOLENCES FROM CEBU CITY IN THE SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES WHERE I NOW RESIDE…A FEW HUNDRED MILES FROM THE EQUATOR YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE FOND MEMORIES THAT COME TO MIND SEEING THESE PICS ( don’t miss the minus 40 @ the lake though), MATCHED ONLY BY THE FOND MEMORIES OF BEAL AND OUR TIMES THERE..ANOTHER ONE OF THE THE GANG GOES AND I DON’T LIKE IT !!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE BLOG AND FOR THE MEMORIES
Bill was a very cool guy. Even though I was on the outskirts of his social scene in Lake Louise, the Bill I knew was always friendly and pleasant. His laugh is one of the things I remember best about him. A great loss. So long Bill.
I first met Beil in Whistler when dating one of his friends from Lake Louise. He was later the best man at Rob’s and my wedding. Beil was the best man at many friends’ weddings, being a natural choice as he was a “Stand Up Guy.” We ended up going our separate ways, but Beil remained special to both of us.
Beil was given the title as “The Best Man” by the girls, considered of very best quality and the most sought after bachelor in Whistler. Hearing this – he was surprised and denied it true. After my insisting it accurate, Beil, being the character that he was, went into the persona with puffed chest, broad shoulders, smirk on his face and strutted. He was unassuming and humorous. His strong presence was beautifully paired with a much grounded personality and many admired him. When Beil arrived in town on his way to the cabin, sightings of him would be reported and news of Beil travelled quickly. Everyone wanted to catch up with him.
So many happy memories of Beil, Strawberry Point, L’illoette Lake, Whistler days and the many New Years Eve’s at Beil’s cabin. A reflection of Beil, his cabin was built with meaning, purpose and love. From the Gaelic welcoming sign over his front door, the charming black and white picture of Beil’s parents in Scotland in the early days when they first met. Inside and out, the cabin was meaningful, filled with purpose and charming like Beil himself.
Word travelled quickly among the Whitler boys that Beil reported that he had a girlfriend named Ginette, who was French, beautiful and younger than him. He was thrilled that you remembered meeting him the first time. I’m so glad that Beil found you and love.
Safe travel onward Beil. We will all miss you.
Thank you for the gift of being in our lives.
Very deepest condolences Ginette, Elizabeth, Martin and family. May your memories of Beil help to ease your sadness.
Laura Wallace
Vancouver, B.C.
Well, How sorry I am that I had lost touch with such a special spirited guy!
He was a unique and truly enriched the lives those of us who were lucky enough to share some time with him.
Billy exchanged humor and laughter for meals!
I have such fond memories of him Stuart trying to out do one another with inflated tall tales and wit while I was busy cooking up a feed.
A strong Scottish accent and Kiwi accent mixed with a few cold beers.
He was a gift to us all, I will remember him as a special soul.
Whistle on Billy. You will be missed
Beal and I were good friends in Lake louise. He was one of the funniest people I have ever known. I was so sad when I first heard that he had cancer. I thought of him often and hoped his road would not be long and hard. What I did hear was that he took everything in stride and handled himself with humor and dignity.
I am so sorry for your loss Ginette, as I am for all of us who have known him and loved him.
One of Bill’s Favorite sayings was ” I scammed him” I hope he is still scamming away in his own heaven!!!!!!!!!!!Love ya Beal, Inch
What great sadness to learn of Bill’s passing.
Once Beal and Ginette left Fernie for Salmon Arm we lost touch but certainly never forgot either of them. Fernie was never the same without Bill’s sexy Scottish brogue, his broad smile and the jokes and laughter over dinner.
With Bill’s departure, the annual whiskey nosing came to an end, it was an annual tradition that no one else could match. One year, Mark & I were so looking forward to it that we arrived one week too early (better than too late!)
About town when you saw Beal, he always had a smile for you and a quick hello – then a ‘carry on’ to see you on your way.
Beal, you are gone from our world but never to be forgotten.
Love Margie and Mark, Fernie, B.C.
I last saw Beal 16 years ago. This week I wondered what he had been up to and typed “Beal Mckenzie” on google search. This website is what appeared online. We met in 1985 in the good old days of Whistler and lost contact in 1994. I’ve read some beautiful comments about Beal through your website. They describe the same Beal I knew in 1994, so we can add ‘consistent’ to his list of endearing qualities.
Beal told me the “sausage story” over a curry meal and red wine at the cabin that Jeff referred to in Beal’s blog. Hearing it again from Jeff brought back the Beal I new and loved.
It was a known fact that Beal was very prompt for any type of gathering. He would arrive at a party while the hosts were still organizing the evening’s events. Folk quickly learned to tell him to arrive at 8:30 and everyone else at 8:00. That way Beal, along with the fashionably late Canadians, would arrive at the same time. ‘If ya mean 8:30 then tell me 8:30.’
Most of all I’ll miss Beals’ mastery of living in the moment and the glitter in his eyes when he would crack his smile.
Ginette, we’ve never met, but I am certain you are left with so many memories with Beal that are unique, fun, and loaded with love from a fine place in his soul. I am so sorry to hear of your loss and the world has lost a man of great integrity, and one who touches you in a way that can never be forgotten.
Love to you both,
Dawn Wright
Ladysmith, B.C.
Hi , I first met Bill in Lake Louise in around 1979, I was always going up there to ski with the boys when I met Bill, we had many a good dinners ,drinks and great skiing. I always remember his crazy laugh , what is there something wrong , no Bill nothing at all. I moved around not sure where Bill had got too but I ended up in Whistler and spotted my old truck goldey, chev 1/2 ton 3 on the tree. So I started knocking on doors in Nesters to see who owned the truck when I knocked on the door of this house and out came Bill, well hello Rick, what are you doing here, and how did you know where I was, the truck Bill it was the truck. I saw Bill on and off in Whistler that was busy times we were building the town. I spent many a times out at his cabin by Lillooet lake. Great friends , lots of food and wine and laughs. Bill one day had told me he was going to move to Fernie, I said why, he said I can afford it and something new. I think it was 10 years later I ended coming out there myself caught up with Bill and Ginette. Bill had the fall garage scotch tasting which was always a hit, you had to make sure you walked home that night. I miss Bills laugh, his love for nature , plants and birds, his kindness and friendship Love always Rick Godwin , Lets have a wee dram shall we Bill Cheers.