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This article first appeared in the "Valley Lives" column in the October 12, 2022 issue of the The Low Down to Hull and Back News.
Reprinted with permission. Search complete list of Low Down Articles.
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Barry Nesbitt
Wakefield volunteer was everybody's 'best friend'
Mentor, environmentalist, dog walker, friend
By Trevor Greenway
We can all learn a lot from Barry Nesbitt.
The Wakefield volunteer, trailblazer, environmental crusader and village dog walker always put aside time for the people he cared about - friends, family, colleagues and his beloved furry pals.
Those who knew Nesbitt best are holding on to their fondest memories, as the 69-year-old "best friend" to many died of natural causes on Oct. 1 at his Wakefield home.
"He really was loved by a very large and very diverse assortment of people," said longtime friend Daryl Copeland. "Largely because he made a point of maintaining contact with people he cared about."
Not a lot of people can celebrate a 50-year friendship, but Copeland and Nesbitt were on their way there, as 2023 would have been their 50th year of being pals. They had planned to return to Europe next year to retrace their steps as teenagers through Amsterdam, France and Spain and Copeland said the loss of his closest friend has left a dark void in his life.
"His passing has left a gaping hole in a lot of lives, certainly in mine," said Copeland.
"Not having the joy of sharing time together is what I will miss much, because, boy, over the years we spent an awful lot of time doing a tremendous number of different things, from sea kayaking with friends on Georgian Bay to snowshoeiing, to hiking, to trips to Toronto and all over the place. A gaping hole."
One of the things Copeland will miss most are the weekly hangouts at Nesbitt's home on Wakefield Heights. The two - along with several other friends would get pizza, or barbecue, listen to Wilco or Kathleen Edwards and, "talk about everything under the sun."
Wakefielder Mark Leahy remembers those nights fondly.
"We just became buds," said Mark Leahy, who met Nesbitt while working on a government project in 2001. Nesbitt worked at Global Affairs Canada. The two became instant pals and began spending more time outside work than they did in the office. They would spend hours together on Nesbitt's "beloved deck" on Wakefield Heights, playing guitar, talking and talking some more. Leahy said he will miss Nesbitt's novel perspective the most.
"[He was] a great mentor to me and a great mentor to many people," said an emotional Leahy. "He had lots of close buddies, and that's kind of remarkable. He had so many best friends."
Nesbitt's sister, Mona Turner, said she knows about all these friends. She said her brother always surrounded himself with the people he loved most, but what made it different was that he made a point of keeping in touch with the closest ones - even after they moved away and started busy families. She said he would always make stops along the route to Toronto or out west to see friends whenever he was on the road.
"He still has three people who are super close from when he was little. None of us can say that," Turner told the Low Down.
Turner admitted that she and Nesbitt had grown apart over the years, and she's learning more and more about her older brother from those who knew him better than she did. While she said she's excited to see a different side of her big brother, she regrets not taking the time to know him better as an adult. She said his death has taught her a lot about the fragility of life.
"I didn't get a chance to really get to know him better," said Mona, fighting back tears. "Now I realize that I should have worked hard, and we both should have really worked hard at actually having time together. Now I really need to think about that. Maybe that's one thing I've learned - make the time for the people who are important to you, and he did that, big time."
Nesbitt was born in Newmarket, Ont, just outside of Toronto, and spent much of the 50s, 60s and 70s in the GTA. He became student council president in Grade 12 and was heavily involved with Pollution Probe, one of the first environmental non-governmental organizations in Canada while getting his MBA at York University. Following time spent on the West Coast, Nesbitt moved to Wakefield in 1999, and it didn't take long for him to get involved in helping develop hiking trails throughout the village.
"Almost right from the time I started on the trails 20 years ago, Barry was there," said Wakefield Trails president Ken Bouchard. "We started working on the trails at Fairbairn and the trails behind Vorlage, and I know he was quite involved in the early years with the trail between the community centre to Mill Road. That was our first big project, and he was there, and he's been involved with trails ever since."
Bouchard told the Low Down that, without Nesbitt's commitment to the community, Maison Fairbairn wouldn't be the charming little music venue it is today. Nesbitt helped install the three bridges on the site, constructed the barn and was one of the main builders of the rustic stage that ties the outdoor amphitheatre together.
"He was a great attendee of Musical Mondays," added Bouchard, adding that Nesbitt rarely missed a concert at the summer music series.
Nesbitt dedicated much of his life to community volunteering pre- and post-retirement. When he wasn't clearing bush or installing bridges at Fairbairn, Nesbitt was likely found raising money to save Wakefield's Hundred Acre Wood from development, or working on environmental projects with Action Chelsea for Respect of the Environment (ACRE), Friends of the Gatineau River (FOG), and mentoring colleagues at the Canadian International Council.
Anyone looking for Nesbitt would rarely go to his house, as he was usually out and about, riding around the village on his "crappy bike" or taking multiple neighbourhood dogs on their daily walks. Nesbitt was also a regular donor to the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Nesbitt worked at Global Affairs Canada until he retired in 2019. He spent 19 years as a Digital Government Strategist & Project Manager, where colleagues described him as a "larger-than-life character." He won several awards, including the Lighthouse Award for Communications Excellence in 2019.
"If you ever visited Barry in his office at 200 Portage, you'll know that his knowledge was in full display, with his mountains of books, news clippings and historical records," wrote the Global Affairs Communications Team in an email to the Low Down.
Colleagues said they were shocked to hear of 69-yearold's death. "His passion and love of his work inspired many throughout his long career. He will forever remain in the hearts and lives of all who had the pleasure of working with him."
Nesbitt is survived by his sister Mona. A celebration of life for Nesbitt is planned for Oct. 30 from 2-5 p.m. at the Wakefield community centre.