Peter Anthony Garside was born at Boundary Park General Hospital, Oldham, Lancashire, England on Friday, 17th July 1942 to Ronnie Kay Garside and Nora Scott. His first home was with his mother and her mother, as his father was servicing with RAF during the war. He was christened at St. Saviour's Church, Chadderton, on 16 August 1942.
The family which included his younger sister moved about 5 miles from Chadderton to the small village of Shaw in 1946. It was here that he started school and went onto Crompton House School until moving to Canada in June 1954. It was while in Shaw that he joined the British Boy Scouts as cub.
The family left England 16 June 1954 to travel to Canada after first visiting their relatives. Their travels took them to Southampton, Hampshire. It was here that the family boarded the MV Georgic to New York City via Calais, France; Cork, Ireland and Halifax, Nova Scotia travelling the same route as the Titanic.
The family lived in Manitoba for 4 years altogether between Winnipeg and Grandview. Peter continued his education, Scouting and singing in the church choirs. He was confirmed at Grandview on the 27th April 1958. In July 1958 moved to Carcross, Yukon Territory with family. Peter continued with his education in Whitehorse while living at St. Agnes Hostel prior to joining RCAF in Trenton, Ontario.
He worked at schools in Alberta and Ontario in the early 60’s and after his brief year long stint in the RCAF he attended MIT in Winnipeg and studied electrical systems. On returning to Whitehorse in 1965 he got a job with Northern Canada Power Commission, before it became part of Yukon Electrical Company and worked for them until early February 1993 when he suffered a severe stroke – just days before the start of the Yukon Quest that year in Whitehorse.
Peter was involved in many community activities like the Elks Lodge, Scouting, YOOPs, Air Cadets in Whitehorse, Dog Mushing (as timer/official) for local clubs, Teslin winter festival, Sourdough Rendezvous dog sled races and was the first official timer at Whitehorse for the Yukon Quest International Dog Sled Race until the winter of 1992/93 (when his nephew took over as timer).
For the last 17 years since his stroke and while living in Macaulay Lodge and Copper Ridge Place for most of that period he was very artistic creating various item and giving them away to others, started writing small articles of his memories and played musical instruments for various entertainment activities.
Peter twice changed his name, adding his mother’s surname as one of his middle names and changed the spelling of his surname to Garsyde – which is later changed back to the birth spelling.
Peter Anthony Scott Garside (sometimes known as ‘Yukon Pete’ in the last decade while in the continuing care facilities) died peacefully in his sleep in his room at Copper Ridge Place Saturday morning, 9th Jan. at 05:35 hours, with a LPN nurse at his side while his nephew returned home for a few hours. His nephew was preparing to return to CRP when he received the news with-in a few minutes of the death. He lived to the age of 67 years, 5 months and 23 days – 1 year and 22 days longer then his father.
|
