FreeVille
A giant amongst us, Merv Adey, has passed away.
There are many, many things I admired about Merv and his work, but the thing I admired most was his sense of fairness.
Clearly, Merv held progressive views but he was always willing to engage anyone who was honest and straightforward in their views and opinion in a fruitful discussion without seeking to dominate.
And, like Hunter Thompson before him, Merv had a gimmick.
Which is that he could really write.
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Fittingly, many folks in the #bcpolisphere first learned of Merv's passing in a tweet from John Horgan.
Since then the online tributes have since flown fast, furious and fantastic from the likes of...
Laila Yuile:
...Merv was more than a good citizen…he was exceptionally engaged even before he began writing about issues that troubled and concerned him. He followed all our blogs, commented and emailed and early on I think we all knew he would be a great blogger too. I encouraged him. Norm encouraged him. Pretty sure RossK did too! And eventually he did, and never looked back. We needed more lights to shine and his was bright-his words concise and pointed. His natural curiosity and sense of outrage for a clear lack of integrity displayed and fostered by the Clark government led to keen observations.
Yet at the heart of it.. and what called to me in his writing…was a heartfelt desire to see goodness done, to make this province a better place for everyone, and to hopefully fill a void lacking in public commentary...
Norm Farrell:
...Merv didn’t have much desire for personal recognition but would have appreciated John Horgan’s words. He hoped – no, expected – that many of the issues he thought important would be addressed by the Premier’s new Government.
I’m hopeful that writers and readers in the online world of BC politics will find a suitable way to remember and celebrate Merv Adey. He took a serious interest in improving political reporting and perhaps a bursary or award in Merv’s name to a worthy student of journalism would be appropriate.
Charlie Smith:
...One of B.C's most beloved political bloggers has passed away after a long battle with cancer.
Merv Adey created BCVeritas, which shone a spotlight on corruption, media, and range of public policy issues.
Merv had a sharp intellect, which was evident in his posts. His writing also demonstrated enormous compassion for the underprivileged...
And Grant G., who coined the ' Miss Him Already' term right out of the gate:
...It took one man, one friend....one tireless fighter to have the BC Liberal governments false ads on LNG pulled, Merv Adey was a relentless battler on so many fronts, Merv made a difference in our last election, he made a difference in our mad world, Mr Adey made a difference to his family and to me..
You make us proud......and you set an awfully high bar for those you left behind...
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I had many off-line conversations with Merv - about things like data, stories, strategy and guitar playing.
Speaking to him was always a joy.
And when I gave him a little bit of information on immune checkpoint inhibitors, which he was researching because of his own health situation, everything came down to his family given the potential monetary costs that he refused to burden them with.
He really was a helluva guy.
As for that second phrase in the title to this post, you can find a version of it in this interpretation of Astral Weeks by Glen Hansard and his trusty sidekick Joe Doyle on the stand-up bass...
Despite the histrionics I'm pretty sure Merv would approve.
OK?
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You can read and re-read all of Merv's stuff over at his place....Here.
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9 comments:
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GAB
Very sad, indeed GAB.
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This is sad news indeed. I wasn't privileged know Mr. Adey personally, but I will very much miss his thoughtful, measured and articulate posts.
Anon-Above--
Agreed.
And he did it all without antagonizing anyone.
Am also learning he was a bridge wizard.
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What a wonderful man, and his thoughts for the betterment of his fellow Citizens.Rest in peace and God bless him and his family.
SH:
Sad news. A big loss for BC.
“Whatever you are physically...male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy--all those things matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. All those other things, they are the glass that contains the lamp, but you are the light inside.”
― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel
*Charlie Smith, The Straight:
"I was invited to work at CBC Radio one summer by another former classmate, likely because others were on holidays. And I found my way to the Georgia Straightafter writing a freelance article for the paper.
Merv chose another path in life. But I have no doubt that had he been given the breaks that I received, he would have reached a much larger audience than he ever did on his blog. Not that this ever bothered him.
I only tell this story as a reminder to mainstream media journalists out there to respect bloggers like Merv, Laila Yuile, and Norm Farrell, even when they're scorching your work.
Just because someone has a comfy position in the press gallery or hosts a talk show or edits a newspaper or has a column doesn't necessarily mean they're more talented, have deeper insights, or they're a better writer or superior researcher than a blogger like Merv.
It might only mean that they got lucky when they were young because someone offered them a job when these types of jobs were far more available.
Merv often demonstrated a great deal of humility in his writing. Let that stand as an example to the rest of us. "
https://www.straight.com/news/954256/blogger-and-bridge-teacher-merv-adey-dies
Thanks Dave and SH.
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RossK we had buried too many BC bloggers to Cancer! Keep up with your important research and thank you! Rest in Power Merv, BZ for a job well done and blessings to your family!
Kim--
The loss of those fine folks really is a tragedy.
And, from the comment thread over at Laila's place, I learned that we lost Gary E. a while back.
My heart aches.
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