152 In Memoriam Peter Whelan (1934-1999) Mary Ellen Hebb

This summer; on 14 August 1999, father's four siblings and their fam­ Peter Whelan, Globe and Mail ilies, and was thus an extended fam­ columnist, and to many, the con­ ily in the fullest sense! It was his science of the birding community, father who encouraged his interest died at his home in Toronto. His in the natural things still so abun­ death did not come as a surprise to dantly around them in the Welland the very few people who knew he of the 30s and 40s, although, as was ill, although for the first year Peter was later to recount in one of after he was diagnosed with termi­ the few very personal columns that nal cancer, he seemed surprisingly he wrote for the Globe, "Dad's untouched by the disease. But it identifications weren't always cor­ made up for lost time in 1999, swift­ rect!" Perhaps that was his first les­ ly and steadily depriving Peter of son in scepticism. One of the things his mobility, and bringing at times I remember him telling me during crushing pain, which Peter bore our first telephone conversation with astonishing grace, the one tell­ was that there was no species of tale sign being the fierceness with bird anywhere that someone some­ which he rejected any overtures of where couldn't mistake for another pity or despair. And although by the species! time he made his annual trip to By the age of 18-19, he had Point Pelee in May, it was clear to become a teacher in a one-room onlookers that he was seriously ill, schoolhouse. That job lasted only a he insisted on maintaining a near­ year (although in many ways, he normal routine, and on continuing remained a teacher all his life). By to wear the appallingly heavy 10x50 1954, he had begun to work on what binoculars around a neck that by was to be his true calling: writing. then could hardly bear the weight He began with the Welland Tribune of a shirt-collar. I hope that among as both editor and reporter, then the many other things that Peter went on in 1958 to the Brantford learned about himself in those last Expositor. In 1965, he left the months was that he had real Expositor, took a six-month birding courage. vacation to Florida, and then Peter was born in Welland, returned to take up his craft again. Ontario, on 22 May 1934. His fami­ Passionate about justice all his ly lived on the same street as his life, he had delayed moving to

ONTARIO BIRDS DECEMBER 1999 153

Figure 1: Peter and Elizabeth Whelan. Photo by Cathy Lu.

Toronto for many years, because he Elizabeth, in Montreal, on the very would not cross the picket line set last day of Expo 67. She was a host­ up by striking typesetters. After a ess in the American pavilion, but brief stint at the Toronto Star, he Peter actually found her in a began to work for the Globe and Montreal restaurant. He hung Mail as an editor. By 1968, the frus­ around and stared at her for so long tration of reading other people's that she finally said something to writing without doing any himself, him, whereupon he was able to got to him, and he arranged to be claim for the rest of his life that she "demoted" in order to become a had picked him up! In fact, he knew reporter and writer again. In this within hours of meeting her that capacity he wrote on a wide variety she was the woman he would marry of subjects (balking, however, when (she didn't, but he did, and indeed the Globe wanted him to do the they lived happily ever after). City Hall beat, and duly punished In the early 1970s, Peter sold with an assignment to the police the Globe on the idea of having an beat!). environmental beat, and he became It was also around this time the first environmental reporter in that he met his wife-to-be, English Canada. He remained at VOLUME 17 NUMBER 3 154 this desk until 1977, when he left he'd say), and they'd dutifully the Globe with the intention of report "Peter Whelan Will Return" becoming a short-story writer. In in each Saturday edition. this, unfortunately, he did not mea­ I first met Peter in the very sure up to his own standards; as far early 1980s when my back yard in as I know, his work was never St. Catharines was swarming with rejected by a publisher, only by House Finches. I had gone from two himself. He didn't like anything he to at least ten sunflower seed feed­ wrote! ers to help out a poor little Tufted Deciding at this point that he Titmouse that had showed up in my had to earn money (somehow I yard and was trying to compete can't imagine that Peter would ever with the finches for food. Each new have allowed Liz to support him; he feeder I'd put out for the titmouse was quite old-fashioned about some would be swiftly overwhelmed by things), Peter taught himself techni­ more finches. So I'd add another cal analysis of the stock market, and feeder...and so on. Right around for the rest of his life he remained a then, Peter announced in his col­ fascinated student of its mysteries umn that Kingston was now the and machinations. (Elizabeth says House Finch capital of Canada, Peter was a "lifelong learner" of with 31 finches. I had at least 250, many things, and the stock market and I called Clive Goodwin to say was one of those.) so! Soon after that, Richard That same year, on 16 Knapton, recently appointed pro­ November 1977, Peter began to fessor at Brock University, showed write the bird column as a regular up at my door to see if I was just a feature of the Globe and Mail. And nutty little old lady with serious ID although, for a brief time, it was problems, or not! Although it was taken over by another writer, and nearly a disaster for my reputation although every now and then the (only one female eventually Globe either dumped the column or showed up that day), I was ulti­ tried to bury it in what can only be mately deemed to be reasonably called the bowels of the paper, sane, and in due time I received a Peter remained, and prevailed. And call from Peter to discuss my it strikes me as some kind of fair plethora of House Finches. We had return that, at the end, when Peter many chats after that, but always on could no longer sit up at the com­ the telephone. puter long enough to complete a Many months later, I was column, yet remained ever hopeful standing with other local birders at that the cancer would go into remis­ the marina in Niagara-on-the-Lake sion, he kept the paper dangling for watching the 4 p.m. flypast of gulls, weeks ("Of course I'll be back", when a voice behind me said, "Of

ONTARIO BIRDS DECEMBER 1999 155 course, these Niagara birders can't ing readers, and because it was so even tell a Purple Finch from a exquisitely written that it was irre­ House Finch!" Rising recklessly to sistible. He explained birds, bird life the challenge, I snarled: "Dh and bird chasing to outsiders, and yeah????" and turned to do battle made it all interesting. with whatever idiot had said the For us birders, he added a rich nasty words. The "idiot" was grin­ dimension to our understanding of ning, and I should have got the hint, our own hobby. There was a very but in fact quite a few words were special way in which Peter could exchanged (as I dug myself deeper write about a bird or an event and and deeper into the hole), before I make it more alive, more lovely or began to register that the voice was more comical than you'd ever real­ awfully familiar. Peter (because of ized. But once you'd read his words, course, that's who it was) had had why yes, he was right! It was like me pointed out to him, and then to that! I will never forget, for exam­ the huge enjoyment of all around ple, the opening lines of the column had tossed out the bait and got this he wrote after being taken by Jon foolish fish to rise to it! That was McCracken of Bird Studies Canada the cementing of our friendship. to see the nesting Prothonotary Peter's bird column did many Warbler site: "In a secret place, we different things for different peo­ wade through tea-brown water ple. At first it was simply local, hot­ under ancient trees. A golden bird line-rarity oriented. But then the sings out its triumph in owning this Globe demanded that he make it a place, where the lighting is more truly national column, and Peter magnificent than a cathedral's." Did responded with what I believe was the Globe, or the many editors that ultimately a much better product. Peter dealt with over the years, ever Relying on a huge network of infor­ really realize what an astonishing mants in every part of Canada, he writer they had on their hands? continued to report on rarities, but Peter had high writing stan­ also painted a new and fuller pic­ dards, and high ethical standards as ture of bird life in the country: well, not only for himself, but for interesting trends, curious avian the birders he was reporting on. He behaviour, anomalies, and quite occasionally used his column to often, unusual human encounters scare birders into behaving honor­ with birds. The column drew in peo­ ably in the field. Ultimately, there ple with only a passing interest in were people he found it very hard birds, partly because by never to like, especially those that cheat­ reverting to birding jargon (at least ed, lied, or felt they were above the not without explaining it), it main­ rules. In his application to one of tained its connection with non-bird- the cancer support groups (yes, you

VOLUME 17 NUMBER 3 156

have to apply!), Peter was asked He was someone as rare and special how well he was succeeding in mak­ as the birds he wrote about. I used ing friends with those he had never to tell him some of his columns liked. Peter just had to be honest. should go in a textbook for journal­ He wrote: "Working on it...working ism schools as examples of writing on it..."! that could be spare and tight, a min­ Let me leave it to another great imum of words, but still have maxi­ writer, Fred Bodsworth, to make mum impact and imagery. ... My some closing comments: "I had a Saturday mornings have an aching huge regard and admiration for hole in them that will not easily be Peter as a writer, birder and friend. filled." Indeed. Rest in peace, Peter.

Mary Ellen Hebb, Bird Studies Canada, Box 160, Port Rowan, Ontario NOE 1MO

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