2 dead in Harbour Grace following historic Newfoundland storm, mayor says
Harbour Grace, N.L., is mourning the loss of two men in the wake of Friday's historic storm.
Bud Chafe, 83, died suddenly Saturday after shovelling out his home. Rupert Crocker also died over the weekend, reportedly following his own shoveling attempt.
It's not clear whether their deaths are related to exertion from snow clearing.
Mayor Don Coombs said he knew both of them well.
It's a "hard weekend for everybody," Coombs said. "Two great men left great legacies."
Coombs said fire crews responded to Crocker on snowmobiles, but the causes of death aren't yet known and Coombs couldn't say whether the deaths were connected to shoveling out after Friday's blizzard.
He described the men as fixtures of Harbour Grace, which has a population of about 3,000.
"Bud was a legacy in the town. He was bigger than life," Coombs said.
He added most people would be familiar with Chafe through his contributions to the Harbour Grace Regatta — and if not, they may have seen his name emblazoned on the regatta boathouse.
Chafe was also a stalwart of the province's minor hockey scene, and had a major hand in cultivating a girls' hockey presence on the Avalon.
Chafe also served two terms on town council. Coombs recalls his dedication to the community, like the time he saved a historic one-room schoolhouse, rolling it up on logs to another site rather than leaving it to rot where it stood.
"He was about family, he was about commitment, he was about kids in the region … and wanting things for the children," the mayor said.
"The things he did will go on for a long, long while."
Chafe's family asked in his obituary that donations in his memory may be made to the Harbour Grace Regatta.
Rupert, also known as "Rocket," was well-known as an entertainer.
He gained local notoriety from his role in Terra Nova Shoes commercials.
"The town of Harbour Grace is a better place because of Bud Chafe and Rupert Crocker," Coombs said.
No confirmed casualties
The blizzard that brought eastern Newfoundland to its knees hasn't been confirmed to have claimed any lives.
A number of house fires broke out in the days following the storm, with all inhabitants accounted for.
A 26-year-old from Roaches Line remains missing after he ventured out during the storm. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.
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