Gordon Parsons remembered as 'icon of Labrador'
Labrador West is remembering Gordon Parsons as a pillar of the community.
He died Thursday at the age of 73 after a long illness.
"He's an icon of Labrador and what I would call a trailblazer," said Labrador West MHA Graham Letto.
"It's always important that we remember our pioneers and Gord was certainly one of them."
Parsons was known for his fierce dedication to local affairs as well as his time as owner and editor of The Aurora, a local newspaper.
Letto, who also served as mayor of Labrador City for several years, said Parsons was very opinionated but also fair.
"A friend of mine gave me a quote from Mark Twain that said, 'You never pick a fight with someone who buys ink in bulk,'" said Letto.
"He always gave you a fair hearing and he saw both sides of the story."
Passion for roads
Transportation in Labrador was a key issue for Parsons — he drove to Baie Comeau from Labrador West before the road was upgraded and was along with the first group to drive the Trans-Labrador Highway, according to Letto.
"He certainly reminded me of the need, even though the road was paved ... He wanted to make sure we had the proper rest stops in place so that people can feel comfortable when they're travelling that highway, " said Letto.
"We're working on that ... but when I think about Gord Parsons, I will think about rest stops."
Namesake
Former Wabush Mayor Colin Vardy knew Parsons since childhood but became closer with him in recent years as he started out in municipal politics.
"Gord was certainly a wealth of knowledge," said Vardy.
Vardy and Parsons would meet three or four times a week for breakfasts where they would talk about almost everything.
"Gord realized and respected at that point of life that it was unlikely that he would be a grandfather," Vardy said.
"So I said, I can't give Gord grandchildren but I can name my son after him ... Berkley [Gordon Vardy] is very lucky to be able to have Gord in his life and I think Gord appreciated having Berkley in his life."
Avid birder
Tony Chubbs who lives in Happy Valley-Goose Bay bonded with Parsons over a common interest: birds.
"It was all part of an interaction with people and an excuse to get out and be outdoors," Chubbs said.
"He was just a wonderful guy to be around especially outdoors and be chatting about birds and that sort of thing."
Chubbs said Parsons was a well-renowned expert on bird species in Labrador West and the two were part of the provincial government's land-bird recovery team.
Parsons was a steward for the environment and Chubbs remembers the time he advocated for Labrador City to stop dumping snow in Little Wabush Lake.
"The salt that got into the lake there would destroy the vegetation and of course discourage waterfowl and shore birds from being there ... and he got them to stop doing that," Chubbs said.
"He was a strong voice and he knew the right buttons to push and the right people to call. He made things happen."
