Bill Twaddle

Bill Twaddle, former editor of the Owen Sound Sun Times, died Monday August 1, 2022 at GBHS Owen Sound surrounded by the comfort and love of his family and closest friends.  Bill was born in Hamilton Ontario on February 13, 1948, the son of Alexander and Eileen Twaddle. The family later moved to Guelph and then Goderich where Bill finished elementary and secondary school.  In 1968, Bill started his journalism career as a reporter at the Sun Times. In 1969, he moved to the Windsor Star as a general assignment reporter, where he also covered education and the legislature at Queen’s Park in Toronto.  In 1972, he moved with his young family back to Owen Sound where he started in management as district editor of the Sun Times. Over the years, he continued to move up to city editor, news editor, managing editor and he eventually became editor in the early 90’s. During that time, he recruited and mentored many young journalists at the beginning of their careers. In 1995, he left the Sun Times and joined with two partners in the creation of the Owen Sound Tribune, a weekly newspaper. In 1996, he was appointed Returning Officer for the federal electoral district of Bruce, Grey, Owen Sound and oversaw two federal elections, 1997 and 2000, in the district. Following both elections, he was called to Ottawa to participate in the election postmortem process where the elections were reviewed and recommendations were developed to create improved legislation and processes and procedures for future elections.  In 1990, Bill was one of 20 Canadian election officials sent to Indonesia by the International Organization of Migration which works with migrant populations around the world, to conduct voter registration and voting in the United Nations sponsored referendum on independence for East Timor.  He spent most of the summer working in Surabaya, a large industrial city on the north coast of Java. He also went to East Timor for 11 days to help the UN volunteers there keep up with the demand for registration. He worked in the village of Oecussi where he later discovered there had been a massacre after the vote when pro-Indonesian militias attacked locals who had worked for the UN. There was a mass grave with 32 bodies found and Bill believed some of those killed could have been people with whom he had worked.  The current war in Ukraine was also upsetting to him. In 1994, Bill was in Ukraine as part of a contingent of Canadians sent as official observers for the court-ordered rerun of their presidential election. Bill was seconded to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe to visit polling sites looking for possible violations of election laws. Immediately after Election Day, the tent city protest that had been set up in Independence Square was removed and the area turned into a street carnival with lots of joy and laughter.  In 1996, Bill was elected to Owen Sound city council. During his 17 years on council, he believed that politics was the art of the possible and spent much of his time on council looking for opportunities to navigate the often complex issues. When negotiations to keep the Owen Sound Attack in Owen Sound fell through, Bill found a way to keep negotiations going and found the solution that broke the impasse allowing the team to stay. This was Bill’s approach throughout his time on council. He became chairman of Georgian Bay Energy, the successor company to the Owen Sound public utilities commission. He led negotiations to sell Georgian Bay Energy to Hydro One and that sale created the Georgian Bay energy fund which is currently paying off the city’s capital costs for the Julie McArthur Recreation Centre.  Bill was appointed to the municipal drinking water source protection committee in 2007. He was appointed chair of the commission by the Minister of the Environment in 2018. His term expires August 22 of this year.  Bill is predeceased by his grandparents Fred and Carrie Potter (nee Stewart) and William Hunter and Isabella Twaddle (nee McLeod) and by his parents, Alex and Eileen Twaddle (nee Potter).  He is survived by his daughter, Andrea and her spouse Steve Barber and his son Alex (Sandy) Twaddle and his spouse, Karen. He is also survived by his cherished grandson Gryphon, who always will be his deepest pride and joy.  Mourning the loss of a brother are Janice (nee Twaddle) and Jack Hardy, and of an uncle, are Damon and Erin Hardy and Danielle and Rick Doerr. Also missing their prankster great-uncle are 6 great nieces and nephews.  Bill will be sadly missed by Sharon Edwards, a long-time companion and always valued friend. He is also survived by his very special and devoted love of the past 15 years, Lise Gunby, her mother Sheila and her children Emma and Robin Fuller.  Bill and his family wish to thank Dr. Mark Vincent and his medical team at the London Health Sciences Cancer Centre for their outstanding care, unfailing support and thoughtful compassion over the past 5 years and Dr. Alex Hodgson and the Palliative Care Team at GBHS for their equally outstanding care and compassion in Bill’s final days.  Bill would like anyone who wishes to make a donation in his memory, to direct that kindness to the Alzheimer’s Society of Grey/Bruce. Bill worked there for 16 years and helped raise more than 6 million dollars during that time.  Online condolences may be made at www.greybrucecremation.com.