Contributions to the tribute of Gregory Fredrick Pope

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Don Chubbuck posted a condolence

Thursday, August 24, 2023

It is hard to put into words what I felt when I heard that Greg was dying. It has been hard to lose another friend and colleague that I worked with at Ontario Hydro/OPG. I have lost several colleagues over the last few years and each death as John Donne would say “diminishes me”. I am proud to have worked with such professionals as Greg. We were a family. My very best to Chris and other family members. Don Chubbuck

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don speller uploaded photo(s)

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

I first met Greg almost 5 decades ago. Since that moment, I’ve come to know him in many roles and I've seen him in a wide range of situations, both professional and personal. At Beak Consultants, he was a supervisor and mentor for a certain newly minted biologist I knew at the time. He was also my partner on several projects when we were both independent environmental consultants. For some decades, we were squash buddies - usually playing weekly - after which we would typically return to my place for something on the Q, accompanied by a glass or two of an appropriate libation for the purpose of re-hydrating. He was also a client of mine during several contracts I had with Ontario Hydro over a period of a decade or so. I don't know exactly when this happened, but sometime during these years, Greg became one in a VERY small group of people that I consider "best friends". Greg was a man of many noteworthy achievements. In his youth, he became a Queens' Scout - an honour rarely bestowed on those in the Baden Powell movement. He also earned a Private Pilot's Licence and a PhD, both of which are technically and intellectually challenging. Greg was a director of Beak where I first met him; and later, the Manager of the company's Newfoundland office. He had his own environmental consultancy for several years after that, then spent more than two decades as a senior fisheries specialist with Ontario Hydro, which later became OPG. During my many years as a biologist, the only really bad field trips I had were with Greg. None were his fault, of course, but a couple of stories, I think, are telling about the times and the man. The first story is one in which Greg and I had an assignment while at Beak - a project during which we flew in to Stormy Lake in northern Ontario to undertake some fish surveys. When the float plane delivered us, we set up camp and got to work. After dinner cooked on a Coleman stove, we settled in for the night, just as it started to rain. It was then that we realized that those who shipped our gear hadn't included a rain-proof fly for our tent. The initial rain became a torrential downpour during which our equipment, food, tent, sleeping bags, and spirits, became thoroughly soaked. The next day, we miraculously managed to get a campfire going, and after several hours, were able to get at least our sleeping bags more-or-less dried out. That night, it was a repeat of the night before. In the morning, Greg made the executive decision that we would paddle to the other end of the lake and break into a log cabin he had noticed when flying in. The rationale, of course, was that we would be able to have at least a roof over our heads and probably the benefits of a fireplace. We started paddling, taking with us only an axe and a box of matches. When we got to the cabin, it was obvious that it was occupied. I held the canoe at the dock, while Greg went to knock at the door. I'd give a lot to know the thoughts going through the minds of the two kids who opened the door to see a stranger in the misty gloom before them, axe in hand. Long story short, the kids welcomed us, provided us with our own cabin with wood stove and dry beds, fed us dinner, and treated us to a wood-fired sauna. Breakfast was cooked on a classic antique Findlay Oval wood stove the next morning. Heaven! It turned out that the facility was actually a hunt camp owned by an American funeral director. One of the kids was his son, the other a friend. They had flown in for a week-long guys' get-away, and ended up saving us from the misery of our aquatic tent. The next story is one which took place when Greg and I were both independent consultants. I had secured a contract with the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) to collect sculpins - a small bottom-dwelling fish - as part of the Ministry's In-Place-Pollutant Project. On the appointed day, Greg and I set off in the early morning, towing an MOE boat and heading towards Sault Ste Marie. There, we would meet some MOE reps, then go SCUBA diving at several location to gather sculpins. We got just north of Toronto when the truck's radiator blew, almost at what was then a gas station and eatery called Voyageur. While we were immobilized on the side of Highway 400, we spent several hours trying to find a garage that could replace the rad or a company that would rent us a vehicle with which to tow the boat. We struck out 100% on both fronts. As the afternoon was coming to a close, in desperation, I called a relative and asked for help in getting to a Canadian Tire store for a new radiator. After two trips to the store and several more hours later, we finally got a correct radiator and Greg and I managed to get it installed just as dark was closing in. Any normal, rational, person would have bailed early in this saga, gone home to regroup, have a good night’s sleep, and get a fresh start in the morning. Not Greg. He stuck with me through it all, and he did so without complaint. We drove throughout the night and arrived in the Sault in time to get a few minutes of sleep, after which we were on the job by 9 AM. I'll never forget - and will always be thankful - for Greg's dedication in all this. Thanks to his commitment, MOE was impressed enough by our performance under such difficult circumstance, that we won several subsequent contracts to do similar work for MOE at other locations throughout Ontario. Although I have numerous other stories that illustrate Greg's many laudable characteristics, the last one I'll share is one which I did not witness and which reveals part of his human side. I heard this from others but also from Greg himself, so I know it to be true. Apparently, shortly before meeting with a client in Toronto, Greg accidentally drove into the wrong underground garage. After realizing his mistake, he tried to exit, but the attendant insisted he pay the minimum $9 fee before the gate would be lifted. Greg pointed out that he hadn't parked, he hadn't used the facility, and had only been there for a minute or two. He just wanted out. The attendant responded that the parking garage had no in-and-out privileges and insisted Greg pay up. I don't know what Greg said next, but I know what he did. He drove through the gate. Setting aside for the moment the minor, trivial, issues of property damage and what some might consider impetuous behaviour, I think we have to admire a man who acts decisively on a matter of principle. Greg did what most of us have been tempted to do at one time or another. Surely, this is one among many stories worth remembering and re-telling. Although he left us early, Greg lived life fully, setting examples for others on many fronts, and enjoying lots of what life has to offer, including fishing expeditions, travelling, ski trips throughout North America, reading widely, and life-long learning. He was also a charter member of a small group that would attend my cottage in Muskoka for a guys’ event during the first two weeks of November each year. He accomplished much, shared generously, and inspired widely. Of all the positive qualities had by Greg, the one that stands out the most, to me, was his abundance of basic, and hugely important, human decency. I think that trait occupied most of the core of Greg's character, and I think it set him apart from - and above - so many other people I’ve met during my lifetime. In thinking about Greg's passing, two lines from a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson come to mind: Home is the fisherman, home from the sea, The hunter home from the hills. I miss him a lot.

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Anonymous planted a tree in memory of Gregory Pope

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

So sorry to hear of Greg's passing. My deepest condolences to Chris and his family. Join in honoring their life - plant a memorial tree

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Brian Hindley posted a condolence

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

I met Greg when I was a young biologist at Beak in 1978. Even then Greg was the consummate professional and all who new him recognized him for his professionalism, fisheries science knowledge, and his ability to get to the heart of a problem and deliver on his projects. His door was always open and he was always ready to coach us "juniors". He was truly a mentor to me and I had the honour of working for and with him on many projects while at Beak and subsequently during my short tenure at OPG. At Beak, I became an honourary member of the Beak Newfoundland office that Greg set up and ran. I worked with him on the Bay d'Espoir and the Churchill Falls/Muskrat Falls projects and I remember Greg for his wry humour and wit. For example, on a project on Godaleich Pond, he asked me to find some tents for the project as we were camping in October for several weeks. When I asked what his requirements were, he said "I need a tent that is large enough to stand up and scratch my a** in". On the Churchill Falls project, we electrofished all of the tributaries to be flooded by the new dam and at the end of each day our helicopter would take us to the mouths of these tributaries for some quality angling. We used to play "hearts" at night and the loser would have to sit in that helicopter at the end of the day and watch the rest of us fish (Greg's idea). I have always looked up to and admired Greg for his ability as a professional biologist, but I will always remember him as my mentor, for his sense of humour and for his friendship. He will be missed. Please accept my deepest condolences, Chris and his family. Brian Hindley

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Al Sandilands donated to CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY - SOCIÉTÉ CANADIENNE DU CANCER

Friday, July 21, 2023

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Al Sandilands planted a tree in memory of Gregory Pope

Friday, July 21, 2023

My deepest condolences to Chris and the rest of Greg's family. I will really miss him. Join in honoring their life - plant a memorial tree

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Anonymous planted a tree in memory of Gregory Pope

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

So sorry to hear of Gregs passing. It was an honour to work with s Greg at OPG. He was always a dedicated and consummate professional in all he did. Join in honoring their life - plant a memorial tree

A Memorial Tree was planted for Gregory Pope

Wednesday, July 19, 2023

We are deeply sorry for your loss ~ the staff at George Darte Funeral Chapel Inc. Join in honoring their life - plant a memorial tree

Gregory Fredrick Pope

1946 - 2023

Plant a tree in memory of Gregory

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