Al Tweddle was a great man. We became friends about a year after the Kennedy family first moved into Orléans. I had received a flat “no” (actually three), from the local Parks & Rec guy, when I asked if I could start a children’s paddling program at Petrie Island. I needed a new angle. A firefighter friend tipped me off that “nothing” happens at Petrie unless Al gives his blessing. The next day I looked him up, and sent him a heartfelt essay about how I grew up outside- I was always either playing in the woods or paddling on the lake, and I felt that that was the healthiest place for kids to be. Al invited me down to the island, so he could show me around. On that first day, he literally pointed to the swath of beach we currently occupy, and said, “That would be a great place for a canoe club”. I agreed. Al rang up Councillor Monette, and together, the three of us went to City Hall, to ask the General Manager of Parks & Rec for permission to start a learn-to-kayak program.
Petrie Island Canoe Club was made possible because Al saw the canoe club as a positive asset for the community, and an appropriate use of the island he so loved.
In the early days, the guys at Friends of Petrie Island helped me build kayak racks and A-frame signs. They cleared out room in their shed to give us a secure place to store all of our equipment, loaned us a safety boat, and welcomed us into the FOPI cabin to wait out thunderstorms. Over the years, FOPI and PICC collaborated on many nature-ey projects. Club kids helped cut down invasive species, dig gravel, haul bricks, plant trees, catch specimens, and basically do whatever Friends of Petrie Island needed done that week. Al was perpetually gruff, but never unkind. He was a practical man whose rare smiles belied an excellent sense of humour, and a tremendous generosity of spirit.
Al died peacefully on May 1st, surrounded by his wonderful family. He will be deeply missed.