Helena WEIDER

WEIDER, Helena
HELENA WEIDER (1906-2008) Helena died peacefully on January 22, 2008, in her 102nd year at Bay Haven Senior Care Community in Collingwood. This remarkable woman was married to Jozo Weider, with whom she founded the Blue Mountain Resort in 1941, which they developed into Ontario's leading ski resort, along with Blue Mountain Po tter y. Blue Mountain Pottery also became a major business until it was sold by the Weiders in 1965. Helena married Jozo in 1936, af ter ski vacations at his mountain chalet in Slovakia. The family immigrated to Canada in 1939 and arrived at Blue Mountain in 1941 after stints of homesteading in the Peace River district in British Columbia and ski instructing in Quebec. After Jozo's tragic death in 1971, Helena applied her great energy and ability to traveling and writing and assisting her considerable extended family. She learned to speak and write in Spanish during a long sojourn on the south coast of Spain, where she renovated homes and wrote two books, Mountain Ballad, a narrative poem and Tales from Andalucia, a collection of short stories. On her return to Canada she continued to write and completed a memoir for her family near the end of her life. Helena was crushed when she lost her twin daughters Katherine Canning and Anna Marik in 2007, but she retained her indomitable spirit to the end. She is survived by her children George and Helen; their spouses Barbara Weider and Don McGillivray; sons-in law Gordon Canning and Josef Marik; grandchildren Andrea Canning, Te ssa and To ny Marik, Alec, James and Gillian McGillivray, Katherine and Michael Weider. She also leaves seven great grandchildren. The family has made private funeral arrangements, but friends of the family are welcome to attend a memorial gathering planned for later this year. This is to be held at the Village Conference Centre at Blue Mountain on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at 11:00 AM. In place of flowers please consider a donation to the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital Foundation, (705) 444-8645. The family is deeply grateful to Helena's physician, Dr. Peter Savage, and to the staff at Bay Haven, who provided affectionate care during Helena's years there. Friends may visit Mrs. Weider's on-line book of condolences at www.fawcettfuneralhomes.com