Paul Guy Minvielle

MINVIELLE, Paul Guy
April 1, 1939 - July 30, 2025

Paul was born on April 1, 1939, in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, son to Guy and Catherine Minvielle. The youngest in his family, Paul was predeceased by his siblings, Edme, Simone, and Monique. He is survived by his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild.

World War II saw his father Guy conscripted to fight for France later in 1939, not by the French government but rather a domineering and overly patriotic Grandmother, and it was not until after the war, in 1945, that Paul truly came to know his father. The family moved about the prairies, living in Regina, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg.

Paul was active in the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets and proudly served aboard HMCS Swansea. A skilled marksman, he became the top cadet shot in the country in the 1950s. Though the medal was lost by the RCSC Corps, it was restored to him in the 1990s by Canada's Admiral of the Pacific Fleet. Paul often recounted his time onboard HMCS Swansea when the ship hunted a Russian submarine in the Caribbean.

As a youth, Paul was captivated by the television series Big Town, which followed the fictional Illustrated Press. Inspired by its themes, Paul launched his first foray into journalism with a handwritten underground newspaper at St. Paul's High School in Winnipeg called The Unillustrated Press, which was ultimately shut down by Father Mahon. He went on to attend St. Paul's College at the University of Manitoba, where he became Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Paulinian. His passion for writing was cemented early.

Still, he needed to make ends meet. Paul worked for the CNR Dining Car, earning about $400 per month plus the same again in tips. He saved his money but traded it all for a $35-a-week job as a Copy Boy at the Winnipeg Tribune. In that role, he learned the inner workings of the newspaper business.

It was in Winnipeg that Paul met the love of his life, Loretta Pushka, a nursing student from Angusville, Manitoba, attending the St. Boniface School of Nursing. They met at a Grey Cup party, married shortly thereafter, and remained devoted partners for more than 62 years until his passing.

When a promised reporter position did not materialize at the Winnipeg Tribune, Paul moved on to the Brandon Sun as a sportswriter, penning a column called Sports Whirl. It was also in Brandon that the first of the couple's four children-Michelle and Aaron-were born.
Paul's ambition then led the family to Lanigan, Saskatchewan, where he founded The Lanigan Progress, a weekly newspaper launched during the construction boom of a nearby potash mine. Though critically well received, it proved financially unsustainable and was eventually sold to the Humboldt Journal.

With time on his hands, Paul took the family to Expo '67 in Montreal. On a side trip to Hamilton, Ontario, he was offered a position with The Hamilton Spectator. He later described the following five years as the most exciting of his life. As the crime reporter, Paul investigated organized crime in and around Hamilton. It was also during these years that the family grew with the arrival of Robert and Jason.

Paul's career next took him to Reader's Digest, where he headed the Special Book Division. He served as Associate Editor of Explore Canada and Editor of Scenic Wonders of Canada. He also contributed freelance work to Reader's Digest Magazine and wrote the BC section of Handpicked Tours of North America.
While researching Scenic Wonders of Canada in his Westmount office during a blizzard, Paul came across a paper on Canada's Gulf Islands. He recalled a vow he made as a Sea Cadet flying over Salt Spring Island in the early 1950s: one day, he would live there. In 1976, after completing his commitments at Reader's Digest, Paul and Loretta moved the family to Salt Spring. Renting the green-and-white cottage atop Lee's Hill, Paul's bedroom window now overlooked pastoral fields filled with sheep-a far cry from his Montreal office window.

On Salt Spring, Paul commuted on the Fulford Harbour-Swartz Bay ferry to work for Hansard at the BC Legislature. He also served as an ambulance driver on the island. The family eventually purchased a home on Creekside Drive, where Paul built an expansive garden and numerous outbuildings, including a chicken house and goat barn-one later converted into accommodations. When the garden outgrew the property, the family purchased the property known as The Kitchen Farm.

Professionally, Paul joined The Victoria Times, only to lose his position after its merger with The Daily Colonist to form the Times-Colonist. He was later rehired by the new paper as an Editorial Writer, a position he held for the next 19 years, commuting daily from Salt Spring until his retirement.

The Kitchen Farm became Château Minvielle when Paul and Loretta built a French-style chateau with a tower, completed in 1987. Over the years, the farm produced strawberries, vegetables, and eggs, supplying local restaurants throughout the 1990s. Paul was also an active member and past director of the Salt Spring Island Farmers' Institute.

Later, Paul turned his focus to Bigleaf Maple Syrup production, building his own Sugar Shack and sharing his expertise with visiting school groups and at the Maple Syrup Festival at the BC Forestry Centre in Duncan. Once he had mastered syrup-making, he devoted himself to growing dahlias, preparing his entries for the Fall Fair year after year. He was still immersed in his flowers right until the end.

The morning after a sunny day in the garden, Paul passed away unexpectedly during knee-replacement surgery at Victoria General Hospital, with family by his side.

Paul will be remembered as one of the friendliest people on Salt Spring Island. He loved to stop and talk-often at length-picking up hitchhikers and making strangers into friends. As much as he loved to talk, Paul also knew how to listen. He carried within him an extraordinary memory for the details of people's lives, making each encounter meaningful and lasting.

In his garden, his writing, and his conversations, Paul cultivated community. His legacy lives on in every story he told, every flower he grew, and every person whose life he touched.

A celebration of life will be held on October 11, 2025, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, at the Farmers' Institute Hall on Salt Spring Island.
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