Valley Lives - Lindsay McClinton

The following article first appeared in "The Low Down to Hull and Back News" in the November 24, 2004 issue. Reprinted with permission.

Crowd pays tribute to stalwart

by Bob Mellor

An overflow crowd of friends and relatives gathered at the McGarry chapel in Wakefield Nov. 21 to bid farewell to Lindsay McClinton, a popular stalwart of the Canadian Ski Patrol at Vorlage for 27 years, known throughout the Gatineau. Observers remarked that the crowd could have filled a cathedral.

McClinton, 69, passed away as a result of heart complications on Nov. 18 after a long illness.

Valley Lives
Lindsay McClinton.

Prior to his illness, he had been model of fitness as a result of his lifelong skiing and summer biking. At 66, he undertook to qualify as a ski instructor with the Canadian Ski Instructors' Alliance, and having succeeded, then taught skiing for the next three years after giving up leadership of the Vorlage patrol. Along the way, he had become a senior first aid instructor with the patrol and won the organization's top award as Canadian Ski Patroller.

McClinton was born in Wakefield on the family farm, but spent most of his working life in Hull, joining the E.B. Eddy Co. in 1953. He was a technical service and sales representative for the company - a troubleshooter who travelled across the continent. Colleagues said nobody in North America knew more about papermaking.

He retired in 1996 but was still being called on to handle company problems.

He married Yvette Pilon of Martindale, who succeeds him, in 1959. Together they had three children, and later saw the arrival of six grandchildren.

Dave DeBelle, who knew McClinton for 30 years, said of him: "The unique quality which he had which I will always remember was his demonstrated love of his kids. Naturally he doted on his family, and when grandchildren arrived they were his focus in life. Lindsay would talk to his "Kids" directly and never talk down to them.

"He knew how. So he was also "Pappy" to the 10 year olds who were maybe doing things on hill they shouldn't, and he could bring them in line easily and quickly with his words.

Perhaps it was the twinkle in his eye and the hint of a smile that softened his reprimands. Children can sense when adults like them".

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