Remembering Bryan Pearson, Iqaluit's first mayor and local businessman

One of Iqaluit's most colourful characters has died after 60 years as a businessman, politician and impresario in the city.

Bryan Pearson died Wednesday after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year. He was 82.

Originally from Liverpool, U.K., Pearson arrived in Frobisher Bay at age 21 to work for the DEW Line. He went on to run a taxi business, establish the Arctic Ventures general store and open the Astro Theatre. 

• 'I made a life here:' Iqaluit's first mayor, and curmudgeon-in-chief, dead at 82

In a statement, Iqaluit's current mayor, Madeleine Redfern, offered condolences to Pearson's family and friends. 

"As the founding mayor for the City of Iqaluit, Bryan held a strong vision for this capital city, one that included long-term prosperous growth for business and residents," Redfern writes. 

"Not only was he a very colourful individual, he was also a very passionate person, who cared as much about his family as he did for the city he lived in for most of his life."

'The language was salty'

Senator Dennis Patterson was a political rival ("but that doesn't necessarily mean enemy") to Pearson, running — and winning — against him in the territorial legislature.

"I remember when I was elected in 1979 and it was a surprise to me — and undoubtedly a bigger surprise to him," he said.

"The news director at CBC at the time asked him for a comment on my election. Fortunately the interview was taped, because the language was salty and certainly not suitable for a family audience."

Patterson credits Pearson with having put "the Eastern Arctic and Iqaluit on the map in the far-away territorial council in Yellowknife, where the Eastern Arctic was not always high on the agenda."

"Bryan would not tolerate any overlooking of the huge needs of the Eastern Arctic."

He describes Pearson in his later years as a "friendly curmudgeon who was always ready with opinions and advice."

Health Minister George Hickes said Pearson always knew what the Iqaluit MLA was working on and could be counted on for comments and criticism.

"He set the bar for a lot of people — to not become complacent in what they're doing, to always strive for better and to push the people around you to be better human beings and better residents."

The City of Iqaluit's flag has been lowered to half-mast outside city hall, as well as the territorial flags outside the Nunavut legislative assembly.