WHELLY, James "Jim" Joseph of Bridgewater, aged 86 years and 5 days, died unexpectedly at home on June 27, 2019. Born in Dartmouth in 1933, he was the eldest child of James and Marguerite "Peggy" (O’Neill) Whelly. He was predeceased by brothers John, Emmett and Peter. He will be mourned by wife Janet Clark and sisters Mary Talbot and Clare McIntyre, and brother Michael, all of Dartmouth, and Zetta Whelly-Southwell of Edmonton. Also surviving are sons Sean, NWT and Brendan and daughters Moragh, BC and Dorin, their mother Grace, several grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and well-loved nieces, nephews and in-laws. In his early years in Dartmouth Jim paddled competitively at the MicMac AAC, and carried his enthusiasm and skill at canoeing with him wherever he went. He attended St. Mary’s University, worked in radio in NB and made his way to Alberta where he reported for the Canadian Press. He spent most of his working life in the NWT. He established The Norther, the first daily newspaper in the NWT, and worked with CBC Broadcasting in Fort Smith. For several years he worked as a consultant to the Territorial government, organizing celebrations for the NWT Centennial and other events. He became Executive Assistant to the Commissioner of the NWT, organizing royal tours and other special events, and met Queen Elizabeth, Prince Phillip, Prime Ministers and other dignitaries. He met Janet while helping produce the Arctic Winter games for Hay River. In 1984, they moved to Bridgewater to be near family and take up new jobs. Jim worked for Tri-Town Cable for several years, at the same time providing care for Janet’s elderly mother until her death. An avid outdoorsman, Jim hiked and paddled with Janet all over the NWT and NS. He organized a Bridgewater Dragon Boat team to compete as the oldest team in annual races in Dartmouth. He was a founding member of the Pleasant River Outdoor Society and with those dear friends, Jim and Janet enjoyed more than 20 years paddling and companionship in the outdoors. Jim was a wonderful raconteur and kept friends and sometimes strangers spellbound with his stories of adventures in the North and elsewhere. We all hoped he would write his life story before he left us. He was kind, generous and witty--a great friend and good man who was loved and will be missed by many. Thank you to Dr. Everett Weagle for his care and understanding. Cremation has taken place under the direction of the R.A Corkum Funeral Home, Wileville. A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at a later date. On-line condolences may be made by visiting www.corkumfuneralhome.ca