Community says “Good-bye Ben”

Fellow Broadcaster Gordon Leighton

Colleague Peter Ewart

Justice Glen Parrett

These were some of the many descriptions, anecdotes and memories that were shared Saturday as the community gathered to say good bye to Ben Meisner.

Just under a thousand people came to the Prince George Civic Centre to share tears and memories of the long time broadcaster who passed away earlier this month.

Friend and Fellow Broadcaster Gordon Leighton says Meisner’s daily talk show with an opinion piece showed his “tiger within.”

“And you know, each of us lives in a private world, alone, trapped by our own opinions, limited by our own attitudes, guided by our own experiences,” says Leighton, “we escaped a little bit when we invited Ben into our private world, so that we could hear his opinion, so we could be stimulated by his perspective, so we could enjoy some ‘ah-ha’ moments like ‘hadn’t thought of that before.’

Leighton says Meisner’s dogged defence of the Nechako River also showed his passion for Northern BC and its resources.

Peter Ewart, Friend and Colleague, says Meisner’s early years can be described as “hard-scrabbled.”

“His father, as a result of trauma from the Second World War was hospitalized and never recovered,” says Ewart, “his mother, cheated out of a pension, and flung into poverty, scrubbed floors to put food on the table for the family, herself, illiterate, she insisted, that Ben go to school to learn how to read and write, and above all to stand up for himself.”

Ewart says in all his years of submitting columns to Meisner’s 250 News web site, he never once asked him to reconsider a column with his own personal viewpoint.

Justice Glen Parrett, says even though he grew up in Saskatchewan, and lived all across the country, he was, is and will always be a consummate Northerner.

“Ben was in many respects a remarkable human being, he was completely at home talking to people from any walk of life, and from any background” says Parrett, “the key to this was the fact that he was genuinely interested in their stories and their lives.”

Meisner was 76 and is survived by his wife, son, daughters, and numerous family members.