Westmount community loses James Wright

The 64-year-old Kensington Avenue resident, whose community involvement included the presidency of the Westmount Municipal Association prior to his election to city council, served two terms as councillor for Ward 6 from 1991 to 1999.

According to Sûreté du Québec reports, Wright was killed by a powerful explosion at the family's lakeside cottage in the Laurentian community of Entrelacs. The cause of the explosion has yet to be determined by investigators, but initial reports indicated that there were propane tanks at the cottage.

Also killed was 33-year-old Algerian biochemist Meriem Maza, described by friends as almost an adopted daughter to the Wrights who had lived with the family while studying at McGill University on a Sauvé scholarship — a program of which Wright was director.

Wright's wife, Nancy, was not in the house at the time, but was seriously injured in the blast. She is currently in Sacré Coeur Hospital and is expected to recover.

News of the tragedy spread quickly through Westmount over the weekend, prompting a flurry of tributes from friends and colleagues.

Mayor Karin Marks, who sat next to Wright on city council, said it is rare to find such community-minded people as James and Nancy Wright. "Jim was very well known in the community and was respected and liked by all," Marks wrote in an official statement from City Hall (see page 3). "His passing has left a significant hole in the fabric of our community. He was a prominent community activist and worked throughout his life for causes and organizations, especially those that encouraged and supported young people."

Don Wedge, a long-time director of the Westmount Municipal Association and a keen council observers for many years, remembers Wright as a dedicated volunteer who was always there for his community. "He was ready to help with any aspect of Westmount — or McGill, his other community — with his dry, witty approach to problems," Wedge writes in this week's Civic Alert column (see page 7). "I personally appreciated his help when launching the e-mail version of Civic Alert."

Long-time Examiner journalist Andy Dodge described Wright as an icon in the Westmount community. "His spirit, his wisdom, his enthusiasm and his sensitivity were all standards we looked up to," Dodge stated this week. "He should be lauded as much for his service to his country as his service to the community. We wish Nancy a speedy recovery and all our sympathies."

Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced, but will be made available on the City of Westmount website (www.westmount.org) as soon as they are available.