Its the end of an era on Bell Island.

A man whose very name was synonymous with Bell Island passed away on the weekend at the age of 67.

Former MHA David Brazil is remembering long-time mayor Gary Gosine as a dedicated public servant who continued his family’s legacy of entrepreneurship and community involvement.

Brazil cites Gosine’s Trucking, a company Gary ran for years, as an example.

He says Gosine’s Trucking helped people get established on the mainland (typically Gault, now Cambridge, Ontario) when the mines closed on Bell Island, but they also helped bring Bell Islanders back home when they retired. “What people don’t realise” says Brazil, is “there are times when, because of the economics, people couldn’t afford to pay Gary and them for moving, and they absorbed that. They understood they wanted to give people a fresh start, and that just speaks volumes about their humanitarian side and how much they cared for people.”

Gosine stepped down as mayor of Wabana last year after 35 years of public service.