‘Snowman Joe’ returns for another campaign

BY ANDY BLATCHFORD

andy.blatchford@transcontinental.ca



Even after his 80th birthday, Joe Boucher’s zest remained ageless.

The Dollard des Ormeaux resident could be counted on as an enthusiastic participant in his grandchildren’s activities.

“Whatever we were doing with the kids, he was there,� his daughter Louise Arnott said last week. “It was his playful nature. He was a big kid himself.�

One of his favourite winter projects was crafting snowmen, Arnott said. Not average-sized bonhommes de neige, but giants. The frosty behemoths often stood more than seven feet tall, she said.

But in October 1999, Boucher was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. There is no known cure to the terminal illness.

Days after Boucher died in November 2000, Arnott’s husband, Wayne, decided to drive to the local arena and gather snow that had been dumped outside by the Zamboni. He told her the family was going to build a snowman in memory of Joe.

“I said, ‘We’re going to do what?’� Arnott recalled. But they did it.

The following November, the family, along with friends, built Snowman Joe for the second time. The gang collected money for the ALS Society of Canada. Snowman Joe and the drive to spread awareness about ALS has been a West Island fixture every November since.

Last year, $1,000 was amassed through donations and proceeds from the sale of Snowman Joe items, Arnott said.

As a long-term goal, she hopes to see multiple Snowman Joes erected across Canada on the same day in a collaborative effort to support the ALS Society.

“I know there’s so many causes out there, but we always have to pick and choose what is closest to our heart,� Arnott said.

Snowman Joe will be outside the Dollard des Ormeaux Civic Centre on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. A table will be set up inside the building where people can give to the ALS Society by purchasing Snowman Joe key chains, greeting cards, notepads and desktop calendars.

Snowman Joe is also slated to appear all day at Pointe Claire Plaza on Nov. 16

and 17.