The Village of Anmore will honour its first mayor, Hal Weinberg, who died Jan. 25.
In a post on its Facebook page, the village said it is consulting with Weinberg’s family to come up with an appropriate way to honour his legacy.
Weinberg, who was 90 when he succumbed to a brief illness, moved to Anmore in the 1970s and was acclaimed as its first mayor after it was incorporated as an independent village in 1987, an initiative he also spearheaded along with his wife, Linda, and Greenpeace founder Bob Hunter.
Since Weinberg’s passing was announced, some people have suggested on social media a fitting tribute would be to rename the village’s new Community Hub in his honour while others said putting his name to Spirit Park might be more appropriate.
In a post on her Facebook page, Linda Weinberg said despite her husband’s concerns about the cost of the $8.5-million building that opened just last month, “Hal would be delighted that there is once again a place for the community to gather for meetings and celebrations.”
She added, “His goal was always for Anmore to have its own village hall.”
Weinberg was a renowned neurophysiologist who was among the first cohort of faculty at Simon Fraser University when it opened in 1965. He served as Anmore’s mayor until 2009.
In 2013, Weinberg received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the following year he was awarded an Order of B.C.
While the Weinberg’s moved to Vancouver Island last September, where their daughter, Leah, operates a pair of natural general stores and cafés, they remained engaged in the local scene. Linda, in particular, continued to comment on social media about affairs at Anmore council, and shared posts about community happenings.
