Edward “Ted” Byers: Outdoorsman. IT whiz. Frisbee champion. Father. Born April 10, 1963, in Ponoka, Alta.; died Feb. 7, 2022, in Arundel, Que., of a heart attack; aged 58.
Courtesy of family
Born in central Alberta, Ted was raised in Thunder Bay, Ont., and his heart forever remained there. He grew up skiing at Loch Lomond and spending summers at the family cottage on Dog Lake. He developed ease and competence around all things out-of-doors.
But the big city beckoned and Ted moved to Montreal in 1981 to attend McGill University, becoming one of the first graduates of the Management of Information Systems program. He brought his unique blend of Thunder Bay practicality, warmth and wit to the more cosmopolitan delights of Montreal. He enjoyed weekend races with the McGill ski team, trips to Quebec Winter Carnival and many nights listening to live music with friends as he took initial steps toward building a career in information technology.
In Montreal, he also discovered ultimate Frisbee and joined a community of players that became lifelong friends. Ted’s athletic ability, high tolerance for physical discomfort, determination and fearlessness made him an extraordinarily talented ultimate player. He was a member of the Canadian Men’s Master Ultimate team that won the silver medal in the Ultimate World Championship in 1994.
Ted’s toughness and practicality were never more apparent than when he lived in the “shed,” a wooden room attached precariously to the kitchen of his roommates’ Montreal walk-up. He was no longer a student and worked full time but the shed – dark and unheated through frigid Montreal winters, sweltering and humid in the summer – saved him money and cemented his reputation as a man of physical and mental fortitude.
While his professional and sporting career flourished in Montreal, Ted wanted his own piece of the wilderness. He bought land in the woods north of Montreal, home to a simple A-frame cabin, a walk-in/ski-in camp without running water or electricity. It was known variously as “the Shack” or “Ted’s Resort and Gulag.” The latter nickname was due to the work involved in visiting Ted’s little piece of paradise. He revelled in the physical challenges and focused his considerable energies (and those of his friends) on building a sauna, a nod to his Thunder Bay roots. Ted felled the trees, debarked, dried, cut and fit them together to build his wood-fired sauna on the edge of the lake. It became the centre of many happy days and nights for those fortunate to receive invitations.
Ted also met Lynn in Montreal, they married and together welcomed a daughter they named Alberta (Ali) in 1997. Ted was a devoted father determined to ensure that his daughter was as comfortable in the outdoors as he was. He always said that you could be comfortable in any weather as long as you were dressed right, and Ted found nature wherever he was, even among the cars and concrete. When Ali was small, they set out for a rainy day walk around Montreal. The streets were deserted but they had a great time exploring and stomping in puddles. As she grew up, Ali and Ted enjoyed longer hiking, skiing and paddling expeditions throughout Quebec and Ontario. Ted’s pride in and love for Ali was clear; being Ali’s father was the centre of his life.
After Ted and Lynn parted ways he found his forever home in Arundel, Que., in a charming farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Laurentians.
It became the nexus of many happy memories for friends and family, the scene of early morning walks through the mist, hikes to hidden lakes and nightcaps around the fire. Before his unexpected death, Ted was building a canoe by hand, a project that reflected his lifelong interests and talents.
Friends and family know they can find Ted whenever they venture outdoors, admire the craftsmanship of handmade goods or pause in the quiet moments before sunrise.
Kathryn Anthonisen is Ted Byers’s long-time friend.
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