Prince George, B.C. – “It’s not personal, It’s strictly business.” –Michael Corleone from “The Godfather”.

A well-known leader of the B.C. labour movement has succinctly expressed the amazement many people felt following a Ben Meisner interview.

This message has just been received by 250 News.  It comes from Jim Sinclair:

“I first met Ben more than 16 years ago when I was elected president of the B.C. Federation of Labour.  I was in town and one of the rites of passage was to go on the “Meisner” show.  Everyone warned me to be ready for a rough ride.  This guy was crazy, he hated labour, he would attack me…..I went into the studio that day thinking I was going three rounds with a combination of Cassius Clay and Rafe Mair on steroids.”

“When the dust settled a half hour later I must have done okay because Meisner leaned over with that twinkle in his eye and smiling, he said, you aren’t half bad at this, we might have to do this again.  We did, many times of course.  But that first day I walked out of there and, despite the shock on some of my friends’ faces, said “I really like this guy.”  It was the beginning of a friendship that would last until he passed.”

“Ben was not just a media person he was a voice, a big voice, for common sense and for ordinary folks who needed to have someone give a damn about their lives.  He was not afraid to put it to anyone, no matter how powerful they were, even the premier of the province.  Even if, in the end, it would cost him his job.”

“When times were tough, he just dug deeper into that part of himself that refused to let anyone push him around.  He and Elaine founded Opinion 250.  It was a huge task but they did it because they believed in a truly free press, not just one in name only.  He created his own local radio show.  No one would ever silence Ben Meisner.”

“It was never a job, so Ben could never retire.  He never did stop.  The last time I talked to him he told me, “Sinclair you’re like me.  You cannot retire because you would just sit at home and bang your head against the wall.”

“Some have said it will be hard to imagine the north without Ben Meisner.  They got it wrong.  It is hard to imagine the world without Ben Meisner, so I’m not going to.  I will continue to imagine a world with Ben, a world where the truth means something goddammit, where ordinary folks are important.  A world where courage counts and fighting for what you believe in is as much a part of your life as the air you breath and the water you drink.  And a world where the sound of this man’s voice and his laughter will continue to echo across the province wherever people stand up for what is right.”

“Thanks Ben for your friendship and your enormous contribution to all our lives.  We will continue on.”

Jim Sinclair