Last week, I was shocked to learn that my dear friend Asher Webb had passed away. It was very unexpected, and most definitely accidental.
I first met Asher online in the late 1990s, as he was one of the few Winnipeggers whom had a web presence at the time. He had some quotes on his web page, espousing positivity, and I had messaged him to compliment him on that. We began to exchange emails more regularly and eventually we began hanging out at his Exchange District haunt.
Asher wasn’t just a dear friend of mine; he was a friend of the community.
He is best known as the executive director of the Osborne Village Business Improvement Zone (1996-2007) and organizer of the fabulous Canada Day festivals in the village during his run as the ED. He was responsible for co-ordinating Winnipeg’s first public conference on HIV & AIDS.
He was also involved as a board member of the Graffiti Gallery, the Gas Station Theatre and was one of the founders of Gio’s Club and Bar, an institution in the Winnipeg gay community. He was also instrumental in Glen Murray’s campaign to be Mayor in 1998 as one of Murray’s campaign leaders. In fact, it was Murray who was one of the first to know of his passing.
Asher was passionate about everything he did, and he wasn’t afraid to let you know if he disagreed with you. And if you had a bad day, he was the first to hold you and assure you that whatever was causing you stress would pass. Asher was a friend to many and his presence provided profound comfort for so many people.
Even though Asher has passed on, he will live forever in our hearts and I will do my best to honour his spirit in doing more of what he did; caring.
“Dreams are reality yet manifested…GO FOR IT!” ~ Asher Webb
