Passing of Gunther Golinia touches many in Prince Rupert; Go Fund Me page launched to help assist with operations

A popular presence in Prince Rupert has passed away, with 
the Prince Rupert Wildlife Shelter advising the community of the
passing of Gunther Golinia
(photo from Go Fund Me page)

Some Sad news from the Prince Rupert Wildlife Shelter, with word of the passing of Gunther Golinia, with the much loved and respected advocate for animals in the community passing away earlier this month.

Gunther and his wife Nancy have been operating the Wildlife Shelter for over three decades, a familiar location found at the eastern end of 11th Avenue East which has largely existed through the generosity of local residents and businesses.

As it was unregistered non-profit society it relied mainly on the work of volunteers and the donations from the community.

The shelter has been a destination for many residents young and old over the years, where they assisted the Golinia's in their mission towards animals and their recovery; as well as to serve as a hands on educational space to learn more about the animals that were brought there.

The news of Gunther's passing was relayed in a posting to a Go Fund Me page that has been created to help provide funds towards the costs of operation for the shelter on the city's east side.

Gunther Golinia passed away on November 13th after a long battle with diabetes. Nancy, his wife, is now the sole barer of all the responsibilities of the operation. If you can assist the shelter by making a donation, please do so! Any donation are greatly appreciated and will help ensure the continued survival of the shelter and the wildlife for this region. -- From the Go Fund Me page created to assist with the Shelters operations

As of this morning, 36 donors have contributed $1,990 towards the initial goal of $25,000, you can access the Go Fund Me page here.

Last year, North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice brought an award of recognition to the Golinia's for their three decades of service to the community, highlighting both the work and the challenges that the couple faced as they cared for wildlife in the region.

As word began to make its way across the region, the first of the tributes began to appear, with Prince Rupert Mayor Lee Brain among the first to express his condolences using his social media page to share some thoughts.

As more are made public, we will record them on this post.

More notes from the Community can be explored from our archive page here.