I first met Terry at a set of protests in front of Parliament Hill, one sunny Canada Day in the early 1990's. He was alone, with a solitary handlettered placard - screaming neon orange with black lettering, protesting PetroCanada's involvement in the destruction of teakforests in Southeast Asia. I was with fellow OPIRGies , including my then partner Reid Cooper, who felt drawn to him, walked over and started to talk.
I wasn't so sure! ;) There was a wild look in the man's eyes, and I can be cautious. Reid knew something I didn't I suppose :-) ; that moment, Reid going to Terry, as I stayed with my ragtag band of fellow OPIRG-Carleton's James Bay Working Group members at our info kiosk [protesting the damage that would be caused were James Bay built] changed my life in ways I could never have predicted. In good ways. It is etched in my memory forever.
Later I and Terry shared a house with fellow activist Kris M. Though sometimes we did not agree on everything, for the three of us are passionate and stubborn ;) it was a community of spirit - and we continued after, as before, working together on social justice issues and winning. :)
Together with Reid and myself and Michael Richardson and many many other friends and collegues involved in community work and social justice and environmental work, Terry kept his nose to the social justice grindstone. He was a comrade in arms at the OPIRG-Carleton office where we both did our volunteer work. And he worked on cause after cause, drumming up support, writing brochures and flyers, painting banners, spreading information, and rattling the cages of some pretty powerful decision makers.
And winning! He was a brave, determined and fierce fighter for the rights of others.
Losing Terry is like losing a part of my family. :-(
I have a lot of memories of Terry, he was a friend, though we did not always agree on things :), he was an inspiration. We shared a lot of interests, some of which some people thought we were crazy to be concerned about, till the rest of the bandwagon followed.
But what I remember most was his bright spirit, the twinkle in his eyes,his razor sharp political analysis, his curly hair and quick grin and his laugh.
Oh How I will miss that laugh... :-(
Terry Cottam was always ahead of his time, leading the pack with the rest of us supposedly crazed activists, acting as a change agent to make the world a better place, here and now, with words and deeds and courage.
He could be tempramental but he was a loving and creative soul; and a much better editor than I'll likely ever be. :}
So wherever you are, blessed be, Terry, dear... may your spirit shine on...