Terry Cottam, formally born Terrence R. Cottam in Montreal on July 12th 1958, lived in the capital though briefly in Montreal, in Toronto, in Poland and even in Resolute, toured Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong and many other countries before coming back to us with a will to rectify the worlds worst ways.
His life spanned the length of forty years mostly dedicated to challenge any system, institution, and yes -in the most friendly manner possible- even individuals. He joined the human rights struggle at an early age, and never hesitated to take the first lines to defend what was upon profound reflection to be the utmost Just Thing To Do. Terry seldom thought of himself at all; preferring in all things to see the good of the multitudes and the objective long term well being of the community before his own. He was generous to a fault and will always represent in my mind the man ready to offer his life to save another's. In fact I believe that this is what he may have been trying to tell me/…us during these trying times of the M.A.I., the accountability campaigns, Y2K and concurrently the CW or Community Ways involvement.
He had the self discipline to help organise one the first successful continental-wide Boycott of giants in the multinational corporations, giving us events for the Canadian Friends of Burma an example of profound selflessness and devotion to human growth potential and hope for a coherent and sustainable future. When Terry decides a cause was worth fighting for then the cause would make the headlines…!
This capacity to have his voice heard, despite himself being of a fragile constitution, defies the understanding of any not deeply morally inclined. He was not overly religious -though we discussed the issue to a standstill- but he knew about those who moulded heart of the earth: Mahatma, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and many outstanding apostles of humanity that I knew nothing about. Yes, Terry was a humanist; one of those that change the way we live and what's about us. He has changed history.
When I first became a familiar with him in the early nineties and we were nearing the end of adolescence, small talking, I remember telling him that in French his name could be understood to mean "Weaving Soul" or Soul-Weaving. He gave me a queer look and we fell a notch into a level much more intimate despite his disapproval of this secret name I had but read out of his driving acts. He helped me go through the grief of a common friend who died a year ago… another spirits free from matter. He was, like her and amongst many other gay guys, a considerable part of what embodies in what we know to be the realm of fantasy, the essence of being fey.
I had the chance to shyly observe our friend's great strength of mind during the late great seventies "refuse the cruise renewal of activism," if I remember well, then through the gay movement in walks, marches and parades, together we grew and lived, firstly in parallel directions and then, since 1997, together, through the preparations of our differences of approaches and then to their conjunction in a view of society. Looking back & trying to help him at work on his campaigns I know he based his actions from a purely caring dedication. Then came-unseen at first- the menace of the MAI; we all know how prompt Terry was to alert, the world over, the populations about this greedy deal. Like everyone he had his quirks; hey who doesn't ?
Among them the interest he had with astrology, he himself admitted to be quite good at starting an issue about an urgent subject but sometimes found that he couldn't run them himself like they should have; he was looking for a better democracy. Terry left every one's voice to be heard. In the end when it came to work in a team he was helpful to us all.
Besides being the most tolerant and caring lover, a maker of History, a saint in all but name he was certainly one of the most spiritual personality of my generation that I was given to have had the chance of knowing, working and living with.