Tragic accident in Australia claims life of St. Mary grad

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Halyk said his friend was always fearless and willing to try crazy things.

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“I can’t think of a time when Nigel said, ‘Oh maybe this isn’t a good idea,’” said Halyk. “It was always, ‘Oh this is going to be so much fun.’ He never weighed the negatives of anything.”

Throughout highschool, Halyk and Weir were volleyball and basketball teammates. They were also both members of the Smashing Bananas volleyball team, and would often train together.

“He would wake up, drive 45 minutes into town, pick me up and we would go to the gym at 7 a.m.,” said Halyk. “We’d do that every morning throughout high school and I was greeted with that smile and that laugh every morning.”

Halyk recalls the last time he saw Weir. It was the day after Craven, last summer.  Halyk and some of Weir’s other friends had bought him a plane ticket from Calgary. Weir, after enduring a long and busy weekend, was then forced to drive to Calgary from Regina.

“Everybody has a great Nigel story,” said Halyk. “If you just ask them, they’ll say something about his laugh or his smile.”

“The way he brightened everybody’s life was pretty special.”

Brielle Marie, Weir’s grade 12 graduation escort, shared her emotions on Facebook.

“So many memories are flooding my mind right now. I am so honestly so devastated and I send my love and support to the family. Nigel Weir, I know you are with the big man in the sky. Keep us safe and protected buddy,” she wrote.

“You were a crazy, loving, funny, goofy and hard-working man. You always had your friend’s backs, even if it was you two against the world. You never backed down from a challenge and always were striving to be better,”‘ posted Koleban Paziuk.

Weir’s parents flew out to Australia to bring the body home, according to Halyk.

He said they aren’t sure of the date for his funeral yet but there is a tentative plan to hold a memorial on June 27.

nmaxwell@panow.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell