Advocate remembered for work with veterans
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Sydney man’s family to continue his battle for veterans rights
Sydney man’s family to continue his battle for veterans rights
The late Vince Rigby served in Cyprus and Bosnia during 22-year military career
Jeremy Fraser
Published on February 10, 2017
Vince Rigby, right, is pictured with his son, Jacob, in this family photo. Vince Rigby’s body was found by firefighters in an abandoned Robert Street building during a fire in Whitney Pier on Monday.
WHITNEY PIER, N.S. — The family of a military veteran and advocate who died in a fire on Monday say they will continue fighting for veterans in Cape Breton.
My father helped as many people as he could, even when he was battling through his own stuff, Dad never gave up.
Jacob Rigby
Jacob Rigby
Sandra Rigby, wife of Vince Rigby, said her husband fought until the very end for veterans, something the family plans to continue in the future.
“He was still fighting, we were still fighting and we will continue fighting.”
Vince Rigby’s body was found by firefighters in an abandoned Robert Street building during a fire in Whitney Pier at around 9 p.m. on Monday.
Cape Breton Regional Police investigated the fire and ruled out any suspicion and foul play in the death of the Sydney man. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.
Rigby, 52, was a veteran and an advocate with Marijuana for Trauma, a company that helps those with post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and other medical conditions. He was the president of the Marijuana for Trauma/Veterans Helping Veterans office in Sydney.
He served in Cyprus and Bosnia to name just two postings in a 22-year career as a Canadian reservist. He had to leave the reserves in 2002 due to poor health. Rigby had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“He thought if he could get them (veterans) off their pills, and get them stable, they would be fine,” said Sandra Rigby. “Vince wanted another way to deal with his stress or to deal with his PTSD instead of just medication. He just wanted to help other veterans.”
Sandra Rigby said, from her understanding, her husband saw smoke coming from the vacant building and went in to see if anyone was inside.
“The power was on in the building too, and some nights when I drove by, the rooms had different lights on, so there was definitely someone in that house,” she said. “The outside light was on, there was footprints — the guys who called 911 said there were footprints there and around the house.”
Sandra Rigby said there are a lot of rumours going around as to what happened.
“I just want people to know, there are a lot of things going around that it was suicide, but it wasn’t,” she said. “There was no indication of suicide, not even from the medical examiners office.”
Sandra Rigby and her husband were together for 31 years. The couple had one son, Jacob, who currently lives in Edmonton, working as a pipefitter in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.
Jacob Rigby said his father was loved by everyone.
“My father helped me through everything, through sports and through life,” he said. “My father helped as many people as he could, even when he was battling through his own stuff, Dad never gave up.”
Jacob Rigby said he would like to see his father receive proper respect from the military.
“My father never got a medal that he should have got, so we will see what’s going to happen in the future.”
Vince Rigby was also among a group that helped get the Veterans Affairs office reopened in Sydney.
“We went all the way to Ottawa for meetings for that (Veterans Affairs office),” said Sandra Rigby. “He would not let it die — he thought the government should have showed the veterans more respect.”
Sandra Rigby said she first noticed her husband’s post-traumatic stress disorder when he returned from Bosnia.
“Vince was a fine, healthy man going over — he came back sick,” she said. “I was with Vince before he went over, and when he came back he was a totally different man, it was not Vince.”
Jacob Rigby said the family is going through a hard time right now, but they will get through it.
“We want to thank everybody for all the support and love, we couldn’t say enough,” he said.
Visitation will take place on Monday from 6-9 p.m. at Sydney Memorial Chapel, 49 Welton Street, Sydney. A mass is scheduled for Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Holy Redeemer Church in Whitney Pier, followed by a celebration of life service at the Whitney Pier Legion directly after the mass.
http://www.capebretonpost.com/news/local/2017/2/10/sydney-man_s-family-to-continue-his-battle-for-veterans-rights.html
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Military veteran who died in Whitney Pier fire called a 'beautiful soul'
Military veteran who died in Whitney Pier fire called a 'beautiful soul'
Friends believe Vince Rigby may have gone into burning building to see if anyone was inside
By Joan Weeks, CBC News Posted: Feb 09, 2017 4:30 PM AT Last Updated: Feb 09, 2017 6:09 PM AT
Vince Rigby, 57, was a well-known advocate for veterans, especially for those with PTSD.
Friends of a Cape Breton military veterans advocate who died in a Whitney Pier fire this week say he may have gone into the burning building thinking a homeless person was inside.
The body of Vince Rigby, 52, was found by firefighters in the abandoned building during a fire on Monday evening.
Property owner believes man killed in building fire was homeless, seeking warmth
Rigby was a veteran and well-known advocate with Marijuana for Trauma, a New Brunswick-headquartered company that seeks to help those with post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and other medical conditions.
Company founder Fabian Henry, a close friend of Rigby, called him a "beautiful soul" and said his loved ones can only speculate about what happened in the fire.
"Nobody really knows and we can only guess that Vince went in to see if anybody was inside a burning house in his neighborhood, like any of us would probably do, and didn't make it out somehow," Henry said.
"When you see a burning house in your neighbourhood, you think the worst, that people might be in there, like rumours of a homeless man in there. The type of guy Vince is he would have went in to see."
House was to be demolished
Cape Breton Regional Police say the fire was not suspicious and they have closed their investigation. A cause has not been released.
The building's owner, Danny Ellis, said the doors were nailed shut but a neighbor said one door was kicked open last week. Ellis was planning to demolish the house and build low income housing on the property.
Henry noted Rigby was one of the people in Cape Breton who fought to have the federal government reopen the Veterans Affairs office in Sydney.
"He was a proud supporter and a voice for us all."
Rigby protested closure of Sydney's Veteran's Affairs office
He said Rigby approached him two years ago to ask about opening a Marijuana for Trauma centre in Sydney, and he "couldn't imagine a better guy to lead the charge for us."
Joe MacGillivary (left) and Vince Rigby. Rigby helped launch the Marijuana for Trauma office in Sydney.
Like others in the group, Henry said Rigby suffered from PTSD. He said Rigby's family had to cope with his PTSD and they need support now from the community and Veterans Affairs.
Joe Bisson runs the Marijuana for Trauma office in Sydney and was close to Rigby. He said helping people with PTSD was a priority for Rigby.
"He would sit and talk to them," he said. "And whether it was an explanation of what medical things are available or medicines that will work. He was a walking, talking hero."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/fatal-fire-whitney-pier-abandoned-rigby-sydney-1.3973855
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Advocate remembered for work with veterans
Military veteran, advocate remembered for work with veterans
Staff ~ The Cape Breton Post
Published on February 9, 2017
Vince Rigby, 57, who served in Cyprus and Bosnia over a 22-year career as a Canadian reservist, was the man who died in a vacant building fire in Whitney Pier, Monday night. Rigby was the president of Marijuana for Trauma/Veterans Helping Veterans office in Sydney. He took medicinal marijuana to ease symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, among other ailments, from two deployments as a United Nations peacekeeper. He had to leave the reserves in 2002 due to poor health.
WHITNEY PIER, N.S. – Friends of Vince Rigby are remembering him as a strong advocate for veterans across Cape Breton.
Rigby’s body was found by firefighters in an abandoned building during a fire in Whitney Pier around 9 p.m. on Monday.
Cape Breton Regional Police investigated the fire and ruled out any suspicion and foul play in the death of the Sydney man.
The 57 year old was a veteran and an advocate with Marijuana for Trauma, a company that helps those with post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and other medical conditions.
http://www.capebretonpost.com/news/2017/2/9/military-veteran--advocate-remembered-for-work-with-veterans-.html
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