Sev Morin - Howe St. Social Club

Bits and Pieces of BC Radio History

Sev Morin - Howe St. Social Club

Postby Jack Bennest » Sun Mar 30, 2014 10:18 am

Sev Morin

With a lifetime of experience in the hospitality industry (SEVERIN'S and the GAI PAREE were famous Vancouver area hot spots), Sev Morin is a legendary facilitator, a “team builder”. He gets people together to get things done - people in government, people in media, people in corporations, and the general public.

Sev has served on several Boards of Directors, including Capilano College, the Pacific Rim Institute of Tourism and the Variety Club. He is currently a Member of the Foundation Board of St. Michael’s Hospice. Sev was a Member of the Senate at Simon Fraser University, Vice-Chair of the British Columbia Gaming Commission, Community Liaison Officer for the Burnaby Board of Trade and Honorary Director of the Vancouver Canuck Benevolent Association (Alumni).

In November of 2002, Sev received the Local Hero Award from the City of Burnaby, BC, and in 2003, the Queen’s Jubilee Medal. He is currently the Chair of the Burnaby 2010 Olympic Legacy Committee and does government and public relations with the movie industry in British Columbia.

Word from John Ashbridge -

Jack Cullen's long-time good friend and a man well known to many of we former NW types - Sev Morin - passed away on Friday, March 28th.

Many will remember Sev as a veteran member of Jack's "Howe Street Social Club" and - together with his late brother, Rudy - the operator(s) of The Gai Paree night club (later Severin's) on Kingsway in Burnaby. He was also well known among the show-biz 'mafia' on the Lower Mainland, at one time serving as something of a mentor to a Burnaby kid named Michael J. Fox. Personally, I'll remember Sev, especially in his later years, as a man who was never in the best of physical health, but always in the best of spirits.
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Re: Sev Morin - Howe St. Social Club

Postby Jack Bennest » Sat Apr 05, 2014 6:08 pm

Severin (Sev) "Morin voluntarily served on several boards of directors in Vancouver, including tourism institutes, hospice foundations, The Variety Club and Burnaby 2010 Olympic Legacy Committee. He was also a great friend of the late Jack Cullen of radio’s Owl Prowl and Network Replay fame on CKNW.

Great friend. Those two words pretty well sum up this caring, high-spirited man who left us last week following a lengthy illness." Greg Douglas


Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Spor ... z2y421LKXX
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Re: Sev Morin - Howe St. Social Club

Postby Jack Bennest » Sat Apr 05, 2014 6:10 pm

Mario Bartel - Burnaby NewsLeader

The lights have come up on the life of former Burnaby restaurant and nightclub owner and social gadfly Sev Morin.

Morin passed away March 28. He was 86 years old.

Morin, along with his brother Rudy, was famously the owner of the old Gai Paree restaurant on Kingsway, which was later known as Severin's.

When Rudy was killed in a car accident early in their business relationship, Sev picked up the reins on his own.

Morin was a close friend of broadcaster Jack Cullen's and a member of his "Howe Street Social Club," a collection of "virtually anybody who was in showbiz locally" in the 1950's, 60's 70's and 80's, said former CKNW newscaster John Ashbridge. That allowed him to hobnob with some of the entertainment industry's biggest names when they rolled through Vancouver, including Bob Hope.

Morin was a close friend of the Fox family in South Burnaby and mentored young Michael J. as he embarked on his acting career. He was instrumental in getting his old friend to lend his name to the Michael J. Fox Theatre at Burnaby South secondary school when it was built in 1995.

In 2011 Morin was tapped by the owner of Lafflines comedy club in New Westminster, Barry Buckland, to help bring in names when he relaunched in the old Columbia Theatre.

"He knows everybody," said Lafflines' talent and event manager James Lickers at the time.

Morin was also supportive of young athletes like boxer Dale Walters as local sports teams held banquets and reunions at his restaurant. Morin served as the chair of Burnaby's 2010 Olympic Legacy committee.

He was also a member of the Senate at Simon Fraser University, a liaison officer for the Burnaby Board of Trade and served on a number of boards of directors, including the Downtown Business Improvement Association in New West.

"He did a lot of work behind the scenes," said Ashbridge who praised Morin for his ability to build relationships and forge connections. "He was genuine. He was always in the best of spirits."

In 2002 Morin received a Local Hero award from the City of Burnaby and the following year he was awarded a Queen's Jubilee medal.

A celebration of Morin's life will be held Sat., April 12, at the café at Willingdon Church from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
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Re: Sev Morin Obituary

Postby Jack Bennest » Sat Apr 05, 2014 6:14 pm

Severin (Sev) Rene Morin

How do we capture, in this finite space, the life of Severin (Sev) Morin? Sev was born on September 21, 1927 in Bonneville, Alberta, and passed away on March 28, 2014 in Vancouver, BC. He was truly one-of-a-kind in every aspect of his life: family man, dear friend, and community-builder. Sev was the loving husband to Pauline; Devoted father to Mary Anne Nelson (Ken), Carol Jeffs (Doug), and Steven Morin; Proud grandfather to Patrick Nelson (Rosie Servat), Jeff Nelson (Alana), Matthew Nelson, Ian Nelson, Adrienne Jinkerson (David Henderson), Leanne McWilliams (Michael), Kevin Jinkerson (Sarah Bishop), Melisa Jeffs (Jake Thibodeau), Andrew Jeffs (Lindsay Walker), and Emily Morin and Joey Morin (mother Karen Garth); Great-grandfather to Maya Nelson (mother Susan Nelson), Alyssa Nelson, Leah Nelson, Madeleine Henderson, Corbin McWilliams, Drew Jinkerson, Ava Jinkerson, Laura Thibodeau, Benjamin Thibodeau; Beloved uncle to John Morin (Cathy). The family would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the many wonderful friends and care providers who supported Sev with such dignity over the past year. A celebration of his extraordinary life will take place on Saturday, April 12, 2014 from 10:30am - 1:30pm, at the café at Willingdon Church (4812 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby).
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