Remembering Alan MacDougall

I received word this morning that Alan MacDougall, whom I had worked with on a story for On The Bay magazine, died in a tragic accident near Collingwood this weekend. He was 26 years old. I met Al while doing a story on “caving” and Al was our tour guide for the day on behalf of Free Spirit Tours, a lovely local tour group based out of Collingwood, Ontario.

Al was memorable for many reasons, and we have often referred back to him when reminiscing of the day since. He seemed so genuinely passionate about the outdoors and so pleased to be able to share it with us, that it seemed like a day out with friends more than an organized tour. I know that anyone in our group that day would be deeply saddened to hear of Al’s death.

If you would like to read about what it was like to tour with Al, please see the story here. There is also a Facebook group set up in his memory here.