/
1x
Advertisement
Proudly Canadian, obsessively Toronto. Subscribe to Toronto Life!
Food & Drink

Watch this filmmaker’s personal tribute to the late John Bil

By Alex Baldinger
Copy link

John Bil had scores of friends and admirers, but his relationship with Shane Pendergast’s family goes back more than 25 years, when Bil was a young oysterman living in Prince Edward Island. Bil, the restaurateur and sustainable seafood advocate who died Wednesday at age 49, was a fixture of Pendergast’s upbringing, but “he was still a bit of a mystery to me.” So with Bil’s cancer diagnosis in the background, the 19-year-old filmmaker and musician started work on a short film—titled simply “John Bil”—to illustrate and understand Bil’s unorthodox way of life.

“He was a real trailblazer, and was never afraid to be weird,” Pendergast said. “Seeing him open up Honest Weight, and write a book, all while dealing with a terminal illness is a perfect example of his incredible work ethic and passion for seafood.”

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for Table Talk, our free newsletter with essential food and drink stories.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Big Stories

Inside the rise and fall of the Vaulter Bandit, the 21st century’s most notorious bank robber
Deep Dives

Inside the rise and fall of the Vaulter Bandit, the 21st century’s most notorious bank robber

Inside the Latest Issue

The June issue of Toronto Life features our annual ranking of the best new restaurants. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.