Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Friday, April 30, 2007

HAY RIVER - Raymond Whelan Sr. has been identified by police as the victim of an April 22 house fire in Hay River.

An autopsy in Edmonton revealed Whelan, who lived alone in the house in the West Channel area, died from smoke inhalation.

Raymond Whelan Sr

Human remains were located in the rubble of the destroyed house hours after firefighters had extinguished the blaze.

Initially, it was unclear if Whelan or anyone else had been in the house at the time of the fire.

According to the Hay River RCMP, no foul play is suspected.

As of late last week, the cause of the fire had not been determined. The matter is being investigated by police, in conjunction with the Coroner's Office and the Fire Marshal's Office.

Whelan, originally from Newfoundland, had lived in Hay River since 1980.

The 42-year-old father of three sons aged 15, 20 and 23 is remembered by his ex-wife, Lila Landrie, as a caring and loving person.

"He always had a smile on his face," she said.

She and her husband, Dean Landrie, also remember Whelan as a man with a great sense of humour.

"He was always joking around," said Dean Landrie, who was a good friend of Whelan.

The Landries also noted Whelan loved to write.

In fact, he wrote several unpublished works - two novels and a book of poetry.

Lila Landrie noted one of her sons might try to get the novels and poetry published some day.

Whelan worked as a plumber for over 20 years with Northland Plumbing and Heating, until he switched careers last year and became a foreman at Matco Transportation Systems.

"He was an extremely hard worker," said Dean Landrie.

"Whatever job he did, he was dedicated to it until it was done."

A funeral for Whelan is planned for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1, at the Roman Catholic Church in Hay River.