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THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
The name of a Fort Smith man who died in an Oct. 6 motor vehicle accident in northern Alberta has been released.

Gregory Kosztinka of Fort Smith was killed when his vehicle collided with a moose just south of High Level, Alta. - photo courtesy of Jason Panter

The RCMP has identified the victim as 34-year-old Gregory Alexanders Kosztinka.

The car he was driving collided with a large moose on Highway 35 about 20 km south of High Level.

Kosztinka worked as a marketing and communications officer at Aurora College.

Jason Panter, a good friend of the victim in Fort Smith and an employee at Aurora College, said Kosztinka's death was a shock to his co-workers.

"At work, obviously everyone is really shook up," Panter said.

The tragedy has also affected Kosztinka's many friends in Fort Smith.

"We're all still in disbelief," Panter said.

Kosztinka, who grew up in the Alberta community of Bruderheim, first came to Fort Smith in 1996 to visit his sister who was working in the community at the time.

"When his sister lived up here, he took the chance to come up here and try it out, and really just fell in love with the place," Panter said, noting Kosztinka was particularly attracted to the kayaking opportunities in the area.

Panter added, after that initial visit, Kosztinka would come to Fort Smith as often as he could, sometimes spending summers working casual jobs and kayaking.

Two and a half years ago, he once again returned to Fort Smith to do website design for the college and then began working in marketing and communications.

Along with kayaking, he was involved in other aspects of community life in Fort Smith, including cross-country skiing, as an active member of the Royal Canadian Legion and even donning the costume of the Safety Bear mascot for the RCMP at several events.

Panter said Kosztinka was as comfortable helping rookie kayakers out on the Slave River as he was playing crib at the Legion with people in their 80s.

"He just kind of disarmed anybody," Panter said. "He would talk to anybody under the sun."

Panter also noted Kosztinka was very family-oriented, and was on his way to his family's annual Thanksgiving gathering in Fairmont, B.C., at the time of the accident.

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