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DENINU KU'E/FORT RESOLUTION
Jim Villeneuve's life and legacy was celebrated in Fort Resolution during a memorial service on April 2.

Villeneuve, originally from Fort Simpson, was well-known in the territory for his work as a community administrator, politician and business owner. He is also remembered by his family as a family man, strong provider and comedic storyteller.

He died at age 76 in Edmonton, where he was receiving treatment for lung cancer, on March 26.

Villeneuve was born on Nov. 1, 1935 in Fort Simpson. He was raised by his uncle Slim Jones and aunt Jeanne primarily at their cabin located downriver from the village at a place called Jones Landing.

Throughout his life being on the land was one of the things Jim loved, said Bobby Villeneuve, one of his sons. Jim went hunting as much as possible.

"He taught us all well," Bobby said.

After attending residential school in Fort Providence, Jim joined the Canadian army at age 16 and served as a radio operator at a base in Vancouver for approximately three years. Jim's wife Therese Villeneuve said he may have lied about his age to sign up so young.

Starting a pattern that would continue through their married life, Jim moved a lot in his early years. He spent a few years in Edmonton working in railroad construction before attending St. Thomas College in North Battleford, Sask., as a candidate to become a priest. The family used to question whether that was the most suitable vocation, Therese said.

"He was kind of on the wild side when I met him," she said.

Therese and Jim met in Hay River in 1959. Therese had just finished her nursing training and had applied for jobs in a number of locations including Fort Simpson. Jim was stuck in the community while on his way back to Fort Simpson, waiting for the dirt runways to dry up so he could continue his flight.

The couple was married on April 3, 1961 in Fort Simpson, where Jim was then working on the experimental farm. Their first child, Gordie, was born in 1962 and five others followed in quick succession: Bobby, Randy, Gloria, Anita and Cindy, who was born in 1968. The couple also had an adopted daughter, Beverly.

The growing family moved first to Yellowknife in 1963 while the village was flooding, and then moved on to Fort Resolution. Wherever they went, Jim quickly found work.

"He was handy all-around," said Therese. "Anything that was broken, he could repair it."

In addition to being mechanically inclined, Jim was also a good woodworker. He built two cabins as well as shops and gazebos during his life, said Bobby.

While the family was living in Fort Resolution, Jim went to Ottawa for eight months to train to be an airport radio operator. He often used to talk about how the same training only takes two weeks now, said Therese. Jim also served as the chief for Fort Resolution from 1968 to 1971.

Jim later transferred to Fort Smith, switching professions to become an area service officer, a position similar to a senior administrative officer. Jim worked as an area service officer in Lutsel K'e, Fort Resolution, the Hay River Reserve and Fort Simpson.

Beginning in Lutsel K'e, he started training local young men to become service officers.

"He said he was training himself out of a job," said Therese, and he essentially did.

Bobby said his father helped a lot of Dene bands because he understood government policies and what they meant and how they affected First Nation groups.

In Fort Simpson circa 1981, Jim changed professions again, becoming a small business owner when he bought the store that became T.J.'s. Jim's uncle Slim Jones had founded the store in the late 1960s and offered it to Jim in the early 1970s, although Jim had declined at the time.

Jim used to refer to the store as a government training ground, said Therese. Jim instilled his young employees with work ethics such as arriving at work on time in the morning and then when a government job would open up they would be hired, she said.

"We felt really good for them," Therese said.

During these years Jim became mayor of Fort Simpson from 1983 to 1985.

"He did a lot for the village," said Mayor Sean Whelly.

After Pope John Paul II was unable to visit the village in 1984 because of fog cover Jim, Jim Antoine and Stephen Kakfwi travelled to Rome to ask the Pope to return.

"They felt they needed to do something," said Therese. "They felt it was important for the people, especially for the elders."

The Pope did return in 1987. Looking back, that visit was an event that really put the village on the map, Whelly said. During his time as mayor, Jim also worked to get the village a new arena when the old one began to fail.

In the early 2000s Jim and Therese decided to retire and turned the ownership of T.J.'s over to their son Gordie. The couple moved to Fort Resolution.

In Resolution, Jim revived the Deninu Ku'e Seniors Society and also served on the band council before deciding to step back from politics.

'He loved his whole family'

Despite his early wild days when he played steel guitar in a band in Fort Simpson, Jim settled down to be a committed family man after marriage, said Bobby. He was attentive to all of his children and 16 grandchildren.

"He loved his whole family," Bobby said.

Jim was also well-spoken and had a talent for retelling stories in comedic way.

"We would all have tears coming out of our eyes, rolling around on the floor," Bobby said.

Therese said Jim was a very good hunter and provider.

"We never wanted for anything," she said.

Therese said Jim was also very content with what he called, "all his blessings," in his life.

"He always said if his time came he'd be fine because he had a good life," she said.

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