'Don't know how we're going to fill his shoes': Cape Breton's 'Men of the Deeps' honour Yogi Muise
Cape Breton's 'Men of the Deeps' are mourning the loss of one of their strongest voices.
Yogi Muise, who was 85, was a member of the singing miners' choir for more than 50 years.
He's also being remembered as a teacher, a volunteer, a gentle giant, and a community icon in New Waterford.
Stephen Muise is Yogi Muise's youngest son. He is also the business manager for the singing miners- a role passed down by his dad.
He says Yogi first joined the men of the deeps in 1969 and was an active member right up until his death from melanoma on Thursday.
He attended his last practice with the group on July 13.
"Yogi's a great loss to our family…our extended family … and of course, the Men of the Deeps," says Stephen Muise.
"Everybody remembers Yogi as a gentle teddy bear. He had a loving punch. He'd throw one at your shoulder and it would knock you over but he'd pick you up at the same time."
Fellow choir member Nipper MacLeod says his friend was a gentle giant.
"Well, Yogi was a big presence wherever he went," says Macleod.
"Although powerful, he was gentle, and he had the proper name – Yogi, named after a bear. He was a teddy bear, but he was also a grizzly bear and when he was defending the Men of the Deeps, he was a grizzly bear."
While his time with the Men of the Deeps took him all over the world, Yogi was a community icon in his home of New Waterford.
He was an original board member for the famed Coal Bowl basketball tournament and served for years as the event's media director.
He was also a teacher in his hometown for more than 30 years.
Mickey MacIntyre of the Men of the Deeps, remembers Yogi as an infectious personality who brought people together.
"A brother… a pioneer… a great friend," says MacIntyre
"Anytime (there was) somebody new on the bus, Yogi would be down teaching them how to play Tarabish, we even had Rita MacNeil in the game."
With the group set to get back into swing post-pandemic, they say not having Yogi around will be a big loss.
"It's going to be tough to look around and not have that big, bass voice and his big presence," says MacLeod.
"Don't know how we're going to fill his shoes, but he would want his legacies to continue. So when we talk about the Men of the Deeps, we're ready to go for another 50 years," says Muise.
The family says Yogi Muise's funeral will be livestreamed online on Monday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.