'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
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
World's record-breaking hot temperature streak stretches through April
The world just experienced its hottest April on record, extending an 11-month streak in which every month set a temperature record, the European Union's climate change monitoring service said on Wednesday.
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.