Peter Verin, a homeless man who was well-known around Saanich and the University of Victoria for his philosophical conversations, will have a memorial bench dedicated to him this weekend.
Verin, 71, died on Jan. 9 at Royal Jubilee Hospital after a brief illness. He had spent the last decade or so living near the intersection of Quadra Street and McKenzie Avenue, collecting bottles, books and recyclables and befriending many in the community.
Prior to that, Verin had lived around the university since the 1970s and was famous for engaging students and academics in deep discussions, hosting a radio show and being an early advocate for recycling programs.
Little was known about his earlier life, except that he was from Montreal and has a sister there.
“He touched a lot of people,” said Doreen Lowres, who own B-Sharp hair salon in a complex Verin frequented. “The fact that people took the time to get to know him and how many cared for him is overwhelming.”
Lowres and a few others started a collection for a commemorative bench for Verin at his curbside memorial in January, which drew dozens of people from the business, government, university and homeless communities.
Lowres said at the memorial and in the weeks after they raised more than $3,400.
“Some people gave hundreds of dollars,” she said. “A lot of the homeless people gave money, too. I didn’t want to take it, but I saw it was important for them to give something … Peter probably helped them, too.”
Lowres said she also heard stories about Verin, how several people kept bottles for him and how some would drop off bags of clothes and vegetarian meals.
She said Verin will be remembered with a granite bench and plaque installed near the Bottle Depot and Lochside trail. The bench was made at cost by Mortimer’s Monumental Works, and Lowres plans to plant flowers and do landscaping around it. Remaining funds will be donated to local organizations that help homeless people.
The dedication is open to anyone who would like to pay tribute to Verin and takes place at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
