Theatre community mourns tragic loss of 'a beautiful soul' (updated)

The life of a man with Sault Ste. Marie ties came to a tragic end this week.

Constable Jarret Slomba of the Nelson Police Department told SooToday that 28-year-old John Vincent had been in the Nelson, British Columbia area since September 10, 2015.

Vincent was last seen at approximately 2 p.m. on Thursday, September 24.

On September 25, a personal effect was located and reported to the Nelson Police Department.

This resulted in the deployment of Nelson Search and Rescue Society (SARS) teams, as well as those from Kaslo, Castlegar and South Columbia.

Vincent's body was located and recovered from Kootenay Lake on Monday, September 28 following an aerial search, Constable Slomba said.

Vincent attended high school in Sault Ste. Marie and was involved in the local theatre community, starring as Marius in the Algoma District School Board's production of les Miserables in 2004.

"John was a beautiful soul and a very brilliant and talented person," Sault theatre personality Sue Barber told us. "The theatre community is saddened by this."

Megan Wigmore, who attended Korah Collegiate and the University of Western Ontario with Vincent, told us that he had a beautiful singing voice, was an avid writer and was "a brilliant guy."

He wrote several of his own plays, she said, one of which - Through Squinted Eyes - was produced for Soothfest and won a few awards.

"He continued to write plays in university," Wigmore continued, "but I think he found his voice more in poetry."

She and Vincent both sat on the Theatre Western executive where they produced several shows.

In addition to his involvement in the arts community, Vincent was instrumental in launching the Sault Ste. Marie Gay-Straight Alliance (SSMGSA) in 2008.

"That summer, we entered a small Pride entry into the Rotaryfest Community Days Parade, which was the first time there had been any sort of Pride representation in that parade," Wigmore said.

Working together with Unity and Diversity, the SSMGSA created the Safe Places campaign in the summer of 2008.

The program encouraged area businesses and organizations to place a sticker in their window indicating it was a racism, homophobia, misogyny, discrimination and harassment free zone.

"SSMGSA kind of dissolved after John and I left to go back to school in the fall, but the ripple effect of the work that group did is definitely still felt in the Sault today," Wigmore told us.

Foul play is not suspected in Vincent's death and no further details are being released by the Nelson Police Department at this time.