Street renaming to honour late Transcona musician

Friends and family of a late Winnipeg country musician are pushing to rename a street after him to honour his legacy and its lasting impact on the city’s music scene.

A motion to rename a street after Greg Pester, who co-owned the Royal George Hotel for 26 years and died April 6 at the age of 70, was passed by the Lord Selkirk-West community committee Tuesday.

The motion, made by Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) was sent to the property and development committee to be reviewed. After that, it will go to the Transcona community committee for the final vote.

If finalized, the block of Regent Avenue West where the Royal George is located would be changed to Greg Pester Way.

Eadie said during the committee meeting he grew up with Pester in the Mynarski ward and had known him since he was 10. The guitarist got his start playing onstage with his mom at 14 and went on to play with the Chaparrals, a successful 1980s country band. He organized numerous jam nights with his band Sassy Jack at the Royal George Hotel.

“It brought tears to my whole family’s eyes,” said Greg’s son, Jared Pester, about the honorary street naming. “It’s just so special and so emotional for us. We miss him every day.”

Jared Pester said his dad was known as “a very special guitar player who played with a lot of soul.”

He said his dad had a reputation for supporting and uplifting countless musicians and creating a space at the Royal George where everyone felt welcome.

Greg Pester bought the hotel in 2000 and, according to his son, wasted no time renovating it into a venue for live music, outfitting it with a sound system, lights and stage equipment.

Pester’s family sent a letter of support to the community committee, as did Transcona MLA Shannon Corbett and local musician Mandy Ducharme, who started the discussion about the honorary street naming.

“Greg was just larger than life,” said Ducharme, who is married to Eadie and is a longtime friend of Pester’s.

“He was a mentor and gave motivation to up-and-comers like me,” she said.

Ducharme has been going to the Royal George Hotel to play and experience live music for almost 30 years, and it was through this she built a close friendship with Pester.

She credited the idea to name the street after him to brothers Tim and Kris Walsh, who have played shows with Pester for the last 26 years.

“I think it would be a great honour, for not only the Pester family, but Transcona itself,” said Tim Walsh.

The brothers said Pester gave musicians a place to play seven days a week, and every Tuesday night hosted a songwriting workshop that’s still going on today.

Over the years, they said, the walls of the venue became a “musicians museum,” filled with photos and memorabilia from local artists.

Ducharme has “really got the ball moving,” the Walshes said, and with help from Eadie, they’re hopeful the street renaming will be officially finalized.

tiago.rekso@freepress.mb.ca