Harry McWatters, a prominent figure in the Okanagan and the B.C. wine industry - considered by many the "Godfather of B.C. wine" - has died.
Harry McWatters. TIME Winery & Kitchen/Facebook
McWatters, 74, has been in the wine business longer than anyone else in Canada. Most recently he was the CEO of TIME Winery in Penticton, which just celebrated its first birthday. He founded one of the first estate wineries, Sumac Ridge, had the first winery restaurant in Canada, produced the first B.C. sparkling wine (Stellar’s Jay) and helped the B.C. wine industry meet high standards for quality and transparency with the VQA system.
He also led numerous other wine-related projects, serving as the founding president of the Okanagan Wine Festival Society, first chair of the B.C. Wine Institute and more. He was awarded the Order of B.C. in 2003.
In their announcement of his passing, TIME Winery called McWatters' sudden death a "shock."
"Harry passed away peacefully in the comfort of his Summerland home during his sleep on July 23, 2019."
"Harry’s sudden passing comes as a surprise to all as he was only last week celebrating the success and anniversary of our downtown Penticton winery," adds TIME Winery.
A B.C. wine pioneer who said he didn't believe in retirement, McWatters recently revitalized the Pen Mar movie theatre in downtown Penticton by transforming it into TIME, a state-of-the-art winery.
During his lengthy career in the B.C. wine biz, McWatters oversaw more than 50 vintages of Okanagan-made wine.
On Tuesday, social media tributes for the legend poured in:
If you’ve got a #BCWine laying around tonight I suggest you open it and toast to Harry McWatters, who passed away today. We’re here mainly because of him #BCWineChat
— Sandra Oldfield (@SandraOldfield) July 23, 2019
Sadly we have lost a great man who helped establish the BC wine industry, Harry McWatters Our Condolences to family and friends pic.twitter.com/JhuEJMFdHO
— Wines of Canada (@WinesofCanada) July 23, 2019
Heartbreaking news. Father of the #BCwine industry Harry McWatters has died at age 74. He spent over 50 years of his life making and selling wine in British Columbia, laying the foundations for a multi-billion dollar agri-tourism sector in our province. #RIP, my friend. 🍷🍷 pic.twitter.com/yKJIkaCyXf
— Mike Klassen (@MikeKlassen) July 24, 2019
Awful news from the Okanagan Valley. Legendary Okanagan wine pioneer Harry McWatters died last night peacefully in his sleep at home. The family has asked for privacy at this moment. pic.twitter.com/jjFAxP6mJ7
— Anthony Gismondi (@TheSpitter) July 23, 2019
"Currently we ask that you please respect the privacy of Harry’s family as they experience the shock and magnitude of this loss," says TIME Winery, noting that public memorial details will be shared when they become available.
With files from Eric Hanson/Richmond News and Chelsea Powrie/Castanet
