Councillor, farmer dead after truck goes through ice

They say Doug Good knew the Big Rideau like the back of his hand, making his death on the weekend all the more shocking.

Good, 69, a councillor in Rideau Lakes Township, was one of two people whose truck crashed through the ice outside the village of Portland, about 100 kilometres southwest of Ottawa. Mike Carty, 72, a retired farmer originally from Elgin, Ont., was the other man.

OPP divers pulled their bodies from the Big Rideau around 6 p.m. Sunday and also located a vehicle.

Both men were active members of the Big Rideau Lake Association, and Good is a former president.

Friends said they were last seen around 8 a.m. on Friday when they were reportedly headed out to Cow Island — owned by the association — about two kilometres from the village, apparently to assess the state of a dock just before spring breakup. They were reported missing that evening when they failed to return.

The OPP sent a dive team to the scene Saturday and intensified the search with a helicopter Sunday. OPP said there was a visible break in the ice where the vehicle likely fell through.

“Doug grew up on the Rideau and was familiar with the Rideau from one end to the other,” said township Mayor Ronald Holman.

“It’s extremely sad. All of our councillors are feeling the grief, along with the family. Doug was so well-known to so many.” One local resident said the missing men were remembered during a church service Sunday.

Good was elected in 2014, representing the ward of Bastard and South Burgess. He was also a chair of the Cataraqui Trail Management Board and was active on many environmental files. He is also described as a tireless promoter of Skate the Lake, an annual speed-skating marathon held on Big Rideau near Portland that attracts international competitors.

Good, married with two children, spent his working life at Transport Canada. Friends said he built a large home on the edge of Portland around the time he retired. For 40 years, his parents ran a well-known store in Portland.

The Big Rideau association posted news of the disappearance on its website.

“Doug and Mike’s passion for and commitment to their lake, community, friends and neighbours is surely a cornerstone of their continuing legacy,” wrote president Brian Hawkins.

“We have lost two great friends.”