'The only thing bigger than John's hands was his heart': John Manning, Iqaluit business owner, dead at 57

John Manning, owner of KCM Maintenance and Construction, will be remembered in a service at St. Jude's Cathedral in Iqaluit on Friday at 1:30 p.m.

"The only thing bigger than John's hands was his heartand he was willing to share anything he had for everyone," said Manning's friend Larry McGowan."He'll be missed by us all for sure."

Manning died in Ottawa on July 9. He was 57. He had beenmedevaced to Ottawaafter he wasinjured in an explosionin downtown Iqaluit.

At the time, he was working with two other men, both of whom worked for KCM:Noel Priddle, who died in Iqaluit, and Philip Hickman, who is still in hospital in Ottawa.

Hickman is expected to be transferred to a hospital in Truro, N.S., to continue his recovery soon, according to Manning's niece.

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Over 20 years in Iqaluit

Manning was born on Oderin Island, N.L., on July 5, 1960, but grew up in Burin, N.L. He spent some time in Nova Scotia working as a commercial fisherman, before heading north.

Manning moved to Iqaluit in early 1992 and met Geneva Chislett soon after. Their daughter, Katie Chislett Manning, graduated from Inuksuk High School this year.

In the spring of 2005, Manning started his own construction company, working in Iqaluit and in the past few years, some other Nunavut communities as well.

"He grew it massively in a very short period time, a small construction company, to one of the bigger ones in town," his friend and neighbour Andrew Cox said.

While he recalls Manning and his business donating time and money to teams and other organizations in town, Cox says what he'll miss most is the nearly daily dose of neighbourly chitchat.

'Time for everybody'

"He was a very gregarious guy," Manning's friend Steve Pinksen said."He likes peoplea marvelous conversationalist, can sit and talk to anybody, doesn't matter prince or pauper, he thinks about other people, has time for everybody."

Pinksen remembers him volunteering his time every New Year's to build a fire pit and bring truckloads of wood up to the Road to Nowhere, for people to enjoy a fireworks display.

Manning loved to hunt, fish, and snowmobile, and maintained a cabin in Carbonear, N.L. as well as one on Burton Bay, outside of Iqaluit.

The Burton Bay cabin was a joint project with Pinksen and his family, one, Pinksen says, was filled with creature comforts.

"He never half-did anything, his projects were always impressive, including the cabin that we built."

'Great sense of community'

Some of his ashes will be scattered around the cabins, while the rest will be split between his family's gravesite in Newfoundland and his family here.

"He was just such a kind man," said Alicia Manning, John's niece.

"He had a great sense of community. His family was everything to him. Anything he could do to help others, he always did.

"We're so grateful for the outpouring of love and support from the community, from everyone, it's been really good to know that Uncle John had such an impact on everyone, and they're just pulling together for us."