The tall blond-haired rich kid lived in an upscale pocket of this northwestern Ontario city, on a sprawling lot with a backyard tennis court.
asserted
kid → live → court
He was gifted at school and, as the first-born in a family of skiers, spent much time at his grandparents’ ski hill, learning what it takes to become a successful athlete
asserted
it → gift → what
If this were the origin story of a Canadian Olympic hero, this bucolic starting point on Whitegates Drive would make sense.
asserted
point → make → sense
But Ryan Wedding isn’t famous because he ultimately did compete in the 2002 Olympics.
asserted
he → compete → Olympics
He’s famous because he was allegedly one of Canada’s most prolific — and murderous — criminals.
uncertain
he → ’ → criminals
The hulking ex-athlete is accused of running a billion-dollar cocaine empire for Mexican cartels, and arranging to kill anyone who stood in his way, even innocents.
asserted
who → accuse → way
The man some U.S. officials have labelled a “modern-day Pablo Escobar.”
asserted
officials → label → ?
This is the origin story of that guy — an alleged larger-than-life criminal who, until his arrest, was considered the FBI’s most wanted fugitive and a top public safety threat to Canada.
asserted
who → allege → Canada
As the now 44-year-old sits in a California jail awaiting trial for his alleged crimes, the Star visited his hometown and interviewed more than half a dozen childhood friends, neighbours and old teammates to get some answers.
asserted
Star → sit → answers
What emerged is the clearest picture yet of his life before he became a narco.
asserted
he → emerge → life
On its own, it’s a portrait of an intelligent, happy-go-lucky kid who was practically destined for the Olympics since birth.
asserted
who → ’ → birth
There were no signs of trouble early on; certainly nothing to suggest the little boy who tinkered with toy cars and excelled at draftsmanship would grow into the violent criminal authorities describe.
asserted
authorities → be → draftsmanship
But knowing the logistical skills, confidence and grit required to build a drug operation of massive scale and sophistication, the precursors to his alleged success were all there.
asserted
precursors → know → success
Beginnings
Wedding was born in Thunder Bay in September 1981, just months after the death of Terry Fox.
asserted
Wedding → bear → Fox
Fox was forced to end his historic run across Canada just outside the city.
asserted
Fox → force → city
His cancer had spread aggressively to his lungs, causing chest pain and compromising his ability to breathe.
asserted
cancer → spread → ability
Back then, Thunder Bay was still a bustling industrial hub, pumping out pulp and paper and grain across Canada and into global markets.
asserted
Bay → bustle → markets
A large chunk of the population worked jobs that supported these sectors: at the mills, in transportation and railway manufacturing, or at the grain elevators and docks along the waterfront.
asserted
that → work → waterfront
Wedding’s dad, Rene, didn’t work in the mills, but he did work in industry.
asserted
he → work → industry
A mechanical engineer — the kind of professional who worked on big projects, for big businesses, travelling all over the world.
asserted
who → work → world
The eldest of three and the only son, Wedding grew up in a red brick bungalow with a U-shaped driveway, in a sought-after neighbourhood on the southwestern edge of the city.
asserted
Wedding → grow → city
It’s not Thunder Bay’s Bridle Path, but Whitegates is comfortable — large homes on deep lots studded with towering pine trees.
asserted
Whitegates → ’ → trees
Today, the exterior of Wedding’s childhood house looks much the same as it would have in the 1980s, save for the Weddings’ tennis court, with big floodlights his parents installed after they bought the property.
asserted
they → look → property
It’s long been replaced by a backyard pool.
asserted
It → replace → pool
Rene and Karen Wedding, a registered nurse, married in 1977.
asserted
Wedding → marry → 1977
Thunder Bay is famous for churning out elite hockey players — from modern day stars like the Staal brothers to Hall-of-Famers like Alex Delvecchio with the Detroit Red Wings — but Wedding was not going to be one of them.
asserted
Wedding → churn → them
Rene was a varsity skier at the University Toronto, where he earned his engineering degree, while Karen hailed from a family of skiers who were fixtures in the local skiing community.
asserted
who → earn → community
Her parents, Laurence “Larry” and Marlyn Spiess, ran the Mount Baldy ski club north of town.
asserted
parents → run → town
They bought it in the late 1960s and kept it running for decades before their son, Craig Spiess, took over the business.
asserted
son → buy → business
(Karen also had shares in the ski hill.)
asserted
Karen → have → hill
Craig started as a local instructor and after 12 seasons working at a prominent ski instruction and training program in New Zealand, he returned to Canada to coach some of Ontario’s best alpine racers.
asserted
he → start → racers
Eventually, he became a coach with the national alpine ski team.
asserted
he → become → team
Throughout the late ‘80s and into the ‘90s, Wedding would’ve watched his uncle train some of the best female athletes in the sport, including 1992 Olympic gold medallist Kerrin Lee-Gartner.
asserted
uncle → watch → Gartner
To date, she remains the only Canadian to win the downhill ski event.
asserted
she → remain → event
Larry would start his day with a cup of coffee and a crossword, then jet off to the ski club with four sets of keys to ensure the lights were on and the hills were groomed.
asserted
hills → start → keys
It was “his personal paradise,” his family wrote in an obituary.
asserted
family → write → obituary
Marlyn was the friendly face greeting patrons at the ticket office and gear shop.
asserted
Marlyn → greet → office
By all accounts, the two adored their five grandchildren.
asserted
two → adore → grandchildren
Larry spoiled Wedding, his first grandson, teaching him how to drive before his feet could reach the pedals, and after Wedding’s sister was born, he painted the club purple and pink because those were her favourite colours.
uncertain
those → spoil → club
Rene and Karen had Wedding on skis and in a training harness by the age of two.
asserted
Rene → have → two
…and 71 more, not listed.
The Aporia
