54 replies to this topic

[David Holland]

Each year as the Canadian GP approaches, I'm reminded I must try and find more info on the much maligned Canadian GP driver Peter Broeker. OK, he finished a load of laps behind in 7th place at the 1963 US GP but he produced Canada's first GP car (now owned and used by Jeff Bateman of Toronto) and more importantly introduced Ford to the World Championship.

Over the past few years or so I have approached the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame, the current owners of Stebro Exhausts and Hamilton Town Hall/Library (he onced lived in the area) and they were helpful in their own ways.

All I know is that he was born 15th May 1929 in San Francisco of Austrian/German descent. He formed Stebro Exhausts with John Stephens in the late 50s and built his race cars in Montreal. He raced in European F2 in 1964 or so and died in 1980 as stated in an article by John R Wright. Pete Chapman is supposed to have written an obituary about him and I'm sure there is a great story waiting to be told.

If anyone out there knows more it would be much appreciated, all regular motoring sources come up with the same things. Working on the well-known principle of 6 degrees of separation, somebody out there must have a cousin who used to live next door to his dentist or something similar - if you know what I mean!

On an aside it's interesting to note that of the 11 Canadian GP drivers only the Villeneuves have scored points and of the other 9 World Championship drivers 5 were born outside of Canada!

[ensign14]

Info on the Stebro can be found at the wonderful 8W site:

http://8w.forix.com/stebro.html

[Racer.Demon]

Originally posted by ensign14
Info on the Stebro can be found at the wonderful 8W site:

http://8w.forix.com/stebro.html

Ensign14, thanks for the plug, but I don't think the article mentions anything that David hasn't brought up.

So we're not the only ones to have had contact with the Stebro Exhaust Company!

(Hmm, have to repair that broken picture link and correct that huge spelling error in the first paragraph. Things to do...)

[David Holland]

I have decided to resurrect this old thread in the faint hope that newer TNF members may have some information on the mysterious Peter W. Broeker and his early death.

I'm still very surprised that this prominent Canadian driver has passed away without any such documentation coming to light. Along with Robert O'Brien, Alfonse Thiele, Rob Schroeder & John Barber he must rank as GP racing's biggest conundrum.

Over the past couple of years a little info has come my way via Canadian mag articles (thanks to Ed Moody & John Wright) and google searches; so this is what I know so far.

Born in Hamilton, Ontario (not San Francisco or Pennslyvania as in some articles I've since found unreliable) he moved through various schools in South America, Europe and the States due to his father's business ventures. He majored in History and Political/Social Science and spent his college days around Nashville, Tennessee where he took up stock car racing.

Stebro Motors Ltd started in Montreal in 1959 initially as a repair shop. This moved to preparing race cars, acting as agents for Judson Superchargers and eventually developing the Stebro Free-Flow Exhaust System that made his name.

From the workshop at 2064 McGill College Ave, Montreal he built 2 front engined Formula Junior cars that he and John Cannon raced in 1961. By the end of 1962 the workshop had moved to down-town Montreal and the black F2 car known as the Stebro Mk IV was created and competed in the 63 US GP. This gave Ford its first appearence in the world championship, although the uprated engine had a Martin head. Sad to think that 2004 could be Ford's last!

He raced in Europe in 1964 and appears to have stopped racing in about 1971. His mechanic in the early sixties was Walter Grief, if that name is familar to anyone?

Due to his many travels Peter became an avid coin collector and was well known in the numismatist world. He wrote and published a book "Olympic Coins" in 1973 and his base at the time appears to be 99 Columbus Street, Pointe Claire - still near Montreal. There is a small biography on the back that explains some of the above including his birthplace. There is also a photo circa 1970 that shows him in racing overalls and seventies style long hair although he had considerably less hair in the photos from the workshop articles of the sixties.

He must have taken up racing again because I've seen results of him winning in a March at Mt Tremblant in 1976 but after that the trail goes cold.

My most reliable information claims he died in 1980 but others sources have given years between 1979 and 1982 and this I suppose is the biggest mystery.

I still haven't heard back from the Borough of Pointe Claire and any more sources have dried up but I guess there must be somebody in the Montreal area that has this info at their fingertips. I hope this extra infomation helps, you never know something could turn up?

[Vitesse2]

I'm sure someone at CMSHG will know! It may very well be in the message archive, but it's a long and laborious process to search them.

[Michael Oliver]

Originally posted by David Holland
He must have taken up racing again because I've seen results of him winning in a March at Mt Tremblant in 1976 but after that the trail goes cold.

I know this doesn't help pin more info down about his date of death, but the Canadian Formula Atlantic results which have recently gone up on Allen's OldRacingCars.com site show Broeker as having raced a March 74B at St. Jovite and Halifax in 1975.

[GeorgeTheCar]

The best info that I have been able to find is January 1, 1980.

I have talked to the people who currently own and oprtate Setbro and all they can say is "Sounds about right"

George Daszkowski
Chair, Archvies Committee
Canadian Automotive Collection

[GeorgeTheCar]

I would like to know more about Peter Broeker and the numismatic connection.

It would make a very interesting personal background.

There is little of this background material inn teh archives, mostly racing results.

Anything you could offer woudl be greatly appreciated.

regards

George Daszkowski
Chair, Archives Committee
Canadian Automotive Collection
www.cmhf.ca

[Richard Jenkins]

Originally posted by GeorgeTheCar
The best info that I have been able to find is January 1, 1980.

I have talked to the people who currently own and oprtate Setbro and all they can say is "Sounds about right"

Jan 1 is just a random date that some people put in as their databases don't allow 1980 on its own. If that came off the web, forget that date. David and myself have already tried Stebro - you could say he died 1 July 1888 and they'd say "sounds about right". :

[Chris Townsend]

Broeker did indeed carry on racing Atlantic into 1976. He ran in the qualifier for the championship race at St Jovite Mont Tremblant on 11 July and placed 12th [so DNQ for main race]. The car was entered as a Stebro for that event, but I guess it was the March 74B.
One of the problems with Broeker's Atlantic cars is that a Chevron B17C, a Chevron B27 and the March 74B are all successively described as Stebros. He had a big accident at Edmonton in the start of 1975 [in private testing or practice for the Atlantic race I'm not sure, and would like to know more about this, as I guess it may account for the Chevron B27]. As a result of that he only ran two races in 1975, late on in the season.

If anyone in Canada or USA has pictures of Broeker's Atlantic cars in action at particular events it would be a big help for the records.

[Manfred Cubenoggin]

While the Stebro was far from a pace setter in F1 guise, it apparently dominated the amature formula car events of the period. So much so that according to legend, Broeker had a bracket welded onto the frame in the cockpit next to the roll bar where the checkered flag could be dropped in and allow Peter to take his victory laps hands free and still have the flag fluttering in the breeze. So I was told anyhow...

[David Holland]

Thanks for contributing to this thread guys. There's very little extra news I'm afraid, but I expect to hear more soon.

There is a lady called Heather who has taken up the quest in Pointe-Claire. She works for the borough, and has an interest in geneology, and through the Quebec Family History Society has found a record of his marriage in 1953, but no death. Also the writer John Wright is getting in touch with Ernie de Vos who was the intended Stebro driver for the 1963 US GP.

George, I don't know much more about his coin-collecting other than he won several prestigious numismatic awards and was working on another book as well as co-writing a book on Guatemalan coinage. Whether it came out, I don't know, but I guess it didn't trouble the best seller charts!

Chris, I haven't heard about that Edmonton accident. I was aware of one at Mt Tremblant in 1968 when he rolled the Mk IV; although I read the Chevron B27 was lost in a fire at his Montreal garage in the 1970s.

Manfred, that flag holder anecdote was mentioned in Pete Chapman's obituary of Peter and shows an element of self confidence I suppose! (I haven't seen a full copy of this piece unfortunately).

Richie is dead right about the 1st of January date. I find this is a common error due to certain computer databases that default to this setting ie 1/1/1980 and then this is copied through the web and eventually gets into publications. It would be ironic if it turns out to be correct though!

It appears that our Mr Broeker was a heavy smoker which could account for his early death as lung cancer has been mentioned, although not confirmed.

I'm sure I'll find out more and when I do, I'll post it here.

[GeorgeTheCar]

Peter Chapman is still around and I will try and connect with him.

[Richard Jenkins]

http://www.statsf1.c.....iew=prev&LG=1

Whilst scrolling through, I've found this - it says the date isn't accurate - but unless I'm wrong, for the first time there appears to be a deathplace for him - the correct birthplace & a photo! Wild goose chase or is there something more to it? Would Vancouver fit in considering he was based more Montrealish way????

[raceannouncer2003]

John Wright will not be able to get in touch with Ernie de Vos unless he has a medium or something! Sadly, de Vos was killed back in March in Florida in an accident somewhat similar to Bob Wolleck's:

http://www.heraldtri.../503130832/1060

[philippe charuest]

http://img495.images...=broeker4bv.jpg
http://img495.images...=broeker4bv.jpg that picture was taken at mont tremblant in 76. the car is definitly a march 74 and he didnt win for sure.

[Richard Jenkins]

David, if you look, did write that before Ernie's sad death, but it was a big blow as he (Devos) might've been able to shed a lot of light. :

[zoff2005]

I raced against Peter Broeker in 1967/68 in Canada. Nice guy, I was only 19 at the time so he seemed like my father! Very competitive driver. I was there when he crashed at St Jovite in 1968. The races were for any sort of single seater - I drove FV in 1967 and a Formula Ford Lotus 51 (running in FB as there was no separate class for FF) in 1968. Other drivers were Brack, Couture and Peter Roberts. We would all run in the same race (a bit like historic single seaters now in the USA!). His exhaust business was quite successful, those were the days when Abarth exhausts were all the thing. I did not even know he had died such a long time ago. He won a lot of races so I am not surprised about the bracket thing - I won once (the FB boys were somewhere else that day!) and it was quite complicated driving the victory lap with the flag in one hand, the other on the gear lever. I wonder what I steered with.

[m.tanney]

Originally posted by Richie Jenkins
http://www.statsf1.c.....iew=prev&LG=1

Whilst scrolling through, I've found this - it says the date isn't accurate - but unless I'm wrong, for the first time there appears to be a deathplace for him - the correct birthplace & a photo! Wild goose chase or is there something more to it? Would Vancouver fit in considering he was based more Montrealish way????

  Would Vancouver fit? It might. A lot of English-speaking Quebecers fled for points west after the election of the first separatist government in 1976. But if Broeker died in British Columbia, it would have to have been quite a bit later than 1980. The B.C. Archives has an online Vital Events Index that currently goes up to 1984. Broeker's death isn't listed on it.

Mike

[Gokart Mozart]

I did a Yahoo search of phone numbers and addresses for the Broeker surname throughout Canada, but was unable to find a Peter. There were two Broeker's in Canada listed, one in Vancouver, the other in Edmonton.

Cheers,

Jacques N. Dresang
UEMSI Motorerks

[David Holland]

Many thanks you guys for taking time out to look into this mystery. I'm still no further forward to be honest, although I reckon the key to solving this will be Peter Chapman and the obituary he wrote all those years ago.

That's a good site that Richie discovered and the Vancouver lead holds water, especially after Mike's view and a phone number discovered by Jacques - a son/daughter perhaps?

Thanks for the photo Philppe, it looks like our man couldn't resist getting back to racing in the 70s and it is incredible to think that TNF can come up with someone like zoff, who actually raced against Peter. I'm amazed at what turns up on this board sometimes!

Also, as Richie points out, my contact with John Wright came about before Ernie de Vos's terrible accident. That made it even more poignant as we were discussing him just days before.

[raceannouncer2003]

I tried the Vancouver phone number, but that Broeker wasn't related. Marcel Chichak in Edmonton said he would try the other ones this weekend.

Vince Howlett, Victoria, B.C., Canada

[raceannouncer2003]

Here is the message from Marcel in Edmonton:

"Nah, no dice. Christina and 'S' Broeker are both the kids of the one in Van that you got hold of. Christina says that they have relations in Alaska and back in Holland, but that's it."

So no Broekers in Canada that we can find! Was Broeker married and did he have family? There seem to be lots of Broekers in the U.S.!

Vince H., Victoria, B.C., Canada

[raceannouncer2003]

Sorry, I meant "no other Broekers in Canada that we can find", or "these are the only Broekers in Canada that we can find", or.....

[Richard Jenkins]

A shame, but probably to be expected. Thanks for your efforts

[David Holland]

Thanks for your efforts Vince and Marcel - it was worth a try. He did marry in 1953, but I don't know if he had any kids.
I had a faint hope that I would get to the bottom of this before the next edition of the GP Data Book went to print. As that is about to happen in the next few days this will have to remain a mystery.....for the time being anyway!

[WINO]

Perhaps Dave Greenblatt, another early sixties Montreal speedshop operator and car builder, could shed some light.

daissue@netrover.com


WINO

[Roger]

Hello There.

I can't help you with any info re Peter Broeker personally, but we are in the process of restoring his race car! We've got his Chevron B17c. It's still in the Stebro colours. What we're after is it's chassis number/plate which is missing or any photos of this car in race trim. Having stripped the paint off in places around the rear engine bay it's noticable that this car has had a heavy rear or side rear shunt with many heated and straightened tubes with brazing repairs to cracks. Does this sound like the car he crashed in quali mentioned further down this thread? Also to answer another post, Yes there is an odd bracket welded to the roll bar that has no explination so would fit with a chequered flag holder! We lived in Canada from 1967 to 1988 when we returned to the UK and I brought the car over there, sold it on to a racing friend who moth balled in till now when he has asked me to restore it for racing again.

Any info of this car, especially the exhaust layout (did stebro make a purpose bulit one for Peter?) would be much appreciated.

Kind Regards All,

Roger Fountain.

[raceannouncer2003]

David

Have you tried this?

http://www.autocours...ile=photos.html

...then click on 1970, then Ottawa GP...two photos (B&W) there...looks like he won!

Allen Brown lists his car in 1970 as a B17b...same one?

I'll put your request on the CMSHG site.

Vince Howlett, Victoria, B.C., Canada

[Magee]

David,

I've had a good look at the Vancouver sports newspaper articles in my collection; however, Peter Broeker's name is not mentioned in reports from the Westwood race results.

Is it plausible that if he were in Vancouver he would have had done some racing?

Mike

[Roger]

It's seems our car is a Chevron B17B as first raced but now has additional rear trailing arm mounting points brazed above the originals and we are led to believe that this is a modification that made it a B17C. Is this info correct? We are unsure if our car was purchased as a complete car from Chevron, or if the plans or basic chassis only were bought by Peter and his company Stebro Exhausts/ Stebro Racing Team, Then they built or modified the car. Only 2 B17C's were made and one recently sold in the UK. There is no mention of the other chassis to date. Does anyone have knowledge of the other B17C because this would confirm ours as a B17B! Phew........lots for you to find out guys!

Chevron chassis records show a B17B was sold to Mike Earley? who won his first race in it at Ottawa in 1970. Peter Broeker also drove in the same race in a Stebro-Chevron and this we believe was also a B17B but chevron records don't show a car or chassis sold to him, hence the questions did he build the car from plans. We have a B15 in for restoration also and that has 1" tubular chassis where Peter's has 1 1/4" tubes. The puzzle continues.........

Thanks for your time guys.

Roger.

[stebrojunior]

I currently own the front engine Stebro FJ. I dont have much to add to what is already posted, but in all the research I have done, I have never been able to verify that there ever was more than 2 FJ's. One front engined and one rear engined. Unfortunately, Mr. Broeker passed away before I was serious about researching my car. John Cannon has also passed away, but his son sometimes frequents this site. Regards, Murray Taylor, Kitchener, Ontario Canada.

[Roger]

Thanks Murray.

We have 3 photos of Peter in our car, one in colour at Ottawa in 1970 and 2 in BW, one of which he is receiving the chequered flag. The car we have is still in it's original paint so we can confirm that this is the car. Our next research will be on the mechanics who are named on the body of the car and to see if this leads anywhere. Will be posting that info soon.

The ultimate outcome of this research is to get the correct Chevron chassis number for the car and to gain FIA papers so it can once again race in historic formula B races.

Kind regards to you all,

Roger Fountain.

[Roger]

Update: The mechanics names on the body are: G Forester and P Austin.

Again, any help in tracing info on this car would be gratefully received.

Cheers, Roger Fountain.

[Allen Brown]

I hope Twinny won't mind if I give a plug to "the other place" on this occasion. I do return the compliment in the other place when the subject matter suggests.

http://www.ten-tenth...467#post1717467

Allen

[Magee]

Allen,

I did some searching after I saw the reference to Mike Eyerly on 10-Tenths and came across his name once at Westwood ( article below). After that I could not find another reference to him in the Westwood Formula Atlantic races at Westwood. As a result, I couldn't detect any link to Broeker.
Eyerly could have done his racing on the East Coast.

(Incidentally, Eyerly's father was very active in the early post war races in California as mentioned in Art Evans' books.)

Mike

A fortunate break
The Vancouver Province, Monday, July 19, 1971

Al Lader was more surprised than anyone else when he won the Formula Ford section of Sunday’s $3,000 Export A 100 before 2,400 fans at Westwood circuit.
The Gresham, Ore., driver, runner up in the 1970 North American Formula B series, had settled into second place behind Pierre Phillips as the race entered its final eight laps.
But Phillips, the Portland veteran driving a Titan, suddenly slowed at the hairpin and waved Lader by.
“I’d never have caught Pierre, if he hadn’t run into trouble,” said Lader, who was driving a Titan borrowed from a friend.
“Phillips was running too strongly, and I was having trouble just hanging onto second.”
Phillips, who won Westwood’s first pro Formula Ford race last fall, had a three-second lead when his car’s oil pressure disappeared and forced him out.
A field of 29 cars started the 28-lap, 50-mile race, but the hot weather took its toll, with several dropping out.
Arnie Loyning of Tacoma eventually finished second to another Titan, with Ric Forest third in a March and Dan Odenborg of Seattle fourth in a Lola.
Marty Loft of Tacoma was battling with Forest, who tied Phillips for the pole in qualifying, entering the final lap. The two cars collided at the hairpin on the final circuit and damaged Loft’s car so badly he had to quit.
Mike Eyerly of Portland, 1969-70 Continental Formula B champion, also borrowed a car to enter the event, but pulled off in the late stages with oil problems. His Lotus 51 was running seventh at the time.
The day’s most serious incident occurred on the 11th lap of the Formula Ford event when the Winkleman of Seattle’s Riley Hopkins went out of the control at the Carousel and rocketed into the trees. The car flew well into the bush, but Hopkins escaped injury.
The groups 1-7 race was won by the Brabham BT8 of John Randall after early leaders Dick Losk and Rick M(oore were sidelined. Losk pulled off with mechanical troubles in his McLaren on the third lap while holding a good lead in the 50-mile event. Moore, from Coquitlam, then took over in his home-built racer, but was black flagged four laps later for dropping fluid from the back of his car onto the track.
Randall took the lead and had clear sailing the rest of the way.
Tony Carruthers of Nanaimo finished second in a Chevron, while Tony Morris of Coquitlam place third in his Trans-Am Camaro.

[David Holland]

Good to see this thread returning, I'm still no wiser I'm afraid.

I can't remember if I emailed Dave Greenblett, but I will try again.

Mike, I'm quite sure there is no connection to Vancouver now. That reference on statsf1 site has since been deleted. I think Montreal and Hamilton are the areas he lived in later life.

Thanks for the link Vince, Peter was winning still into the 70s and interesting to note how he liked the 21 number - as did Al Pease with the number 69!

As soon as I found anything about Peter's "mysterious" death I will post it here.

[Roger]

Stebrojuniour

I bought the other Broeker rear engined FJ back in the 80's and had the engine out of it for an Elva i was restoring ( a lotus twin cam). Not knowing anything about the car and it just being a pile of bits this seemed justified at the time, but now realise that this was probably the car entered in the 63 G Prix! The remains of that car now, or was, racing over here in the UK as an ordinary FJ.

Roger.

[macoran]

Just found this pic.

As no link has been posted as of yet, I thought some of you would like to have a peek.

1963 Stebro F1 !!!........supposedly

http://images.google...ttp...l=nl&sa=N

[Richard Jenkins]

Still determined to once & for all remove as many mysteries as I can, I come back to Broeker.

What I do now know for certain is that he did NOT die in British Columbia - there is nothing in the death indexes.

I am now suspecting he died in Montreal or Point Claire, Quebec. It doesn't appear that he died in America.

Whilst scrolling through Google - I came across a site which does not have the 1st January 1980, but a very strange date - the 29th February 1980
http://74.125.45.104...lnk&cd=37&gl=us

Whilst I find this interesting in that it is a different date, I have a feeling it is similiar to the 1st Jan - a date that has to be put in the database. Certainly the site has numerous spelling & data errors, so I am not sure how much it can be trusted, unless anyone knows differently?

I share David's exsperation that this mystery is still unsolved, considering his fame & have brought it back up because... well, you never know, eh?

[fines]

Originally posted by Richie Jenkins

I am now suspecting he died in Montreal or Point Claire, Quebec. It doesn't appear that he died in America.

Last time I checked, both Montréal and Québec were still part of the American continent - have they been moved?

[Richard Jenkins]

Originally posted by fines

Last time I checked, both Montréal and Québec were still part of the American continent - have they been moved?

Yep, to Canada.

What I meant (although I had thought I had made myself clear, perhaps not) is contrary to rumour, he did not die in San Francisco or any other part of razzle-dazzling rootling-tootling US of A.

[Arjan de Roos]

His book, available on 2nd hand book sites.

[RJE]

This may be of absolutely no relevance what so ever.

However regarding Peter Broeker's entry in the US GP of 1963. Although the car was entered and driven by Broeker all of the preparation and track side running of the car was done by Jim Spence of Portland Garage, Port Credit, Ontario. who was given contol of the car about a week before it went to the Glen.

As an aside. The expert employed to give opinion for the spectators over the PA that weekend was none other than Sir Stirling Moss (at that time recovering from his near fatal Goodwood accident). I can well remember him commenting on the Stebro entry as being notable as the first ever Canadian entry in a World Championship GP. Soon after the race an LP (recall those?) of the race with all the great noises and much of Stirling's commentary came out. I still have a copy although nothing to play it on. The point I am struggling to get to is that there may be some snippet on there regarding both the Stebro and Peter Broeker.

[Jayf1]

Try this, its basicly a link were u acan ask peter windsor , f1 comenatator and gu8ru and infor about pretty much all motor sport.. here you go..

Let me know if its usefyul - http://www.hiltonrac...d=49&Itemid=281

[Richard Jenkins]

Originally posted by Jayf1
Try this, its basicly a link were u acan ask peter windsor , f1 comenatator and gu8ru and infor about pretty much all motor sport.. here you go..

Let me know if its usefyul - http://www.hiltonrac...d=49&Itemid=281

Cheers for the suggestion, but he certainly won't know. Besides, there are more "gurus" on TNF who far more knowledge than PW.

[Richard Jenkins]

Sorted!

Broeker died 23rd November 1979, in Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada.


I wish I could take the credit for this, but it's all down to a chap called Raymond Oswin. He's got it both from Stebro and a number of different sources in Canadian B, M & D indexes.

So, Thiele done. O'Brien probably done. Broeker done. Now to Jay Abney.....

[ndpndp]

Sorted!

Broeker died 23rd November 1979, in Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada.


I wish I could take the credit for this, but it's all down to a chap called Raymond Oswin. He's got it both from Stebro and a number of different sources in Canadian B, M & D indexes.

So, Thiele done. O'Brien probably done. Broeker done. Now to Jay Abney.....

Great, Richard!

It just shows that with perseverance these mysteries CAN be solved.

ADAM

[Gabrci]

Sorted!

Broeker died 23rd November 1979, in Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada.


I wish I could take the credit for this, but it's all down to a chap called Raymond Oswin. He's got it both from Stebro and a number of different sources in Canadian B, M & D indexes.

So, Thiele done. O'Brien probably done. Broeker done. Now to Jay Abney.....

Great stuff, well done! I really wish we could get John Barber done although I admit we would probably need a private detective to find him.

[m.tanney]

Sorted!

Broeker died 23rd November 1979, in Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada.


I wish I could take the credit for this, but it's all down to a chap called Raymond Oswin. He's got it both from Stebro and a number of different sources in Canadian B, M & D indexes.

So, Thiele done. O'Brien probably done. Broeker done. Now to Jay Abney.....

I hate to spoil the party but I don't think that information is correct.

A while back, I decided to take another look at the Broeker question. I found some good sources. I found what I believe to be his correct date and place of death. I would have posted them here at the time but I wanted to dig deeper into some of the more mysterious aspects of Broeker's biography. I didn't have any luck with that and the information I had remained in a drawer - along with most of my racing history to-do list. For that, I apologize - to Richie and anyone else with an interest in Peter Broeker.

I would be curious to know Mr Oswin's source. One of Broeker's coin collecting colleagues told me that he left Quebec after the first separatist government was elected (1976) and settled in Hawkesbury, in eastern Ontario. He also gave me an approximate date of death. That was enough to get the Office of the Registrar General of Ontario to do a "death search". That is a cheap, basic search that yields the date of death and the registration number*. You can't get the full death certificate unless you are legally entitled to access. According to the Government of Ontario, Peter William Broeker died on November 4, 1980. The place of death was not given. I have been told that Broeker died at the General Hospital in Ottawa. A resident of Hawkesbury who was seeking advanced treatment might well go to Ottawa. It is the largest city in eastern Ontario and has bigger and better hospitals. I do not know the cause of Broeker's death but he was a heavy smoker and had been fighting cancer for some time. I am sure I have the right date of death. I am open to persuasion with regard to the place. I have checked the Ottawa and Hawkesbury newspapers but have not found an obituary.

There are other mysteries about Broeker's background, including his place of birth (maybe San Francisco, definitely not Hamilton). The biggest one is his birthname. It wasn't Broeker. He took that later.

You can see why I delayed posting what I had. The more you learn about Peter Broeker, the more questions arise.

Mike

* I can send you a scan, if you like, Richie.