Terry John Drebit

It breaks our hearts to share the passing of Terry John (Taras) Drebit on Sunday, March 1, 2026, with his family by his side, at St Pauls Hospital in Vancouver, BC. He was predeceased by his parents Steve and Stella Drebit, his brother-in-law Ken Marek, and his great-nieces Emily Rud and Samantha Marek-Huston.

He is survived by his daughter, whom he loved unconditionally, Candace Sharpe (Bob). He is also survived by his uncle Mike Subtelny; his siblings Jane Marek, Bill Drebit (Lorna), Judy Ternowetsky (Karmon) and Don Drebit (Patty); his many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great-nephews; godchildren; and his most loyal dog, China.

He will also be very much missed by his numerous and loyal friends, whether they were from his horse or farming communities. Every Sunday friends would come over and make a potluck breakfast at his house. Sometimes he would be well enough to join them at the dining table, but over the years there were times he couldn’t leave his bed, but they knew it made him feel included just being there and we knew he looked forward to it too.

Terry was born June 15, 1955 in Ethelbert, Manitoba, the son of a farming family. He spent his youth in Ethelbert, then when he was 16 old he moved with his family to Winnipeg. He had no problem instantly making new friends and being a social butterfly. He was an incredibly intelligent man, but while he was not academically savvy, he made up it in charm and charisma - it would be these foundational characteristics that would make him the man he was.

Terry was a man who wore many hats. He was a restauranteur who started out working at Kentucky Fried Chicken in Winnipeg as a teenager and eventually started his own restaurants throughout the Westman region, but most notably Chicken Terry’s and Terry’s Place in Minnedosa, MB. And as if operating restaurants and being a popular caterer wasn’t enough, he was also a politician. Terry ran as an MLA Liberal candidate, but was successful in his campaign for Mayor of Minnedosa where he held his seat from 1995 to 2001. He was also a counsellor for the RM of Saskatchewan for a period of time and sat on the Prairie Mountain Regional Health Board.

His career in public service allowed him the leverage to make some notable achievements advancing tourism for the Town of Minnedosa and area, including, but not limited too, the Minnedosa Classic Rock Festival and the Minnedosa Bison Park.

But it wasn’t all work for Terry, he also knew how to have a good time, and it usually included horses. For many years Terry was a member of Cossacks & Company, Canada’s National Riding & Dancing team that performed annually at the Ukrainian National Festival in Dauphin. He also joined with a large group other equestrian enthusiasts that ventured into Riding Mountain Park for a trail ride every year.

After a while he decided to slow down, in a way that only a Drebit man can, and return to his roots as a farmer, raising livestock and horses in Riverdale, MB. This beautiful valley was his sanctuary, and he always wanted to share his farm and home with all his friends and loved ones. He held bbq’s, and hosted an occasional historical threshing day with antique farming equipment. He also set aside a picturesque plot of land for his family to use as a campground, and as a parting gift he has endowed this piece of land be kept with his family for future use.

Terry’s spiritual heart was infinitely large, but in the end his physical heart could just not keep up. Rest now Taras, we will take the reins from here.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 13 at the baseball diamond near Terry’s farm, about 2km west of highway #10 on road 81N (Riverdale Road). A come-and-go BBQ lunch will be held from 12-4pm, with a short service at 2pm. Please bring your own lawn chairs. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the STARS Foundation. Donation forms will be available at the Celebration of Life or please visit www.stars.ca to support this wonderful organization.