Journalist, photographer and musician born in Nunatsiavut in 1958 — died in Goose Bay in 2021.
Bob Mesher (William Robert Mesher) was born in 1958. He is the son of Victor Grenfell and Dorothy (Berthe) Mesher. His mother published her autobiography in 1995 under the title Kuujjuaq: Memories and Musings (Unica). This book provides personal reflections on the cultural changes in Nunavik’s capital. Bob Mesher grew up in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and studied in Montréal, attending Dawson CEGEP and completing a Master’s degree in Educational Technology from Concordia University.
Bob Mesher’s career brings together communication and artistic creation. After university, Bob Mesher moved to Kuujjuaq, Nunavik to work with the Makivik Corporation. Incorporated in 1978, Makivik Corporation administers the funds from the James Bay Northern Quebec Land Claim Agreement (JBNQA) on behalf of all Quebec Inuit. It is the leader of economic, political and resource development in Nunavik’s communities. Bob Mesher’s career at Makivik focused on communication and for twenty-one years, he was the well-known editor of Makivik News and its successor, Makivik Magazine. He authored over 60 articles in these publications, which include his photographs recording the places, people and events in Nunavik.
In 1998, Bob Mesher co-wrote the film script for Capturing Spirit. The Inuit Journey / Retour aux sources. Le voyage inuit with Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Tarqralik Partridge, and Gail Richardson. This 70-minutes Makivik production was shot in Kuujjuaq, with a cast of actors from the local community. Bob Mesher was also the creative director for this film, a dramatic portrayal of the life challenges facing Inuit youth.
Bob Mesher’s first book is a trilingual (English, French, Inuktitut) photo essay on Labrador. Including text by Danielle Schaub, Labrador, is the first book of photography published by a Nunavik Inuit (Presses de l'Université du Québec, 2014)
As an amateur musician, Bob Mesher performs with friends at summer festivals in Kuujjuaq.
Bob Mesher died in 2021 in Goose Bay at the age of 62.