Help For a Friend In Need

Help for a Friend in Need

By Dylan Reade, Edmonton Alberta
 

In 2012 Bill Reeve was diagnosed with prostate cancer and advised that it had likely been spreading through his system undetected for six years.  After four years of treatment,  additional tumours have been discovered throughout his body, and it is optimistically hoped that recent surgery will extend his life span another two to five years.

 

Bill has been a giant in the IMAX, 3D and Large Format communities for three decades, having played major leading or supporting roles over dozens of film projects.    Many in the large format industry have relied on him over the years and benefitted from his enthusiasm and technical brilliance in problem-solving during the long period that he served as Customer Service representative for IMAX Corporation.  Many more have experienced first hand the almost legendary tales of his unique problem-solving abilities — tales of taking apart door hinges in a hotel room to machine them into replacement camera parts, or dismantling a bicycle for components to fix a broken gyrostabilizer on a ship at sea.   And many others have benefitted from his energy and dedication as a Director of Photography, Director and Stereographer.  As a businessman and by his generous commitment to sharing his expertise Bill is also responsible for having nurtured the careers of many in the Toronto film and 3D industry.

 

While he has been continuing to fight the cancer, Bill has suffered the collapse of his marriage, the insolvency of his 3D production company, the death of his oldest son, and a recent inability to work due to the ongoing effects of treatment and health.  Faced with bankruptcy, overwhelming debt and an inability to cover his basic needs, his situation has become one of steadily mounting strain.

 

This appeal is launched by family and friends with the hope of providing Bill with basic comforts and transportation and to remove the uncertainty around even finding stable accommodation.  

 

Many thanks to all who are able to return the generosity that Bill has given of his time, commitment and dedication to their projects over so long a worthy career.