Death of a flat-out Montreal character

Gordon Mianscum, a Cree from Chibougamau who became an oft-seen Montreal character due to his unusual stretcher-style wheelchair in the 80s, has died at 51.
   Mianscum lost use of his legs as a teen after a car he was in crashed on the way to a wedding in Chibougamau in 1976, an accident his which claimed his brother and aunt.
   Mianscum moved to NDG to be closer to the Mackay Centre where he received services but he pined for his home town.
   He suffered skin issues in a regular wheelchair so in 1986 they put him on the stretcher model wheelchair, which became his trademark.
  He tried at least once to get donations to get a better racing wheelchair but fell just short. (Maybe he shouldn't have gone around Montreal with a Boston Bruins cap if he wanted to raise funds? Just sayin'- Chimples)
 Mianscum was a Montrealer who was famous for being famous but also once accomplished something of note.
  He completed five marathons including the Boston Marathon wheelchair division in 1989, when he placed third, beaten by a pair of fellow Montrealers.
   His racing inspired the clever headline "Going flat out for the marathon."
   Anyway he moved back up to Chibougamau in the 1990s and recently expired.