Chad Vellacott, the eldest son of former (Reform, Alliance, Conservative Party) Member of Parliament Maurice Vellacott, and his wife Mary, was found deceased on February 2 in a rural location near Dalmeny. He had earlier been reported missing to police.
Police do not believe the death to be suspicious. Chad Vellacott’s body was found by police at the base of a communications tower on property near his parents’ acreage. According to the coroner’s report, the cause of death was determined to be multiple internal injuries and fractures as a result of a fall from a significant height.
Chad Vellacott, 42, was an honours student in his youth, but was diagnosed with Schizophrenia 20 years ago. He leaves behind his wife and 11 children, ranging in age from two years to 19 years.
Schizophrenia and early psychosis are medical illnesses are caused by multiple genetic or environmental factors or from a combination of both.
In an interview, Maurice Vellacott thanked people for their outpouring of support over the past week as they learned of the death of his son.
“It’s devastating,” said Maurice. “Just a day before he went missing, after resisting for 18 years, Chad promised to take medication as necessary. It seemed like there was a breakthrough.”
Maurice added he believes his son’s death was not intentional.
“Chad would often go on walks by himself,” said Maurice. “He was dressed for the weather. He had never expressed any intention for self-harm to us, as his parents, to his wife or to anyone else.
“We also found notes he had written that reassured us that it was not suicide, which is a comfort to us. Of course we will never know conclusively, but we believe he did not intend for his life to be taken on that night.”
Maurice said his son struggled with mental health issues, particularly in the last two years.
“He was lonely, because his wife and children had moved away to southern Ontario,” he said. “He was living, on his own, in the mobile home next to our house, and we began to really enjoy his company and having him around.
“But he did have a lot of challenges.”
A GoFundMe account (https://www.gofundme.com/f/chad-vellacott-funeral-flights-education-fund?qid=4918d166b111cfc5e4739c75fd002d52 ) was set up February 6 under Chad Vellacott’s name to raise funds to help the family cover expenses associated with bringing Chad’s wife and children back to Saskatchewan for the funeral and to assist in his children’s immediate and future needs.
Because of unfortunate federal government restrictions, blocking Chad’s family from boarding flights on Air Canada and WestJet from southern Ontario, Chad’s funeral had to be postponed to 3 pm on Sunday, February 27 at Erindale Alliance Church in Saskatoon. Only two of Chad’s 11 children have reached the age of majority. Air Canada makes no exceptions. WestJet, thankfully, allows a “religious exemption” to the Covid mandate by completion of a 4-page application. Please let friends and others know of this change of date.
A noted on the GoFundMe page stated: “In the last several months, he was apart from his wife and their 11 children in southern Ontario, so because of Chad’s negligible estate, you are invited to donate to cover some funeral expenses, a flight home for his brother in the US, as well as flights for Chad’s wife and children to come from southern Ontario to his Saskatoon funeral.
“Chad’s parents, siblings, wife, children, aunts and uncles are heart-broken at his shortened life and look forward to that ‘Grand Reunion’ with him some day.”
Chad Vellacott was a devout evangelical Christian, had earned an undergraduate degree at Briercrest College, and had begun a Master’s Degree at that institution. He was noted for his sense of humour, his love of his family, and his enjoyment of the outdoors.
Maurice Vellacott said the family is also encouraging people to donate to the Canadian Schizophrenia Society (www.schizophrenia.ca) or to the Schizophrenia Society of Saskatchewan or any other Schizophrenia Society, in memory of Chad.