11/01/2026
It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our dear friend and brother, Big Jim.
Jim passed away last night at the age of 92.
As we gathered to celebrate the Men of the Deeps' 60th anniversary at our VIP reception, our brother Jim was in hospital. And while we were singing, Jim quietly left this world.
That timing feels especially fitting for a man who gave so much of his life to this choir.
Jim was one of our last surviving founding members, and with his passing, we have lost another precious connection to the men who came before us.
Within our brotherhood, Jim was a calming presence. He carried a lifetime of stories, memories, and deep respect for the mining culture and history that brought us all together. He knew where we came from, and he never let us forget it.
Although Jim officially retired from the choir in 2025, he was never far away. He kept showing up for every performance at the Miners Museum throughout the summer of 2026, delighting audiences with his monologues and that wonderful sense of humour.
In fact, his last performance was just this past September, when he sat for ten minutes and cracked off joke after joke, never missing a beat. At 92, the rest of us can only hope to be half as sharp as Big Jim.
He was one of a kind.
A reporter asked us today, "How will you ever fill Big Jim's shoes?"
The answer is, we won't.
The Men of the Deeps have always relied on the individual strengths of the men who make up this choir. Every man brings something of himself to our brotherhood, and Jim brought something that was uniquely his.
Big Jim's shoes will remain Big Jim's shoes.
There is no replacing that. And we wouldn't dare try.
We extend our deepest condolences to Jim's family and to everyone who had the privilege of knowing and loving him.
Tomorrow we celebrate 60 years together at the Savoy Theatre, and we will dedicate the performance to Big Jim MacLellan and all those members who took their leave before him.
Rest easy, Jim.