It is with great sadness we announe the death of Bernard Arthur Ottwell Binns (ON 1947-1953)

At School Bernard was in Maples' House. He played House Tennis and was captain of the School Swimming Team in 1952 and 1953. He was also in the CCF and held the role of Corporal in the RAF Section.

Pleae find below and obituary for Bernard, sent in by his son Patrick.

It is with great sorrow that we share the passing of Dr. Bernard Binns. Born in the Falkland Islands on April 2, 1934, Bernard passed away in Victoria BC on July 10, 2025, surrounded by his loved ones, after suffering a stroke. Bernie was 91. He will be profoundly missed.

Bernie Binns spent his early childhood in India and Chinese Turkestan. At the age of twelve, he returned to England and attended Nottingham High School. He went on to study at Guy’s Hospital Medical School in London, where he met and married the love of his life, Elaine Parker.

Together, Bernie and Elaine (1933–2021) were enthusiastic global travellers, both for work and pleasure. They visited numerous countries across almost every continent, including the Caribbean, the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Africa. Deeply involved in their communities, they brought the same spirit of adventure and engagement to local life. Bernie had many intellectual pursuits—he loved golf, squash, bridge, and chess. He remained active and curious throughout his life.

Bernie specialized in obstetrics and gynecology. He practiced medicine in England, Uganda, Canada, and New Zealand. In the 1980s, he taught obstetrics and infectious diseases at the University of Manitoba. As a compassionate and forward-thinking physician, Bernie was well ahead of his time in his approach to care. A passionate advocate for women’s rights, he also worked extensively in Canada’s northern communities, providing medical services to the Inuit people.

Athletic throughout his life, Bernie competed in swimming and diving during his school years at Nottingham; he played competitive squash for the University of London while in medical school. However, it was golf that became his lifelong passion. He began playing in Uganda in 1965 and continued to play as an amateur for decades, competing in club and district tournaments throughout Canada and New Zealand. Even as he coped with significant vision loss from macular degeneration, Bernie continued to play golf as a super-senior within the Fairwinds Men’s Group.

Bernie and Elaine retired in 1992 to the home they built on the ninth hole of the Fairwinds golf course located in Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island. During the cold Canadian winters, they escaped to Whakatane, New Zealand, where they enjoyed a lifestyle full of friends, good food, and year-round golf.

Bernie’s extraordinary life is chronicled in his memoir Improbable Journeys: From Crossing the Himalayas on Horseback to a Career in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, co-authored with Ron Smith (available on Amazon). The book recounts a life of colonial-era travel, remarkable experiences, and a progressing career in medicine.

Bernie is survived by his sister Marjorie McLean; his cousin Ann McAdam; sister-in-law Hazel Fisk (Bernard); his children Kathryn Binns (Michael Gau) and Patrick Binns (Colleen Graves); his seven nieces and nephews Norman McLean (Rachel), Graham McLean, Laura Johnstone (Graham), Jayne Rowley (Ian), Stephen Fisk (Michelle), Richard Fisk (Cathryn), and Nigel Atkinson (Susan). He also leaves behind five grandchildren Grant Sharp (Misha), Nicholas Schesnuk, Elizabeth Rolka (Eric), Lisa Binns (Devin), and Carolyn Binns; and nine great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his parents T. Patrick and Ada Binns; his beloved wife Elaine Binns (2021); his daughter Helen Binns (2023); and his son-in-law Mark Hayward (1996).

Our sincerest condoleneces go out to all of Bernard's family and friends.