Outpouring of love and grief for Niagara winemaker killed in Selkirk

The Hamilton man accused of killing a prominent Niagara winemaker appeared in court today. This as friends, family members, and colleagues of 54-year-old Paul Pender mourn the loss of the man described as one of the greats in the wine industry.

Paul Pender was a husband, father, and grandfather, he was also a highly skilled award-winning winemaker. Paul had a quiet confidence, he was innovative, he was creative, he had a mischievous side but more importantly, he was always available for a chat. The outpouring of love and grief is shared by those who knew him well continues to grow online as people post photos and memories of the man who was killed on Thursday, February 3rd. Pender was the head winemaker at Tawse Winery.

Pender, who lived in Grimsby, owned a cottage on Smelsers Cove Lane in Selkirk and was there Thursday, February 3rd. Neighbours say a strange man knocked on his door asking for help. Somehow the situation escalated and neighbours say Pender ended up being stabbed to death on the driveway of this nearby cottage.

31-year-old Bradley House from Hamilton has been charged with second-degree murder and spoke in court virtually today from the Barton Street Jail. He has a lawyer and will be back in court again on February 22nd.

There is no word yet on when Pender’s funeral will be held, but Brian Schmidt, the winemaker at Vineland Estate Winery says Niagara winemakers are thinking of doing something special to commemorate the man’s life. “In the Ontario wine industry, our neighbour is not our competition and we don’t treat each other as competition, we treat each other as family and Paul really got that and so we have lost a member of our family.”