OPP investigating murder of award-winning Niagara winemaker
Posted February 7, 2022 2:36 pm.
Last Updated February 7, 2022 3:30 pm.
Police in Haldimand County have arrested and charged a man with second-degree murder in connection to the “suspicious” death of a well-known Niagara winemaker.
The victim has been identified as 54-year-old Paul Pender, the Director of Viticulture and Winemaking for Tawse and Redstone Winery.
A statement from the winery’s founder Moray Tawse says Pender “died unexpectedly under tragic circumstances,” and says he joined the Tawse team back in 2005.
Ontario Provincial Police say they responded to an emergency call on February 3 at a residence on Smelsers Cove Lane. Pender was pronounced dead at the scene. Thirty-one-year-old Bradley House of Hamilton was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. So far it’s not clear what led to Pender’s death, or if the two were known to each other.
Tributes have begun pouring in for Pender, who earned the title of Winemaker of the Year at the Ontario Wine Awards in 2011.
The Town of Lincoln released a statement, mourning the loss of one of the “most beloved winemakers and industry trailblazers” in the region.
“I would like to extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to Paul’s family, friends and colleagues,” writes Mayor Sandra Easton. “We know this heart-breaking loss will be deeply felt by many.”
“Paul’s impact and influence in the Ontario Grape and Wine Industry cannot be understated,” says Paul Di Ianni, Lincoln’s Director of Economic Development and Communications. “He leaves behind an indelible legacy in Lincoln’s Grape and Wine Industry – a legacy that we know will be celebrated for decades to come.”
The winery’s statement says that under Pender’s leadership, Tawse and Redstone Winery was named Canadian Winery of the year in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016.
Bradley House is set to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Cayuga at a later date to answer to the charge.
