Bill Brace, a recipient of the Order of Manitoba and known to some as Canada's greatest magician, died on Sunday. He was 82.

"It wasn't technically because he was the greatest magician. It was his tremendous ability and capacity to communicate with people, especially children. That is something that everyone took note of, and it was very special for everyone to witness," said Brace's grandson, Cary Tardi.

Magic began as a hobby for Brace while he was an RCMP officer and continued throughout his retirement. In 1984, he established the first chapter of the Society of Young Magicians in Canada, and later the Interlake Magic Club.

Brace also founded the Philip Hornan Scholarship of Magic, which was named after a young magician who died of cancer. Brace funded the scholarship himself, without fundraising.

In addition to receiving the Order of Manitoba in 2002, Creative Retirement Manitoba honoured him with an Ageless Heroes Award in 2003 to recognize his efforts in enriching the lives of young people.
 
One young person he inspired was Tardi, himself a performing magician who often performed with Brace.

"He did very simple magic, to be honest. It was stuff that was not really complicated, but he involved a lot of comedy in it. There was a lot of audience participation. That's something I do in my show to this day, and it's because it was taught by him," Tardi said.

Brace lived in Clandeboye, a small community northwest of Selkirk. Earlier in his retirement he operated a hobby farm, which included a petting zoo, a magic museum and a police museum.

In an e-mail Brace sent to the Victoria Magic Circle in October 2006, he described his many interests, and the wide variety of jobs he had before becoming an RCMP officer, but it's clear that his early interest with magic carried on throughout his life.