Morin lived life to the fullest

By Bruce Campbell
Staff reporter

Chris Morin will be remembered by some for his wild onstage antics while holding a microphone as the lead singer for the punk rock band The Dabblers.
But Chris Waterstreet will remember Morin as a gentle guy holding a carton of milk.
“The last time I saw Chris was about a year ago and I was in the hospital,” said the 33-year-old Waterstreet of High River, the lead singer for the Foothills area band Van Bulgers. “He came into see me and he didn’t have a lot of money at the time, but he brought me this milk.
“He said to me: ‘Milk is supposed to be good for the body so I thought I would get you some.’
“I remember thinking here was this guy who wanted to make sure he could give me something.”
Morin, 30, was killed when he fell four storeys from a motel while vacationing in Cancun, Mexico, early Thursday morning. Morin, who grew up in Blackie and High River, was a resident of Okotoks when he died. He was a carpenter and a great punk rock singer.
“He was awesome — he had so much energy and could really get the crowd into it,” Waterstreet said. “He could make a stage come alive even if it was only five-feet wide.”
Morin used to pal around with his older brother David Sikorski and Waterstreet while growing up in Blackie.
Eventually, Morin and his then punk band, Sneak Attack would warm up for Waterstreet’s former band Buzzard at Foothills area gigs such as at the Highwood Memorial Centre in High River.
Brian Chipchase of High River, the drummer for Buzzard and The Van Bulgers, said he lost a good friend when Morin passed last week.
“He was an excellent skateboarder, snowboarder and he could play music,” said the 33-year-old Chipchase. “Music was a big part of his life.“
Chipchase said Morin’s latest band, The Dabblers, played straight ahead, high-energy punk rock.
“He was the kind of singer that anybody would want in their band — he was very good,” Chipchase said.
Morin was also a good, loyal friend.
“If you hadn’t seen him for two months and you ran into him, it was like you just saw him two hours ago,” Chipchase said. “He was a lot of laughs — a great sense of humour.”
Chipchase, who lived in Mexico for a year, scoffs at reports from that country that Morin took his own life.
“I don’t believe that for a minute,” said Chipchase, adding that whether it was BMX riding, snowboarding or singing in a band, Morin lived and enjoyed life to the fullest.
“He lived every day like it was his last day — and that day came way too soon,” Chipchase said.