Though she had all the awards and recognitions behind her name, I don't believe that that is what Gail Cyr would want to be remembered for. Instead, it would be the character of this city and the countless people she touched through her dedication to helping others and making life better for everyone, especially those who could not speak for themselves.
Accolades are fine but what could be more rewarding than knowing you made your community and so many people in it kinder, more empathetic and more compassionate? There can be no greater legacy than knowing you helped others become better people by the way you lived your own life and the care you showed.
That is what Gail Cyr did. Through her humility and its strength, Gail made Yellowknife and the North a better place. We lost a giantess among people.
Gail's life was not without its difficulties and perhaps that is why she evolved into the big-hearted woman she became. In a world fraught with overblown egos and people in high positions abusing their power and others, Gail's weapons of choice were appreciation, respect and kindness. With a Governor-General award under her belt, a position as city councillor and endless boards and board connections, she could have used her ego to further her own ends and herself but she never did.
She used her strength built on fair play and understanding to help others. This is true strength. This humility does not mean that Gail was a pushover or conceded her positions easily - not ever. But through that powerful baritone voice, she could accomplish change for those who could only whisper and needed change the most. Gail was relentless in her advocacy for those who needed someone on their side.
As a Sixties Scoop survivor, she said she was fortunate to have supportive foster parents unlike others who never recovered from their experiences in residential school or the homes they were forced into. But Gail was not without scabs from discrimination and racial injustice.
While she rarely talked about her negative experiences, she did publicly mention once how she had fallen on the ice in the Your Independent Grocer parking lot downtown. She struggled to pull herself up though nursing an injury and no one would help. They just walked by as she earnestly tried to regain her composure. It only softened her heart to those on the street and increased the volume of her voice using it to help others even more.
Maybe it was experiences such as this that made her a tour de force with the Status of Women and on city council. For Gail, positions of authority were not to be abused but to make life better for others. This is the mark of a true leader and a great spirit among us.
Last year, I posted on social media pleading for someone to watch my table at an art show so I could get my dogs out. Gail responded. Knowing mobility and pain could be an issue for her, I couldn't believe she raised her hand, a rare gift to my dogs from someone who received one of Canada's highest honours. We were blessed by this act of generosity. More than anything else, this kind of humility and willingness to help and empower others is what Gail will be remembered for.
Her heart enfolded all of us.
The remarkable Northerners who have joined the creator are not gone and never will be. The North is as dear to them up there as it was when they were here on Earth. Gail Cyr, Tony Whitford and Alfred Moses are just a few of the great ones I believe are up there playing among the stars, throwing them back and forth creating northern light specials to brighten our time here on Earth.
You won't be forgotten, Gail. Your generosity of spirit will always move around us, continuing to foster our growth now as it did when you were with us. We love you and will not forget.
There will be a celebration of life for Gail at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre this Sunday at 2 p.m. Let's gather and spend time with each other and our friend one more time.
SA国际影视传媒擭ancy Vail is a longtime Yellowknifer with an interest in social justice.
