A prominent voice, activist and friend to many in the NWT has died.

Gail Cyr passed away earlier this month at age 71. Bruce Valpy said he met her in the 1980s and they were friends ever since. 

"I ran into her in the store a couple of weeks ago," he said of their recent encounter in Yellowknife. "We had a laugh as we usually do and she was her old self, always full of life."

Cyr came to the NWT in 1974. She would go on to become executive director of the Native Women's Association, as well as the only Indigenous member of Yellowknife's city council in the mid-1980s and served five terms. Valpy described Cyr as talented and having a strong interest in people's rights.

"She was a big defender of the little guy and she wasn't afraid to speak out," he said. "If she saw somebody being mistreated, she'd be the first one there."

From his experience as a former news editor, Valpy said that Cyr was accountable to the media, always answering calls.

"She was one of the more vocal, early voices for Indigenous rights in the NWT. Everybody would be going to her for advice and she was very open to speaking with anybody," Valpy said. "She was very knowledgeable."

Cyr was also appointed to the Order of Canada SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” awarded through the governor generalSA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½™s office SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” in 2021. Growing up, she was a survivor of the SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½™60s Scoop SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½” when Indigenous children were taken from their families and placed in non-Indigenous foster homes.

Cyr was also very passionate about theatre and the arts, particularly Indigenous arts. Marie Coderre, the executive and artistic director for the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC), offered high praise for Cyr and her work.

"There's no two Gail Cyrs, she's a passionate soul," Coderre said, describing her as very expressive and warm.

Coderre, who met Cyr around 2012, collaborated with her on various projects.

"She knew exactly what she wanted," she said. "She will leave a huge legacy in the North."

Cyr's son, Jesse Wheeler, posted on social media about his mother's death on Dec. 3, saying she was only a few weeks away from her 72nd birthday.

Cyr had also been a frequent columnist for SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½ with her series "Memories of the North." In it, she recounted her own lived experiences, including her years as a human rights advocate.

"One of Gail's proudest achievements was her work in establishing the Native Court Workers Program in the Northwest Territories," stated the NWT Human Rights Commission, of which Cyr was a member. "Gail dedicated her life to championing justice and equality, making long-lasting contributions to the social and political landscape of the Northwest Territories."