Gail Cyr: ‘Forged by pain and isolation; met with fury and laughter’

Gail Cyr’s celebration of life was outspoken, fearless and passionate — an accurate representation of the Order of Canada recipient’s colourful life of nearly 72 years, which ended

After all, what memorial service have you ever been to that featured a foot-long hand-made paper mâché phallus firmly attached to the podium.

The colourfully decorated art piece was seen in some stage performances over the years — such as the Vagina Monologues — and was a favourite conversation piece for Cyr, who would even take it with her to the Gold Range Bar (where she worked as a waitress decades ago).

Those glimpses into Cyr’s wilder side, were balanced by heartfelt tributes by family members from near and far, politicians old and new, and folks who volunteered with her over the years.

For nearly two hours on Sunday afternoon in the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre — the theatre Cyr designed costumes at for many years — approximately 160 people learned about, or re-lived, many stories about a true Northern survivor.

Patricia Rose (Gail) Cyr was born as born on Christmas Eve 1952 to John and Jane Spence at the nursing station in what is now called Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation.

She ended up in Winnipeg, where repeated racist incidents had her move to the North.

Cyr married a Yellowknife doctor named Ross Wheeler, who passed away in 2012.

One of their sons, Jesse Wheeler, hosted Sunday’s event and explained why Princess Warrior Gail was a breaker of cycles.

“She was born in a nursing station and according to the chief, was one of the few babies born in that nursing station. And even at that time, her birth certificate said Winnipeg, because it was the closest city, they didn’t really recognize that she was born in Nelson House.”

Wheeler explained his mother worked hard to eventually locate two sisters, and she found out some history of her family.

Cyr discovered she almost died of malnutrition at 18 months, she found out that she was put into the child welfare system at 18 months — and that all of her siblings were also put into the system.

“It’s a harrowing story. So to come from this, from that to where we are today, and everything that she’s done in between is a break, is a breaker of cycles.”

My sister, Gail was a force of nature, and anyone who knew her felt it the moment she walked into a room. She had this incredible way of lighting up everything around her, always radiating warmth, love and energy. She was one of the most resilient people I’ve ever known. No matter what life threw her way, she faced it head on with strength and a smile. Gail had a heart of gold and a gift from making people feel seen and heard, always ready with a hug.

– Gail Cyr’s brother, Neil, in a letter read out Sunday

Roxanne Cook works for the Dene Nation. She recalled when she met Cyr, after moving up here a decade ago.

It was at an event at the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre, and Cyr was the emcee.

“That rang a bell — her last name, Cyr — because in our home community in southern Saskatchewan, we have lot of Cyrs,” she recalled.

So the two started talking and it turned out Cyr’s mother was actually from my Cook’s home community. Cook later learned her grandmother was a Cyr, “so all of a sudden, now I have a cousin in Yellowknife,” she said with a hearty laugh.

“She just took me right under her wing and introduced me to quite a bit of people here, because when I first moved up, I didn’t know anyone at all. Every time we’d meet on the streets, we’d say, ‘Hello, cousin!’

“You know, as Indigenous people, we always have some cousins, far and near.

“But, we’re going to miss her, and hope her journey is well up there, and I’m sure she’s meeting with a lot of ancestors right now and having a good rejoicing with them.”