Sheryl Kimbley reacts to being named Prince Albert’s 2016 Citizen of the Year. Photo courtesy Voices of the North, Facebook.
Sheryl Kimbley’s efforts to create music in response to the La Loche mass shootings and her work on suicide prevention strategies in the north made a deep impact on the Prince Albert 2016 Citizen of the Year selection committee.
“2016 was the year of Sheryl Kimbley,” said Prince Albert Kinsmen Club President Marcus Abrametz, who was part of the selection committee comprised of three members of Prince Albert Kinsmen Club and three staff members of the local newspaper.
Sheryl Kimbley is a member of Big River First Nation who was born and raised in Prince Albert. She is a Prince Albert Grand Council employee who is well-known for her role orchestrating the Voices of the North music showcase.
Additionally, Kimbley has worked hard this year to provide community meals for homeless and impoverished people living in the city. She is a strong believer that “you can’t be proud of who you are until you’re proud of where you’re from,” which shows in how glowingly she speaks of Prince Albert.
Even so, Kimbley acknowledges that ugly words are often what make headlines. Some of those words were heard earlier this year when Syrian refugees were moving to the city.
“It’s sometimes the louder ones that cast a bad image of us,” she said.
“I didn’t like the things that were being said about the refugees and I didn’t like the things that have always been said about Aboriginal people continuing to happen because we can do better.”
She was part of a group that brought together First Nations people to welcome those refugees to the city with a round dance. This is one of many contributions, including Kimbley’s role in organizing National Aboriginal Day events that were considered by the selection committee.
“I want to make sure that people get to see what Aboriginal people can do and what we’re able to do,” she said.
Kimbley is carrying on the vision of her mentor and friend Bernice Sayese, who was a founder of Voices of the North.
“We want to show people the best side of Aboriginal people as well,” she said.
Sayese was the first Indigenous woman to be named Citizen of the Year in 2002. Two years later, Sayese died from cancer.
Much like Sayese was, Kimbley is quick to credit those around her for the success she’s had as a volunteer in Prince Albert.
“I don’t do anything alone. So I’m fully aware that, it’s all because I’m a spokesperson, I guess, I know how to speak. Sometimes a lot of the people that should be honoured before me are sitting back and doing all the hard work,” Kimbley said.
She said her best move of 2016 was to surround herself with such positive people.
The shock of being named Prince Albert’s Citizen of the Year is still settling in for Kimbley.
She’s had an emotional week, and expects the Citizen of the Year banquet on Feb. 4 to be much the same.