Sheryl Kimbley speaks at the Citizen of the Year banquet. Photo by Chelsea Laskowski.
This year’s Citizen of the Year in Prince Albert is being applauded for bringing together a diverse group of people.
Sheryl Kimbley was honoured over the weekend at a banquet in Prince Albert.
She is a Prince Albert Grand Council employee who most notably works to develop musical talent in northern youth through the Northern Spirits workshops. Kimbley has a knack for planning events: in the past few years she’s thrown concerts for forest fire evacuees and for the people of La Loche.
Local dignitaries and politicians were in attendance, joined by a number of Northern Spirits youth who were able to attend after members of Kimbley’s “music family” bought tickets for them, as well as mayors and leaders from northern Saskatchewan.
“If you look around in the room, you see everybody. This is what Saskatchewan looks like. There’s Aboriginal people, there’s Metis, there’s Cree, there’s white people. And that’s what comes to mind, where Sheryl helps everybody and she touches everybody,” noted Kimbley’s youngest brother Kevin Joseph.
The youth suicides and events in La Loche have been close to Kimbley’s heart, and she asked her son LJ to play a song dedicated to those who have lost their lives to youth suicide in the north. The performance was a tribute that brought many in the room to tears.
Her nominator Shauna Sayese said Kimbley is tireless in supporting young people.
“She’s a great advocate, for not only Prince Albert but for our youth. She’s always pushing to ensure that our youth are well-taken care of and that they have what they need, supporting them, encouraging them to be the best that they can be,” Sayese said.
Sayese is the daughter of past Citizen of the Year honouree Bernice Sayese, who has since passed on. Bernice and Kimbley had been involved with Voices of the North together.
In her speech, Kimbley thanked the local Kinsmen and the newspaper for opening doors for her through this recognition. She vowed to bring a youth to sit beside her at every board meeting she is involved in throughout the city and province.
“They know better what they need than we do. Who are we to talk for them? So my goal is to take them everywhere and I am going to speak loud and proud that they are important and we need to save their lives,” she said.
The audience saw Kimbley receive a starblanket from PAGC leadership, an Award of Merit from the City of Prince Albert, a gift from the Sask. First Nations Veterans Association and a gift from the Sayese family.
Late last week, MP Randy Hoback spoke in Parliament to extend his congratulations to Kimbley.