In pictures: Fort Smith’s Frank Gruben Pride Festival

Around 100 people walked and drove in Fort Smith’s second Frank Gruben Pride Festival walk on Saturday.

The weekend-long festival took place in the name and memory of Frank, an Aklavik 2SLGBTQ+ community member who went missing in Fort Smith in May 2023.

“I’m here for the support of Frank,” said Fort Smith’s Taylor Tuckey. “He was the type of person who, when you met him, he was just super out there, always happy.”

Tuckey said she first met Frank five years ago.

“He was just a really amazing person,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine how it’d be for his family. I just wish some of you would come forward so his parents can have that closure.”

In its first year as a Pride society, founded and chaired by 18-year-old trans teen Ryker Lonehardt, he says the group received around $10,000 in donations and in-kind support.

Activities in Fort Smith ran from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, beginning with a video message from Frank’s mother, Laura Kalinek.

“I’m so thankful for the people that reach out in any which way to help my family and to hold things like this, bring people together,” Kalinek said in that message.

“I’m happy for Ryker to get it started. It’s a lot of work to put things together and I’m glad that [he’s] got a lot of help and support out there.”

Kalinek described how Frank had come out to her as gay more than seven years ago.

“It’s good to have that kind of communication with your children, instead of being taunting and judgmental,” she said.

“It’s time to look out for each other instead of being judgmental to people, because we could never know what people are going through.”

According to NWT RCMP, there are 86 unsolved missing persons cases in the territory since 1960, including Kalinek’s son and her father.

Kalinek is waiting for the NWT’s Missing Persons Act to come into effect. While that legislation has passed, the regulations required to bring it into force are not yet finalized.

“I really wish that the Legislative Assembly could get something done with what we’re waiting for. There’s a lot of other people waiting for that too, and they need to start helping our people. We really need help, and it’s tough,” she said.

“I’m not giving up hope there and trying to stay positive, that something happens soon and people come forward. Everybody needs their answers, and I’m one of them.”

The NWT’s Department of Justice now says the regulations will be posted online for a 30-day engagement period in late June, after which they can be finalized and the act brought into force. The department had earlier expected the engagement period to begin in May.

After this article was first published, the department said by email that residents will be invited to review the proposed regulations and submit comments between June 24 and July 24.

Saturday’s festival events included road painting in Pride colours, a drum circle and vendors at the Centennial Arena, words from Mayor Dana Fergusson and drag performances.

Drag “brings me a lot of joy,” said Yellowknife performer Jenny Sis. “It’s a happy place for me. It’s something fun. It’s something to put my passion and creative energy into, and I’m hoping that it brings joy to other people as well.”

Jenny Sis drove to Fort Smith for the weekend with their partner, Garett Cochrane.

“What I would say to the other small towns is: take the leap,” said Cochrane, a Yellowknife city councillor.

“Most of that comes down to one volunteer, like a person like Ryker here, to really take the initiative of doing the organization behind it.”

Josh Gambler, originally from Fort Simpson, moved to Fort Smith as a kid. Gambler says it means a lot to see welcoming events and spaces as an Indigi-queer resident.

While he says he never met Frank, he commends holding space for his name and other missing persons through events like this.

More: ‘Frank’s story has not been forgotten in Fort Smith’

“Tragic stuff like this happens all the time to any gendered person, really, not just one sector. It affects a lot of people. A lot of people go missing. It’s nice to see everybody out supporting each other,” said Gambler, who made his way to the festival’s events after a shift at the recreation centre.

“It’s a nice thing to have in a place like this, where people aren’t that open or accepting, so it’s nice to see a lot of people out right now.”

On Sunday, the festival concluded with a drag brunch at Queen Elizabeth Territorial Park and drag story time at Mary Kaeser Library.

Event sponsors included the Town of Fort Smith, StickBuild Construction, Bell Rock Recording, Northern Mosaic Network, Uncle Gabe’s Friendship Centre, Northern Territories Federation of Labour, Java Punks, nSixty, BMO, Tthebatthıe Dënésułıné Nation and Rowe’s Construction.