Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, with the permission of Frank Gruben's mother Laura, I'd like to speak to everybody here, and throughout the Northwest Territories and beyond, to tell you about Frank who has been in Fort Smith attending college and was last seen on May 6th, 2023.
Frank is 30 years old from Aklavik. Frank is Inuvialuit and Gwich'in. He has a beautiful blended culture and is passionate about his traditional values he learned throughout his life. Frank loves learning and speaking the Gwich'in language. He had the most fun on the local radio station with his mentor elder Annie Buckle. He also taught Gwich'in to the children of the Aklavik Jordan's Principle Program. Frank has a beautiful smile that captures anyone's heart. His smile could light up any room, and he could make you laugh from your tummy with his silly gestures and his acting behaviour.
Frank loves taking care of his appearance with all his brand name clothing, always looking sharp the way he dresses. Frank is a kindhearted young man and is willing to help anyone who needs it or asks for help. Frank loves his elders, especially his grandmother Renee Stewart. Frank is such an inspiration to his baby sister Kimberlynn. She adores her big brother, and he loves her so much. Frank is also a big brother to Steven, and they both love to cook and try new recipes challenging one another. Frank has so many friends who are all posting their memories and stories of their best friend asking for answers to bring him home. So many are heartbroken. Many tears have fallen since he has gone missing. The people of Aklavik, friends, family, especially his parents Laura and Charlie, brother Steven, and especially his little sister Kimberlynn, are asking to help bring Frank home please.
Mr. Speaker, I wanted to bring awareness of who Frank is, make a face, and turn him into a person for the rest of the territory and the rest of the world. Frank is an Indigenous man of the LGBTQ community, and when I heard of a statement released by the RCMP yesterday of no evidence of foul play, it shook me to my core. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, if there is no foul play, then where is he? He wouldn't just disappear. Something has happened to him and somebody knows something. Mr. Speaker, Frank's mother told me RCMP, what she felt is that they are not doing enough to find him. Mr. Speaker, it makes me think of all the work that we have done to raise awareness of MMIWG 2SLGBTQQIA and the inquiry and this House and the work that we've been doing as Indigenous people to raise awareness. If Frank was a nonIndigenous person from a wealthy family, would there be more done? That's what goes to my mind, Mr. Speaker. Would there be more to find him? Would there be animals, search animals that the RCMP can have throughout you see it on TV in the rest of Canada. Would they be out there searching for Frank? My understanding the RCMP has no tips from the public on Frank's disappearance. So on behalf of his family, please, if anyone has any information, no matter how small or unimportant they think it might be, to tell the RCMP, to reach out to Crime Stoppers, even if they're scared and want to do it anonymously, to 18002228477. What if this was your son? What if this was your brother? Your cousin? Your nephew? Your grandson? His family needs to find him, and they need to bring him home. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes. Members' statements. Member for Thebacha.
