The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor People tease Bev Jackson for her borderline addiction to photography. 'I'm a photo fanatic as far as taking pictures when people least expect it and even when they do,' she says. 'Pictures are very important to me.' Jackson particularly values the numerous impromptu portraits of her niece. Tragically, she will never see her again. One year ago tomorrow, on a crisp but sunny afternoon, residents gathered in downtown Flin Flon for an eminently proud occasion. They watched as a busy section of Third Avenue was renamed Angel Avenue, helping draw attention to the horrors of violence against women. No one knew it at the time, but the importance of the message was about to hit home in the most horrific way. Within hours of the ceremony, word began to spread that a woman had been murdered, her life stolen before she could realize her promising future. Raylene Grant was just 21 years old. The news sent shockwaves through a community that believed, or at least wanted to believe, that things like this don't happen here. But they do. And just as Grant _ known by some as 'Ray of sunshine' _ had brought joy to so many in life, her untimely death on Nov. 1, 2011 crushed those who cared for her. 'People knew her for her big sparkly brown eyes and her big smile,' says Jackson. 'She made a lot of people's day every day, regardless of what they were going through or what she was going through.' * * * Raylene Dawn Grant came into this world at the Flin Flon General Hospital on Jan. 20, 1990 at 6:50 a.m. Two months premature, weighing slightly more than four pounds, she was placed inside an incubator. Family members would slide their hands through the incubator's openings, communicating with the delicate infant and letting her know that she would always be loved. 'Even at that time she was a fighter,' recalls Jackson. Wearing Cabbage Patch doll clothes, Grant grew beyond her initially tiny dimensions into a happy-go-lucky little girl. Her family moved to North Battleford, northwest of Saskatoon, before returning to Flin Flon when she was 12. By then Grant's personality was well developed. Eternally kind, good-natured and independent, she would do anything for her family and friends. 'She would always stick up for her big sister,' says Cheryl Senyk, another aunt. 'If anybody was picking on her, she was always there.' At heart Grant was a tomboy, and that attribute was on full display during frequent camping trips where she would fish, chop firewood and haul water. Senyk called her niece 'my funnypants' in honour of her rich sense of humour. Jackson preferred 'my Pocahontas,' an homage to Grant's brown marble eyes and long, dark hair. Attending Parkdale School, then Hapnot Collegiate, Grant was in many ways a typical young person. She lived for dancing, music, movies and video games. Her ever-present cell phone kept her connected to her inner circle. See 'Maintained...' pg. 3 Continued from pg. 1 'Raylene was deeply attached to her cell phone,' says Jackson. 'It was like an intellectual relationship. She maintained constant contact with friends and family, and she also had special, unique ring tones for each of them.' While women often despise spicy food, Grant could not get enough of it. She took the off-colour slogan of Frank's RedHot sauce ('I put that **** on everything!') to a new level, dipping even her potato chips in the fiery paste. * * * Grant loved life, but she was not entirely sure to which career she might devote hers. She had such a plethora of interests that it was hard to focus on just one of them. 'She could have become a masseuse because she was always good at giving massages,' says Senyk. 'I always told her, 'You should go (to school) for that.'' Senyk could have also envisioned her niece as a veterinarian, as Grant loved animals and was always coming to their rescue. 'One night, I think it was 2:30 in the morning, she had gone to a friend's and there she was standing with this puppy in her arms,' recalls Jackson. 'She had named her Ruby, I think, but they had found a home for her. She couldn't just leave an animal that was abandoned.' Perhaps it's also possible Grant would have become a lawyer. After all, she had a skill that comes in handy in that occupation. 'She liked to argue,' says Jackson with a laugh. Grant's sunny personality was an ideal fit for her foray into the workforce at the Flin Flon Walmart, where she was a customer service manager. Amid the bustling atmosphere of the big-box retailer, she built a solid rapport with customers and colleagues alike. After a stint as a housekeeper at the Victoria Inn, Grant went back to Walmart before moving onto another retail position at The Bargain! Shop on Main Street. She drew great satisfaction from earning her own money, which allowed her to buy her first car, a black Chevrolet Cobalt. 'She was very proud of having her own car,' says Senyk. 'She always kept it clean and always fresh smelling because she always had tonnes of air fresheners in there. She took very good care of it.' When Senyk spoke with Grant at The Bargain! Shop in the early evening of Oct. 31, 2011, she had no idea it would be the last time she would see her niece. * * * Losing a loved one is always difficult, always overwhelming, but the circumstances of Grant's passing were particularly painful. For the victim's family, word of her death was shattering. 'It has had a very deep impact on all of us,' says Senyk. 'We're thankful that we're a very close family, that we can be with each other and deal with it together.' Beyond grief, Grant's passing has taken a toll on Senyk's health. She now struggles with anxiety and high blood pressure. 'I feel very lost without her because we were very close,' Senyk says. 'She always came to me when she needed help or just somebody to talk to, and I was always there for her. She wasn't just my niece. She was like a daughter to me.' Jackson, who had thought of herself as 'the strong one' in the family, ended up in the hospital a week after the funeral. 'I went with chest pains, I went with my stomach in turmoil. It was really nasty,' says Jackson. 'And even to this day I'm still dealing with trying to get better. I just would never have thought that would have happened. But it's so true when people say that stress does ugly things to the body. It's still just a really sad time. Each of us gains our strength from different things.' Some of that strength comes from the family's refusal to let Grant's memory fade. At last winter's Take Back the Night march, held in downtown Flin Flon to demand safety and equality for women, some participants carried photos of Grant. This past January, on what would have been Grant's 22nd birthday, Jackson made a cake for her niece complete with an illustration of a music box. Throughout it all, the family has closely followed the court case against James Desmarais, the man charged in the murder. He has been in custody in The Pas for the past year. His case has been repeatedly remanded without a plea, though Flin Flon RCMP say he has already confessed to them. Jackson calls the pace of the proceedings 'very frustrating,' adding: 'Nothing has moved yet _ there is no justice.' 'We probably never will get that justice,' adds Senyk. 'You know, he'll be in jail, but that's not justice for us.' * * * As the years go by, the loss of Grant may become more bearable. Life may slowly regain a greater sense of normalcy. The intensity of emotions may subside. But no one who knew Raylene Grant will ever forget her. Her life was not lengthy, but it was exceptionally meaningful. 'She didn't think twice about helping someone out, trusting them, just being a friend, and always with a smile,' says Jackson. 'I can still hear her laughter.'
