Services to honour Brenda Weaver will take place this Saturday, August 20, 2022, at 1:00 PM, Old Log Church, Whitehorse.
PSAC family in the North, with heavy hearts, sends condolences to Brenda Weaver’s family. We’re saddened by the unfortunate news of Brenda passing away. The union, and all those who are touched and inspired by Brenda’s leadership, activism and work celebrate her life. There are not enough words to describe her contributions to the union and labour movement.
Brenda was a long-time active member of PSAC. She had been involved with PSAC North regional committees for more than 13 years. Brenda often would laugh and take pride in sharing that she was one of the friends that got “dragged along” to a committee meeting and was hooked. She was instrumental in the success of a number of Yukon committees.
Brenda, a Métis woman, with disabilities, understood and valued the need for safer spaces that the committees provide. When she spoke about her experiences in the workplace, many listened. She battled her employer over multiple chemical sensitivity for years, which sometimes resulted in her being relocated to even worse worksites and circumstances than she was battling.
Brenda was active on the PSAC North Regional Women’s, Indigenous Peoples and Access Committees in the Yukon. In the past, she was also active in the Yukon Health and Safety Committee. While Brenda could always be counted on to participate and support the committees she identified with, she always resisted taking on a chair position. She had for many years, participated as either secretary or treasurer and of course, active committee member.
Brenda was a key part of the beading sessions open to general membership, that Yukon Indigenous Peoples Committee (YIPC) had started to sponsor back in 2018 as steps towards reconciliation.
On March 12, 2020, the day before the PSAC closed offices due to pandemic, YIPC had an annual general meeting and Brenda finally accepted the nomination for chair. Brenda shared how she was reluctant to take on this role but could not bear to see the YIPC become inactive. She immediately fit the role and started to lead the committee. It was her idea to virtually deliver the Orange Shirt Day storybook read by Sharon Shorty in her Gramma Susie persona.
Brenda was one of the main organizers of the Warriors Walk for Healing in honour of 215 Kamloops children. “Warriors,” participants and Indigenous leaders and activists, started their journey on June 26, 2021, and walked from Whitehorse, Yukon to Kamloops, BC.
Brenda stepped back in September 2021. She decided it was time for her to focus on her personal life and raising her grandchildren. Brenda had lost one of her daughters about six years ago. She struggled a great deal with that loss and had many challenges in ensuring that she had access to those children, which became her mission.
On a personal note, many of us would attest that Brenda made some awesome Bannock, and some really good salmon chowder, that she was always willing to generously share. She had a kind and loving big heart, and her unconditional love was endless, and everyone calls her friend. So many are hurting with her passing.
We miss her and we are grateful for all her contributions over the past years. Brenda leaves a huge hole everywhere, in our union and an even bigger one in the community.
We would ask all of you please, if you are able to contribute; there is a GoFundMe page for Brenda Weaver organized to fundraise for her sudden death https://www.gofundme.com/f/sr9exp-brenda-weaver?utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&utm_medium=sms&utm_source=customer
It would be so appreciated if you could support this … also next time you are near water, please find some tobacco and lay it there for her. A tree would work too if you’re not close to water.
“It is not your task to seek for love, it is simply your task to seek and remove all the barriers that stand against it” Kyle Gray.
Brenda Weaver during Warriors Walk event