EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally incorrectly stated Gauthier’s memorial would be held at Knox-Metropolitan United Church. It is actually being held at Knox Evangelical Free Church. The article has since been corrected and the author apologizes for the error.
Edmontonians will gather at Knox Evangelical Free Church in Old Strathcona Wednesday night to pay tribute to Sterling Gauthier, a talented and popular artist who died late last month.
“He was a huge force in our community centre,” said Hayley Irving with Boyle Street Community Services. “He had this vivacious personality. He was so kind and really had a great circle of friends and they were always together, always laughing.
“Our community was so impacted by Sterling’s life.”
Irving said she first met Gauthier, who was believed to be in his mid-thirties, about three years ago when she first began working with the non-profit agency which works with homeless Edmontonians.
“We would talk about his life and some of his goals and dreams, him needing housing.”
On Jan. 23, Gauthier died after spending several days in a coma at the Misericordia Hospital. He was first admitted to hospital after collapsing on a city bus, however, a cause of death has not been released.
Irving said hospital staff were understanding of Gauthier’s street lifestyle and that she is grateful for their commitment to “doing right by Sterling” and making sure others in Edmonton’s homeless community were able to visit him before he died.
“Very seldom do we ever have the gift to say goodbye,” she said. “Usually we find out that they’ve passed and it’s too late for anybody to say goodbye or to visit them and to have that healing occur.”
According to those who met and knew him, Gauthier encountered many Edmontonians by trying to sell his art to people on the street and often began the conversation by bringing up his resemblance to actor Keanu Reeves and offering to do an impression.
Pastor Eric Kregel at Knox Evangelical Free Church said he knew Gauthier from the neighbourhood and because he often attended services at his church.
“His art was a way to just express and get a handle on a lot of the chaos that he faced,” Kregel said.
Kregel said he knows this from speaking to people who knew Gauthier but that he wasn’t even aware he was an artist.
“He would participate in our worship services,” Kregel said. “It was always a drop in, it was always kind of on Sterling’s timetable – he came in and then he left when he was done.”
According to Irving, Gauthier stuggled with addiction and said “if it wasn’t for that, his life would have been different.”
Irving said she believes Gauthier was not only a talented artist, but that his work was key for him to connect with people as well as how he made his money and being “how he survived on the streets.”
Look through the photo gallery below to see some examples of Sterling Gauthier’s artwork:
She also said Gauthier had spoken about trying to get off the street but believes his case highlights some of the complexities in emerging from homelessness and the guilt people can feel when they leave behind their friends on the streets.
“The inner city can be really difficult to walk away from,” Irving said.
“You have your friends, you have your inner-city family that you sleep next to every day and walking away from them is like abandoning them.”
She also said she hopes Gauthier’s legacy around the city as an outgoing, kind and humorous person may help to shift some people’s thinking on homeless people.
“Probably our biggest flaw in our society is that… We stigmatize our community and we don’t know what’s underneath it all. We don’t really know who they are. So many people that walk in our doors have these talents that are not given the opportunity to flourish and he made the most of his talent.”
Kregel said that by simply grouping homeless people together as a demographic in your mind, you lose the opportunity to truly get to know individuals.
“But get to know them as a person… You’ll be challenged and blessed and amazed and hurt and sad all at the same time.
“Of course he was struggling with his own issues, as we all do… Unfortunately, a lot of that overtook just the kindness and generosity that people knew him (for).”
The memorial for Gauthier, who is originally from Manitoba, begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
“To pigeonhole and put people in a certain box and say, ‘All homeless people are like this’ hopefully is challenged by Sterling as a person,” Kregel said.
“We really just want to honour Sterling.”
-with files from Vinesh Pratap.
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