Yellowknifers mourn Sophie Thrasher, a 'motherly' figure on city streets

Some Yellowknifers are grieving after a well-known member of the city's homeless community has died.

Sophie Thrasher was 54 years old. She advocated for her rights in the media, sometimes speaking with CBC about her struggles without housing.

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Thrasher's death was a shock for many of the people who hang out on the streets of Yellowknife.

Heather Lang and Pauline Michel were Thrasher's friends.

Sitting on the picnic tables outside the city's Safe Harbour drop-in centre, they told CBC how Thrasher wore a puppy-themed hat and was quick to share what she had, giving a little extra money to others if they needed it.

Michel said Thrasher was a "motherly" figure.

"Sophie is a wonderful person," she said. "Every time she sees us she was always happy."

Florence Woodson remembers Thrasher as a gentle person who avoided using curse words.

She was always there for me ... through thick and thin.- Claire Frost

"She wouldn't swear. Any time she wanted to swear, she'd say, 'corn on the cob,'" Woodson said.

"One of our good friends is gone from the streets and I'm so sad."

Claire Frost spent her childhood in the Beaufort Delta region, where Thrasher babysat her in Aklavik.

"She was always there for me ... through thick and thin," Frost said, outside Centre Square Mall. "She is always in my heart."

Outside the McKenna Funeral Home on Wednesday, people gathered and remembered Thrasher.

Thrasher's funeral is at 1 p.m. on May 3 at St. Patrick's Parish in Yellowknife.

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