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Cambridge Bay mourns loss of Paul Laserich Jeanne Gagnon Northern News Services Published Monday, November 28, 2011
Laserich, 52, was found dead in his Yellowknife home by his younger brother Rene on Nov. 19. Laserich died of natural causes. A family friend told Nunavut News/North his death came as a shock and family members are still struggling to process what happened. Laserich grew up in Cambridge Bay with school friend Harry Maksagak, who described him as a very friendly young man. Both families were close. "He always knew who was around him and he always knew what to do when something came up. A very practical young man," he said. "My reaction to his passing was an absolute shock, disbelief. We always looked out for each other. We talked to each other. We always knew where we were at all times." Maksagak said Laserich believed in what he was doing and stood by it. "From a personal note, I really am going to miss him," he said. "I'm going to really miss being able to chat with him online. I will always know him and remember him as a friend who was a friend to everyone." Maksagak recalled as they were growing up Laserich started a wholesale store, ordering produce and other items not available locally before selling them at a wholesale price. He also started a small taxi company. When both did not work out, Maksagak said Laserich turned his focus to the world of aviation. At the age of 23, he took on the task of restructuring the family business and, despite a lack of formal business training, went to Ottawa with his brother, Rene, and managed to secure a charter licence from Transport Canada. However, this past summer, the Government of Nunavut awarded the medevac contract for the Kitikmeot region to Yellowknife-based Air Tindi and its partner Aqsaqniq Air. The contract, worth millions of dollars annually, had previously been held by Adlair Aviation for 20 years. Laserich appealed the decision, but the Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti appeals board denied his appeal in October. Laserich died just 11 days before the last Adlair medevac flight for the GN. Maksagak and Laserich communicated a lot about the medevac contract. In his last email to Paul on Nov. 10, Maksagak encouraged him to keep his head up, be proud of the service Adlair brought to the Kitikmeot and other regions and to plan other things with the airline. Maksagak said Laserich thanked him for his personal support. "I don't think he wants anything other than for people to say Paul was a friend and he allowed his company to continue the good service the late Willy Laserich has established," he said. "I'm sure he would want us to continue to think of him in that light of providing service, not for his attention, not for his glory as it were, but just the fact he liked to help people and he liked to be around people." Wilf Wilcox, the deputy mayor of Cambridge Bay, said Laserich was a great friend who comes from a family with their heart in the right place. "We are all shocked and saddened by his passing," he said. "As a representative from the hamlet, we extend our sincere condolences to the family and the community, too. It's a loss for our community, too." Wilcox said Laserich volunteered plane time often when someone was lost on the land, many of whom were saved by Adlair planes going up. He also dropped balloons and candy during the spring games. "It's really hard to talk. I'm still quite in shock with the whole thing. His family are my neighbours. We are still in disbelief here," Wilcox said. "I just am very saddened by this whole thing as are the vast majority of our community. Sometime in the future we will think of the laughs and the good times we shared together, but right now, it's just too sad." Laserich is survived by his brother Rene, sisters Joann and Bessie, niece Jesce Rose and nephew Bryan. The Laserich family and Adlair staff are flying to Yellowknife for a memorial on Thursday at 2 p.m. - with files from Galit Rodan
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