Establishment of the Darrel Mack Memorial Fund – Yellowknife Community Foundation

25 June 2025

The Yellowknife Community Foundation is honoured to announce the creation of the Darrel Mack Memorial Fund, established in loving memory of Darrel Mack, who passed away earlier this year. This fund reflects Darrel’s continuous care for his community and will support food security for young people and single parents in the Northwest Territories.

Darrel was a great man: he had the strongest of hearts, an indomitable spirit and a powerful love of family, friends, and life. He was a charismatic and generous person with strong values who liked to lift up everyone around him, and to help those in need.

Cabin Radio published a moving tribute to Darrel on June 20, 2025. The piece shares that he was diagnosed with stage four esophageal cancer in early 2021 and given just a two-percent chance of surviving two years. True to his fighting spirit, which was shaped in part by his lifelong love of boxing, Darrel battled courageously for four years in what he called “the fight of his life.”

The article mentions that Darrel and his wife Leela co-wrote the lyrics to her song ‘North Star Calling’, which includes the especially meaningful line, “Searching for light through darkest days.” You can listen to ‘North Star Calling’ here.

The Yellowknife Community Foundation is proud to carry forward Darrel’s memory in a way that reflects his belief in standing up for others and making life better for the next generation. “Darrel clearly made a deep impact on his community, and it’s evident how much love he left behind. We’re honoured to help memorialize him through the creation of the Darrel Mack Memorial Fund, and we look forward to supporting young people and single parents with food security once the fund begins granting.” Sara Brown, Board Chair

Your donation to the Darrel Mack Memorial Fund helps carry on his legacy of care and support for the North.

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Impact Story - Skate North -...

July 29, 2026

The Yellowknife Small Grants Program offers micro-grants of up to $1,000 for individual residents of Yellowknife, Ndilǫ, and Dettah to bring the community together and help make it better. The first ever batch of grants was awarded in Fall 2025 to eight community members, including Forrest Doctor for his ongoing project, Skate North.

The initiative aims to make skateboarding more accessible to youth by providing safe skate spaces, equipment, and mentorship.

” I want to encourage youth to commit to their passions, take initiative, and create positive change. For me, that means creating a safe space for learners, something I didn’t have when I first started. This project is about keeping skateboarding alive in the NWT and giving our youth the support and opportunities they deserve.” – excerpt from Forrest’s proposal

Forrest used the grant to purchase helmets, knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards to give away to up-and-coming skaters. Through free prize draws, in-person outreach, and open calls on social media, Forrest was able to get gear directly into the hands of youth who need it the most.

Forrest Doctor giving away gear at the miniramp in Ndilǫ. The ramp was constructed in Spring 2026 as part of a Skate North wordworking workshop, delivered in partnership with the YKDFN Dechı̨ta Nàowo Training Center.

Matt Wolff from Rumor Boardshop in Edmonton, AB.
The skate shop is an ardent supporter and partner to the Skate North project.

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The results of this direct access model were both immediate and unexpected. Two things stand out especially. First, Forrest noticed that new skaters were able to instantly start with confidence. Having proper safety gear in place meant they were free to try things as many times as they wanted. That ability to iterate safely creates a level of early learning and progression that is invaluable.

Second, the degree of engagement from youth, families, and the larger community was uplifting. Skate North has now grown through additional volunteers, sponsors, and partners, including local schools. It shows that there is a strong demand for skateboarding and action sports overall. Now an olympic sport, the old cultural stigmas attached to skating have faded away. All that remains is a desire to get out there and rip.

Forrest partnered with Rumor Boardshop in Edmonton, AB to acquire the gear at a discounted rate. Shop rep Matt Wolff had this to say on the impact of skating and initiatives like Skate North:

“Especially in smaller communities, skateboarding can be a huge outlet for youth, not only physically, but to express themselves artistically as well. It also brings a real sense of community for people. I grew up in a small town in the middle of Alberta, and the people I skateboarded with I still have friendships with to this day.”

We can’t wait to see a new generation of skaters come up and grow the local scene in the North. Keep rolling.