‘You fill our young people with hopes and dreams’: homecoming celebration for Canada’s Got Talent winner

By Nigel Maxwell

Six days after winning Canada’s Got Talent (CGT), Prince Albert’s Rebecca Strong received a massive homecoming celebration that moved her to tears.

Over 700 people filled Prince Albert’s Exhibition Centre on Monday, and there were dozens of brightly coloured signs expressing love and support. And after listening to a number of guest speakers use the words inspiration and role model, Strong told the crowd she was grateful.

“I am just very glad that I am bringing light to aboriginal people and their art. I don’t know how to say this but I am so proud to be Indigenous,” she said.

Strong wiped away tears as she reflected back on a time four years ago, when she had starting posting videos to social media and spending hours and hours just hoping something would happen.

“And now it’s happened and I just can’t believe it,” she said.

Rebecca Strong sits with her proud parents at the homecoming event held for her in Prince Albert. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Among the guest speakers was Black Lake Chief Coreen Sayazie who has known Rebecca since she was a little girl and is also well acquainted with the entire family’s passion for music.

“You made our nation proud. Everybody’s making posters in Black Lake and Stony and all the kids, they don’t know who Rebecca is, but they all got to know Rebecca through Canada’s Got Talent,’ she said.

FSIN Vice-Chief David Pratt referred to Strong as a champion and a hero to youth across the province.

“You fill our young people with hopes and dreams. If you can stand on that stage, that lets our young people know they can stand on that stage too,” he said.

Within the crowd were members of Prince Albert’s Children’s Choir, which Strong was once a member of. Emily Lambert said she was inspired by Strong’s performance on CGT.

“She went out there and she did so well and my whole was just cheering for her the whole time, just so proud,” she said.

As Strong was getting on stage, she was handed a portrait a young artist had drawn. Arora Light, 10, told paNOW she wanted to say thank you to Strong for having the courage to perform.

“It inspired me a lot,” she said.

Monday’s event was an idea pitched by the Executive at Prince Albert Grand Council and largely organized by Voices of the North Coordinator Sheryl Kimbley, who admitted she gets emotional thinking about Strong.

“Remembering Rebecca from being a little girl, rising up through the stages, and to be where she is,’” she said.

PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte also shared how proud he was of Strong and encouraged leadership in all communities to do more for youth.

Mayor Greg Dionne was also among the guest speakers and hinting at some sort of future legacy project announcement, asked the Strong family to come back to the Exhibition in two months.

“You’re not getting away being number one in Canada, we are gonna show you you are number one in your hearts because you put us on the map,” he said.