‘He had every gift but time:’ Late Sask. MLA Derek Meyers honoured by community

Hundreds of people gathered Saturday at the Conexus Arts Centre in Regina to celebrate the life of Derek Meyers, who passed away from cancer on March 28.

He was 45 years old.

The Saskatchewan Party MLA for Regina Walsh Acres was first elected to office in 2020, but to members of the community in Regina as well as his hometown of Midale, that was just one of the many different aspects of his life.

In addition to holding public office, Meyers was also a longtime sports anchor for Global News as well as a husband and a father.

Prior to that, Meyers had previously worked in the oilfield of southeastern Saskatchewan before moving on to become a consultant.

“To say he was fun to be around is an understatement,” Meyers’ friend, Jeff Christiansen, said during a speech at the ceremony.

Christiansen became emotional as he described Meyers’ character.

He said he was blessed to have known Meyers and “truly honoured” to have called him a friend.

Nearly every speaker highlighted Meyers’ unrelenting positivity and selflessness.

People spoke about how Meyers always expressed a genuine and profound interest in the lives of others.

“He wanted you to be seen. He wanted you to be heard,” said his cousin, Greg Messer.

Messer fondly reminisced on his many adventures with Meyers. He joked it was often said that he and Meyers shared half a brain.

Meyers had many nicknames including “Duke”, but he and Messer had nicknames for each other.

Meyers affectionately called Messer “Mess” while Messer called Meyers “Dirty”. Messer said the name had an interesting origin, but playfully said the ceremony wasn’t the appropriate venue to reveal it.

“You did good, kid. You did real good,” said Darcy Meyers, Derek’s younger brother. “(Derek) was more than my brother, he was my best friend.”

Darcy also fondly reminisced on his numerous shared experiences with his brother, from playing with dirt bikes and mini-sticks to even sharing a water bed.

Darcy said that in their teenage years, he often accompanied Derek when he was with his friends at the behest of their parents, but Derek never made him feel like he didn’t belong.

“I don’t know who else had the energy to be Derek,” said Brandi Meyers, Derek’s younger sister.

She said Meyers was a strong pillar whose example they followed proudly.

“He made everyone around him feel like a winner,” she said.

Brandi explained that Meyers naturally became a leader in almost every endeavour he undertook. But the leadership role that was most precious to him was his role as a father.

Derek’s 14-year-old son, Dayn, spoke to another often-mentioned quality of his father — his sense of humour.

“(Derek was) a goofball, but knew how to treat the ladies,” Dayn said.

The two had a shared love of sports and were planning to go to a Milwaukee Bucks game earlier this year so that Dayn could watch his favourite player — Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Unfortunately, the two never got the chance as Meyers’ condition worsened. Dayn quipped it was probably for the best the two didn’t go since Antetokounmpo got injured during that game anyway.

Before turning to politics, Meyers had spent almost 10 years as a sports broadcaster with Global News.

A friend and former colleague of Meyers, Jill McAlister-Lane, spoke about Meyers’ character and professionalism.

“(Derek would) take a small moment and make it go the distance,” McAlister-Lane said.

When describing Meyers’ outlook on helping others she put it simply that Meyers felt “it’s just what you do.”

Premier Scott Moe also spoke at the ceremony. He said Meyers lived with joy and understood what was truly important.

“If Derek was having a bad day, you never knew it,” Moe said. “(Meyers served family, friends and community) with a passion and commitment that was awe-inspiring.”

Paraphrasing Education Minister Dustin Duncan, Moe said Meyers “had every gift but time.”

The premier also said Meyers was “not only a good man but a tremendous man.”

Meyers earned a reputation as a staunch advocate for mental health, something that Mental Health and Addictions Minister Everett Hindley praised him for.

“The turnout here today just goes to show how many lives Derek Meyers touched in such a relatively short period of time,” Hindley told reporters after the ceremony.

“We’ve been all reflecting — I think — on (not only) his life here in Regina (but also in the province) and what he meant to so many people.”

Meyers’ resilience was frequently brought up as well. People said he continued to work even as his health declined.

“Pillars can be stubborn and hard to knock down,” Brandi said. “That was my brother.”