Those who know it, call it The North.
The North
The North is distinct from the rest of Canada. It has its own culture, values, and rhythm.
Novelist Stephen Leacock wrote eloquently about The North, but he never went there.
Those who do go there never forget it.
Stephane and Sherry Legault went to The North along with their three little children. Stephane is from Dorval, Quebec. We met at Lakeshore Evangelical Church in 1984 where Stephane encountered Jesus, and a call to ministry. He volunteered in our Youth Ministry and met Sherry Martin from Ontario. They married, had three children and responded to God’s tap on their shoulders to go to The North.
Jocelyn and I moved as pastors to Edmonton in August 1990 and they moved as missionaries to Fort Good Hope in The North in 1991. Life was not easy in The North. After three years they moved to Edmonton and attended the church we pastored and nearly two decades later their adult son played ball hockey with me in the gym at North Pointe.
And now I’m going to the community where they served. The volunteers I coach remember the Legaults with sincere fondness.
The Call
Sherry would have written a post for you about their experiences, but she is battling ill health. So, her post will be a treasure for a future time. This is a post in my words from their hearts and newsletter. 
The Legaults left the metropolis of Montreal to travel thousands of km to a community of about 500 people, accessible only by air or a winter road. Once you’re in, you’re in. Their tiny parsonage was heated by a furnace which had a habit of going out in -40C weather. A year later they had a wood-burning stove hooked up as a back-up, and were supplied with a load of wood from a family in exchange for caring for their three-year-old son. The stove was good for heat and a place to bake.
It’s amazing how many doors (and hearts) will open to homemade cookies, cakes and pies. Sherry says she made 200 loaves of bread in 1992. Being available to talk, even at 5:00am, and to respond to the emotional and relational needs of people can go far further than a well-crafted Sunday sermon or Bible study. The adage is true: people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Be There
Sherry sums up their whole ministry in two words: BE THERE.
In one month alone they supported a family whose little girl died, offered counseling support to women, helped a couple of wives whose husbands were physically abusing them, and a young man who was abused and feeling suicidal. People told Sherry stories they hadn’t shared with anyone else. The Legaults were “easy to talk to.”
Sherry says, “In these communities, it’s rare to have one person, let alone a few, confide in you until you’ve been around at least a couple of years. We are not trained counsellors either, but we’ve been reading whatever we can get our hands on! God has been gracious, and we just keep telling whoever comes that we care, and that there is a hope and a future for them, no matter what has been robbed from their past.” 
Come Apart
On December 23, 1992, Sherry wrote that they were reaching the “burnout point.” Stephane was working extra hours as a guard in the Fort Good Hope jail. Sherry was caring for three little ones. They had been with each other, in their tiny home, every day for a year. She was offering counseling and fighting ill health. They were tired. No doubt. “But God is good, and we really believe that this is His time to do His work, His way.”
They took the advice to “come apart before you come apart” and booked a month out to enjoy a holiday and the simple pleasure of buying food at a store. And once refreshed, they would return for another extended stay.
That was nearly 30 years ago.
They live in Lethbridge now. That’s about 2,000km south of Fort Good Hope as the crow flies. but the North is never far away from their hearts or their prayers.
They would never say it of themselves, but job well done, Stephane and Sherry. I’ll be enjoying the fruit of your labour.
Have you been to The North? Do you know Sherry and Stephane? Please join the conversation and post a comment below. Thank you.
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