Death of Sylvain Degrasse and family a puzzle to friends, relatives

A black pick-up truck, believed to be Sylvain Degrasse’s, is cordoned off beside the Iqaluit cemetery June 7, the same day Degrasse’s body was discovered there. (PHOTO BY SARAH ROGERS)

The family of Sylvain Degrasse began arriving in Iqaluit this week to sort through the pieces of a tragic puzzle.

Degrasse was found dead in the Iqaluit cemetery June 7 with a rifle across his chest.

Shortly afterwards, police found the bodies of his wife, Sula Enuaraq and their two young daughters, Alexandra, 7, and Ailyah, 2, in the family’s Tundra Valley home.

The RMCP will not confirm if they’re dealing with a murder-suicide, but say they are not looking for suspects in the case.

In the meantime, people in the city of Iqaluit struggle to explain how they lost four lives.

Many of Degrasse’s close friends and colleagues have refused to be speak publicly; the pain of such a sudden and heavy loss is too difficult to put into words.

Degrasse, 44, was born and raised in Iqaluit.

He was one of three children raised by Jean Guy Degrasse and the late Rebecca Kumayuk Degrasse.

Jean Guy Degrasse, a Québécois businessman, came to Iqaluit in the 1960s, where he eventually set up a snowmobile dealership located at building 925, where the Nova Inn stands today.

As a child, Sylvain and his two sisters, Suzanne and Diane, often visited with the extended Degrasse family in the Montreal area, where they spent time with cousins and learned to speak French.

But Degrasse called Iqaluit home. Like his father, he enjoyed sports and played hockey, most recently for the Pai-pa Tooniks.

He was a long-time employee of Qulliq Energy Corp, where he worked as a diesel plant operator.

Degrasse was the father of five children – three from previous relationships, and two little girls – Ailyah and Alexandra, with his wife, Sula Enuaraq.

To the average Iqaluit resident, Degrasse appeared to be an average guy – a father and active community member.

In 2005, Degrasse wrote to Nunatsiaq News pleading that the city maintain the John Howard Society’s bingo license, so his son and other children could benefit from the society’s charitable contributions towards local judo lessons.

In 2010, Degrasse wrote another letter urging the Government of Nunavut to open retail liquor outlets in the territory.

“People will soon realize it’s not about feeling shameful when buying alcohol, but by learning and being educated about the consequences of abusing alcohol and learning to drink responsibility,” he said in the November 2010 letter. “Only then can we in our society become better citizens of Nunavut.”

In recent months, however, some residents said Degrasse looked withdrawn and troubled.

His mother-in-law said “he was a hard person to get close to.”

Degrasse suffered a number of losses and setback in his life; in 2003, his mother died suddenly of an apparent brain aneurysm.

Then, in 2007, his sister Suzanne died by suicide. Degrasse’s lifeless body was found on her grave last Tuesday afternoon.

A few years ago, Degrasse’s father sold his Iqaluit business and moved back south.

Jean Guy Degrasse was vacationing in Mexico when he received the news of his son’s death, said Degrasse’s uncle. Richard Degrasse, who added that Degrasse Sr. was en route to Iqaluit June 10 with his daughter Diane.

Degrasse’s uncle said the family is shocked and cannot explain what might have happened June 7.

“This was totally unexpected,” Richard Degrasse said in a telephone interview from Repentigny, Que. “[Sylvain] was a guy like anyone else. He had a good job.”

“I don’t know the circumstances,” he added. “Maybe he felt alone without his parents and his sister. It’s not clear.”

The uncle said he has spoken to his brother Jean Guy since the incident.

“He has no idea how this could have happened,” he said. “He’s hoping to get details from the police when he arrives [in Iqaluit].”

The uncle says it has been years since he last saw the family, and geography makes it difficult to keep in touch.

But, he says his nephew will likely be laid to rest in Iqaluit, where both his mother and sister are buried.

For now, the bodies of the deceased family have being sent to Ottawa to undergo autopsies, which are expected to take up to 10 days.