‘There’s still no justice’: Fifth walk to be held for Fort Nelson homicide victim

FORT NELSON, B.C. — For a fifth time, the walk to remember a slain resident of Fort Nelson has been organized by his family wanting answers in his death.

Artchie Gairdner, a Métis man, was found dead in his household back in 2021. Autopsy results confirmed the 69-year-old’s death as a homicide.

Gairdner’s niece, who has organized the event, said there’s “still no justice”. She spoke to Energeticcity.ca on condition of anonymity. 

“I believe that [the RCMP] did not do a full investigation,” the woman said. “There are other murders and missing people in Fort Nelson, within a couple of years of Artchie, too.”

RCMP media relations officer Sgt. Kris Clark confirmed to Energeticcity.ca Gairdner’s murder case remains open with an investigation ongoing.

Scheduled to take place at noon on Friday, April 24th, the walk will begin and end at the Fort Nelson Aboriginal Friendship Society.

To commemorate Gairdner, attendees are encouraged to wear sports jerseys as he was a lifelong sports fan. 

After a walk to the Alaska Highway and throughout Fort Nelson’s downtown core, the group will return to the society for a potluck lunch and where people can share stories about Gairdner.

Additionally, an RCMP escort will participate in the walk after being unable to last year due to scheduling conflicts.

“We have been getting more and more numbers,” said Gairdner’s niece. “We thought after one year things should have happened by now, somebody should have been arrested.

 “[But] every year it’s just a shock, because it’s still happening. We still have to do the walk, because there’s still no justice.”

The walk will happen at 12 p.m. on Friday, April 24th starting at the Fort Nelson Aboriginal Friendship Society at 5012 49th Avenue in Fort Nelson.