The car community in the Grande Prairie region came together on Saturday to try to lift the spirits of a Clairmont family going through tragedy. The GP Car Club, along with the Swan City Car Society and others, gathered in a parking lot in the hamlet, to pay their respects to the late 19-year-old Kyler Commandeur, who was an avid car enthusiast.
“It’s tough times right now and it’s amazing to see such support out of our local community,” said Dylan Grant. “I hope that they can see we are out here for them, we want to show our force, and even during these tough times we can still all come together.”
As Kyler’s family looked on, the group then took to the street outside of the Commandeur business, and for more than an hour, burnout after burnout took place, each getting a smiling nod of approval from the clan.
Family friend Jeremy Kameka says he has known Kyler, affectionately known as “Beaners”, since he was just a baby. He adds he is blown away by the support shown by both friends and total strangers.
“When it comes to this kind of stuff, the town pulls together, and there are some really incredible people here… it’s wild. “When [the family] drive by and see these people, hopefully it blows them away and gives them a break from the horrible, horrible, s**t they’re dealing with.”
Kyler passed on June 11, 2020. Memorial donations may be made to Travis Commandeur at [email protected] to be split between the Tabono Youth Centre and the Peace Area Riding for the Disabled Society.