Alberta’s education minister is embarking on a deeply personal challenge with a lofty goal, all in the name of a family member he lost two years ago. Demetrios Nicolaides’s sister Melanie was killed by her estranged husband two years ago. Now, Nicolaides is about to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak, to raise funds to help those facing domestic violence. Nicolaides opened up about his family’s tragedy, as he prepared to leave Calgary to lead the hike. Strong-willed sister Nicolaides fondly remembers his sister’s strong-willed personality. “Kilimanjaro was actually something that I had on a bucket list several years ago,” he said. “I remember telling her about it, and she kind of scoffed and laughed at me and said, ‘What’s the point? Why would you want to do something like that? You’re going to see nothing, then you’re going to come back down.’” Demetrios and Melanie, who was 40 when she died, were about a year apart in age. Growing up in Calgary, they were close. In adulthood, they shared a special moment when Demetrios and his wife were expecting. “I told her, ‘Can you keep a secret?’ Because we hadn’t announced it,” he said. “And then she replied back with her own scan, saying, ‘Can you keep a secret?’ And her daughter was born four days before ours.” 2024 murder-suicide Melanie was stabbed to death by her estranged husband, Kerry Girling, outside a Calgary school in January 2024. Girling then took his own life. Girling was repeatedly released from court on past charges against her, including sexual assault, and had a no-contact order. Nicolaides says despite their history, her murder came as a complete shock. “I was the emergency contact for the kids,” he said. “You don’t expect a phone call like that. You don’t expect anything like that happening.” Lofty Quest Now, Nicolaides will lead a group up Mount Kilimanjaro, to raise funds for FearisNotLove. The organization operates a shelter and supports those experiencing domestic violence and abuse. Nicolaides and about ten other people will climb the mountain over an eight-day period. They’ve been getting in shape, preparing for the high elevation, by doing practice hikes in Alberta and Colorado. Nicolaides says he wasn’t much of a hiker before organizing the fundraiser, called Melanie’s Ascent. “A lot of it was born from a friend, who wanted to take me on a hike after my sister had passed, because he said he found it very therapeutic for himself,” said Nicolaides. Melanie’s Ascent After setting an initial fundraising goal of $100,000, Melanie’s Ascent has already raised more than $250,000. The money will be used to buy home and personal security devices, from doorbell cams to GPS-tracking jewelry, for those facing domestic violence. “It’s not going to prevent everything,” said Kim Ruse, CEO of FearIsNotLove. “But it is one more thing that we can actually be using to help create a more solid safety plan for people and help give them back their lives.” Pressing for meaningful change After the hike, Nicolaides says he’ll do his best to leverage his position in government to create more change. “I could probably go on about bail reform and all of those kinds of things,” he said. “But today, I’m just really focused on honoring her legacy.” The hiking group includes friends, neighbours, and fellow cabinet minister Todd Loewen. They are expected to complete the hike later this month. More information is available at MelaniesAscent.com.
