Remember the 8: Andrew Kinsman

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Jan 15
2 min read

Andrew Kinsman was not defined by tragedy. He was defined by kindness, empathy, and an instinctive need to care for others especially those living on the margins of society.

Andrew lived in Toronto and was well known within his community, particularly for his volunteer work and quiet acts of compassion. He regularly supported people experiencing homelessness, offered food, conversation, and dignity, and was known to check in on those others had forgotten. He did not help for recognition or praise; he helped because he believed it was the right thing to do.

Friends describe Andrew as gentle, warm, and deeply human. He had an easy smile, a dry sense of humour, and an ability to make people feel seen. In a world that often rushes past those in need, Andrew stopped. He listened. He stayed.

In June 2017, Andrew was reported missing. For those who loved him, the loss was immediate and overwhelming. But his disappearance also carried a wider significance. It became the moment when years of unanswered questions, dismissed concerns, and unheeded warnings from Toronto’s LGBTQ+ community could no longer be ignored.

Andrew’s case marked a turning point. It forced renewed scrutiny of earlier disappearances and highlighted systemic failures in how missing men from the Gay Village were treated. His absence exposed painful truths about whose lives were prioritised, whose fears were believed, and whose voices were heard.

When the full scale of the crimes later came to light, Andrew became one of eight men whose lives were officially recognised as having been taken. But he was never just one of eight. He was someone’s friend. Someone’s family. Someone who mattered.

The words “Remember the 8” are not only about remembrance they are about responsibility. They exist to honour lives lost, to acknowledge institutional failings, and to demand that such neglect is never repeated. They remind us that these men were individuals with stories, relationships, and futures that were stolen.

Andrew Kinsman was 49 years old.

He deserved safety.He deserved to be believed.He deserved protection.He deserved to grow older in the city he called home.

To remember Andrew is to remember compassion.To remember Andrew is to confront injustice.To remember Andrew is to say, clearly and without hesitation:

His life mattered. And it always will.