The City of Peterborough recognized dozens of individuals during the annual Civic Awards ceremony on Tuesday night.
The awards honour individuals, groups and organizations for their dedication to the community. The city invites the public to submit nominations for those who have “made a real difference to the local community.”
A five-person committee selected by city council reviews the applications and recommends the winners to council. Decisions are made in a closed council session to keep the results confidential before the awards are presented.
Among the winners during Tuesday’s ceremony at the Sport and Wellness Centre included:
Lifetime Achievement Award – Bill Morris
Morris was recognized for more than 30 years of community involvement with the Canadian Canoe Museum as part of its first board of directors in 2010, where he contributed “6,000 hours of his talent and time,” according to a city press release.
He also served as a Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation volunteer from 2006 to 2015, spent 50 years with roles at Lakefield College School and is a director of both the Innovation Cluster and the Regional Angel Investor Network.
Volunteer of the Year – David Edgerton
Edgerton has spent more than 45 years as a member of the Royal Canadian Legion and is known for his vast array of volunteer efforts for the organization and area veterans, including doing research for families. He is also a member of the Memory Project, an organization that seeks volunteers to speak with organizations about military history.
In the last year, he made presentations to the Kawartha Rotary breakfast meeting, the Norwood Legion Honours and Awards Remembrance Day supper, Westdale Church Girl Guides and area schools and Trent University. He also rallied with local Air Cadets to assist in landscaping and cleaning the veterans’ grave markers at Little Lake Cemetery.
Edgerton is also the chairman and master of ceremonies for the Peterborough Remembrance Day service. He works diligently to supply new history on the back of the program to offer insight and education to those attending the service.
After the service, he will often go to various service clubs and distribute the programs for those who could not attend.
WATCH: Local historians say respect for Remembrance Day growing among younger generations
Youth Volunteer of the Year – Chole Yu
Chole has shown “charisma, kindness and a willingness” to get involved in the community, says a city release.
She has been a longtime volunteer at the Art Gallery of Peterborough since Grade 9, logging more than 280 hours helping with camps and classes. She’s also an instructor for the Saturday Art Club and the March Break and Summer Camps.
“She develops warm relationships with the children and can be counted on to notice and respond to their needs,” a release reads. “She has shown great initiative and leadership and can be counted on to provide excellent care for the children in her charge. The children love her and are often seen seeking her input and attention to their work.”
She also volunteers at the New Canadians Centre and with other organizations in the city.
Athletes of the Year
Junior: Taya Keast
Keast is a multi-sport athlete including captain of the Peterborough Lakers’ midget girls’ box lacrosse team, a member of the Kawartha girls’ field lacrosse team, and competes in athletics and hockey (Bantam AA IceKats). One of her letters of support states, “She is a focused and determined athlete who recognizes her potential and is realizing the benefits of her hard work. She is a role model for her peer group and her strong work ethic extends beyond the playing field into the classroom, achieving honours in her academic studies.”
Adult: Jonathan Shanley
In 2018, the longtime bowler represented southern Ontario at the Canadian Youth Bowling Championships in Calgary. He qualified at the Lakeview Bowl in-house tournament and progressed to first at the zones in Belleville and provincials in London, Ontario. He finished fourth at the nationals.
He bowls four times weekly and has an average of 215 per game in 10-pin. This award was sponsored by Global Peterborough.
Senior: Sylvia Cashmore
The marathon runner finished 11th overall in the 65-69 age group in the 2017 Boston Marathon. She also won top honours in the Peterborough Spring Triathlon which allowed her to compete in the world triathlon in New Zealand. “She is a great role model for seniors in our community, exhibiting amazing persistence and a willingness to work hard, as well as a genuine enjoyment of the social aspects of participating in sports,” the city stated.
A full list of the award recipients including community and cultural betterment, athletic merit and environmental/sustainability accolades can be found here: 2019 Peterborough Civic Awards Program
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