Lennoxville honours outstanding achievement
Every year the Lennoxville community comes together to celebrate the local groups and individuals who have made outstanding achievements in the categories of Arts and Culture, Citizenship and Volunteer Work, Education, Sports, Business Development, Urban Planning, Heroism, and Youth Leadership as well as the Donald Patrick Award for overall positive contributions to the community. Last night Lennoxville recognized nine of its residents, local organizations or groups for the 27th year in a row.
“This event is an opportunity for the Borough of Lennoxville to pay tribute to the accomplishments of its citizens, and to make the general public aware of the extraordinary involvement of their fellow citizens within the community,” the evening’s program explained, highlighting the value not just of recognizing great deeds, but also of sharing that recognition in order to inspire others.
This year’s Donald Patrick award was presented to retired nurse and committed volunteer Maureen Quigg.
“In short, Maureen Quigg has an exceptional history of giving back to her community,” her nomination letter reads, identifying Quigg as “the most loyal and caring person you could ever meet,” and praising her for work done with the Canadian Cancer Society, the Lennoxville Library, Uplands, the Bishop’s/champlain Refugee Student Sponsorship Garage Sale, and a wide range of other volunteer roles.
“Quite honestly I was very honoured,” Quigg said, explaining that the award has a very particular meaning to her as someone who knew the late Donald Patrick personally. “He was such a fine person.”
In the Arts and Culture Category, past Donald Patrick Award Winner Alberta Everett was chosen as a result of the years she has devoted to teaching members of the community to knit and crochet.
“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” Everett said. “I’ve seen some very good classes.”
Although her nomination letter credits her with “20 years or more” of work in the community, the knitting and crochet teacher said that that number is actually closer to 45, and added that she has taught individuals of every age from elementary school to 100 years old in locations all across the community.
Citizenship & Volunteer Work winner Jimmy Donnachie said that he feels if a person has the time and resources to help out, it just makes sense to do so.
“I’m all about helping the community,” the small business owner said, acknowledging the fact that he is being recognized for his work gathering support for both the Dixvillle Home Foundation and the Alexander Galt Piper Classic Golf Tournament.
“I’ve always tried to do what I can,” he said.
Linda Connolly Maskell of Tri-kni-t at 168A Queen Street said that she was initially baffled by having been named the winner of the Business Development Award. Although her nominator praised her decision to stick with the business after her initial location didn’t work out, the store owner said that she felt like the award ultimately has more to do with the homey atmosphere she has worked
to create in the business.
“I think it has to do with the community of people who come here,” Connolly Maskell said. “This is not like a regular store; people can come in to sit and enjoy, where in another store that would get you thrown out.”
The store owner also noted that even if she has only been in the neighbourhood for two years, that is a fairly long time in the life of a Lennoxville retail store.
“I’m really happy to be here,” she said. Asked about his reaction to getting the education award, Wade Lynch responded with a joke.
“I was surprised to see how accomplished I am,” he said, adding that although he was touched to have been selected for his work with Bishop’s University’s Senior Academy for Lifelong learning, he really feels like the recognition is more one of the senior academy in general and the huge amount of community support that goes into making that project a success
“(The community members) are the ones who should be getting the award,” he said, arguing that without the engagement of the participants and volunteers, the program never would have gotten off the ground.
Wade Lynch
Francois Gilbert of Fire House Productions also had a laugh about his group’s Heroism award at first, commenting that, “it must have been a quiet year.” He acknowledged afterwards, however, that everyone on the team was honoured to be recognized for the work they are doing and said that he could understand some of the reasoning the fundraising group was given this award in light of their connection to firefighting. Firehouse Productions
“Honestly we were surprised,” Gilbert said, sharing that the group tries as much as possible to give back directly to the Lennoxville community. “We were not volunteering with the aim of getting awards, but we appreciate it.”
The Champlain College Football team was the 2017 winner for outstanding achievement in Sports in light of all they have accomplished in their most recent season.
“It has been a very good year,” said Coach Kevin Mackey, speaking on behalf of the team.
In this case that good year involved becoming the football team with the most wins in Division 1 thanks to their thirteenth Bol d’or Championship victory since 1978.
“I think any time the team gets an award, it is a good thing,” Mackey said.
Sarah-kim Bergeron of the Bishop’s Gaiters Women’s soccer team was selected as this year’s winner in the field of youth leadership not just for her accomplishments in the pitch, but for her engagement In the local community.
“I was just doing a bunch of soccer camps,” the team captain said, glossing over her role as Coordinator of the 2017 Jr. Gaiters Soccer Academy and Head Coach of the 2017 Jr. Gaiters Summer Soccer Camp as well as her involvement in projects like a humanitarian tour to Ethiopia in June, her work locally as a substitute teacher, and involvement in a range of other community and academic events.
“I’m very excited; it was definitely unexpected,” Bergeron said, explaining that she has only lived in the community for a year and a half and had not even been aware that the community awards existed.
The Grace Village Pavillion of the Massawippi Retirement Communities in Huntingville was the winner of this year’s Urban Planning award.
“It is certainly an honour after all of the work and the time that has gone into the project,” said Andrea Eastman, the Interim Executive Director of the home. “It is nice to be recognized by the community, in the community.”
Eastman said that the award is an honour shared by all the staff and residents in the new home.
The winners of each year’s outstanding achievement awards are selected by a borough committee each year based on nominations from members of the local community.