West Lincoln Announces Community Recognition Award Winners

NEWS RELEASE

West Lincoln Announces Community Recognition Award Winners

For Immediate Release: October 17, 2023

The results are in! Winners of the Township’s inaugural West Lincoln Community Recognition Awards were announced at the October 16 Administration / Finance / Fire Committee meeting.

Congratulations to Marcus Bousfield, who won in the Ages 14 and under category, to Scott Antonides, who won in the Ages 55 and under category and to Kathy Wetselaar, who won in the Over 55 category.

Families and friends of the winners, along with all members of the public, are invited to help congratulate the winners at a celebratory event on Thursday, October 26, at 6:30 p.m., in the Library Community Room at 177 West Street, in Smithville.

The Township’s Community Recognition Awards recognize residents who, through personal involvement, leadership abilities, and selfless giving of their time and talent, have positively impacted the West Lincoln community.

The idea to establish a program that recognizes outstanding community members was originally brought to Council in April of 2022 by a Beaver Scout named Dylan Pilot. Following Township Staff’s research and recommendations, Council approved the Community Recognition Program Policy and Terms of Reference in September of 2022.

Nominations were open from July 1 until September 8, 2023, following which, a panel of judges comprised of prominent community leaders reviewed and graded the nominations, which were redacted to remove any identifying information. A winner was then appointed for each applicable category based solely on the final tally of grades. No awards were assigned for the Ages 30 and under or Ages 21 and under categories, as they did not receive nominations. Judges will remain anonymous to the public and to one another, to maintain the integrity of the selection process.

Learn more about the West Lincoln Community Recognition Awards at www.westlincoln.ca/communityawards.

For notifications and important updates, remember to follow the Township of West Lincoln on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @TWPWestLincoln.

Quotes:

“We are absolutely thrilled with the quality of nominations we received for our first Community Recognition Awards. There certainly is no shortage of people in West Lincoln who are actively demonstrating their love for and commitment to our community. On behalf of Council, I want to extend my most sincere thanks to everybody who took the time to send in a nomination and congratulations to our worthy winners. We are excited to continue building this tradition for years to come.”

Cheryl Ganann

Mayor

“I am always inspired by the kindness and dedication shown by the incredible number of volunteers in our community. Congratulations to our first cohort of award winners. The Township looks forward to recognizing you in person at our upcoming celebration.”

Bev Hendry

Chief Administrative Officer

Media Contact: