Nearly 200 Hay River residents came together on Saturday for a gala that celebrated 11 volunteers and businesses for their devotion to the community.
For the inaugural Community Spirit Awards, Hay River’s Legion 250 Branch was transformed with coloured lights, hanging butterflies, artful displays, elaborate table settings, and centrepieces crafted from Great Slave Lake sand and driftwood, local fossils and rocks.
“You feel it, the energy in the room, and people just needed this,” Hay River Mayor Kandis Jameson said. “It’s just been an amazing night.”
“I love the diversity of the room,” said Jill Morse, the town’s community tourism coordinator. “Everybody from every corner of Hay River was there and it was wonderful to see and just get to connect with all those people again.”
“It was really, really heartwarming to see some of the older couples that haven’t been out to an event in — I can’t even remember when,” Morse added. “So wonderful seeing them out and having something to dress up to go to.”
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The event was hosted by Wally Schumann, former MLA for Hay River South. It included speeches from Premier RJ Simpson, who represents Hay River North, as well as community affairs minister Vince McKay, the current MLA for Hay River South.
In light of the many challenges Hay River has faced over the past few years, from Covid-19 to flood and wildfire evacuations, Schumman said the awards ceremony was necessary to bring the community together in celebration.
“To bring us all together, I think at this time, is a much needed event,” Schumann said. “This type of award shows you the true fabric of, the makeup of the whole community.”
Simpson agreed saying volunteerism is crucial to a strong community.
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“I think that the difference between a group of people and a community is the volunteers,” Simpson said.
“The tough times really show the value and importance of volunteering and stepping up for your community, and so there’s no better time than now to have this event.”
Hay River’s “long tradition of volunteerism” is an important part of community spirit, according to McKay, who said he hopes to see that continue long into the future.
‘This little community does a lot’
Hundreds of residents nominated and voted for nominees in eleven award categories.
April Glaicar was nominated for the arts and culture award due to her work with community youth as well as her role in organizing the Hay Days Festival.
“I’m really honoured to have been nominated,” Glaicar said. “I was born and raised here, raised my kids here, and hope to continue to contribute.
“I hope we as a community continue to embrace the music, arts and culture. We have so many gifted and dedicated people in the community.”
Glaciar attended Saturday’s gala with her mom, Paulette Broekaert, who she said has always been her “number one supporter of creativity”.
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“I’m very excited for her and very proud of her,” Broekaert said of her daughter. “She does a lot of work, a lot of long hours.”
Brenda McAuley was nominated for the good neighbour award for her efforts driving community elders to errands, assembling Christmas hampers, baking and fundraising.
“I’ve lived here all my life, so to me, it’s a must that I don’t see any elders walking home with groceries,” McAuley said. “That’s just not something in my heart to see them doing.”
McAuley said she makes time to give people lifts between working three jobs, which can get busy. But she said she’s not alone in her efforts. McAuley said she’s seen her community step up to help one another through hard times in recent years.
“This little community does a lot, they really do. And I’m very proud to say that I am a part of the community,” she said. “I know we can do it again, we can build it up and be strong again.”
McAuley’s husband, Gord Lyndon, attended the gala to celebrate his wife’s achievements. He said he hopes the event will encourage more people to get involved.
“It is a big deal. I’m very proud. It made me very proud,” Lyndon said of his wife’s nomination. “She does a lot for the community, it’s well-deserved.”
Elizabeth Scheper attended the event in support of her friend of Steve Anderson, who won the good neighbour award.
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“He’s pretty giving, pretty active,” Scheper said of Anderson. “You have a dead community if you don’t have people interested in doing anything.”
Scheper said she likes the idea of a community awards gala as it’s a “nice break from the winter”.
Senior volunteer winner and town councillor Linda Duford was celebrated for her work promoting and teaching fiddling through the Kole Crook Fiddling Association.
Duford said she often partners with the Soaring Eagle Friendship Center for projects including a fiddle and jigging contest for youth as well as a fiddle workshop, and enjoys a close relationship with the organization.
“We do a lot of youth programs centering around music and the Soaring Eagle Friendship Center does a lot of programs and so we’re close by,” Duford said. “Over the past years we’ve collaborated on a lot of things.”
“It’s just a wonderful thing to see that we went from having two awards to eleven awards,” she continued. “Hay River has a long tradition, as do other communities, but we’re really proud of our volunteer force here.”
Mayor Jameson was voted citizen of the year by community members, which she said was very humbling.
“I am so overwhelmed and this night puts it all together,” Jameson said. “We need each other. We need it for survival, we need it for mental health, for so many reasons, we need to work together.”
Here is a complete list of the 2024 Community Spirit Award winners:
- Youth Volunteer Award: Simara Wilson
- Senior Volunteer Award: Linda Duford
- Community Beautification Award: Hay River Métis Council
- Arts and Culture Award: Aaron Tambour
- Community Spirit Initiative Award: Hay River Legion Branch 250
- Good Neighbour Award: Steve Anderson
- Good Business Award: Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre
- Diversity Award: Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre
- Community Safety Award: Hay River Fire Department
- Trailblazer Award: Chuck Lirette
- Citizen of the Year Award: Kandis Jameson
