Barbara Bottriell recognized with Roger Griffiths Memorial award

Barbara Bottriell receives the Roger Griffiths Memorial Award for Citizen of the Year

Great to see Barbara Bottriell recognized as the Roger Griffiths Memorial Citizen of the Year last night at the annual Stittsville Volunteer Appreciation Awards.  Other recipients included the Stittsville Seniors’ Community by Revera for Business of the Year, Caitlin Bauer for Youth Citizen of the Year, and Patricia Warford for Senior Citizen of the Year. A full list of nominees is included below.  We’re lucky to have so many dedicated volunteers who give back to their community in a big way. -GG.

https://twitter.com/glengower/status/864631869119365121

Roger Griffiths Memorial award

 

Barbara Bottriel (winner)
This nominee is long time contributor to the Stittsville community, serving on the Parent Council at A. Lorne Cassidy Elementary School in its early years and writing two books focused on Stittsville: including one about Mowoo, the deer that became a village pet and the other telling the history of Stittsville. In her role as president of the Goulbourn Township Historical Society, she was involved in the Main Street Community Design Plan and she also was a leader in the battle to try to preserve the Bradley’s General Store building after its disastrous fire. She is an active member of the St. Thomas Anglican Church and her love of singing has also led her to become a promising member of the West Ottawa Ladies Chorus. Known as the heart and soul of the Historical Society for years, she is an acknowledged leader and inspires those around her to do more.

Janice Leblanc
This nominee is acknowledged for her long standing, continuous, dedicated, volunteer and community service. She was a classroom volunteer with A. Lorne Cassidy, helping with pizza days, the milk program and French Immersion reading practice and she was a very active member with Holy Spirit Catholic Parish, serving on the Parish Council from 2004-2008 and a Eucharistic Minister for 14 years serving at Granite Ridge Care Community from 2013 through 2016. For the past four years, she has been a member of the Catholic Women’s League helping out with baking for hospitality after mass. She has organized the Advent tree since 2000 and acts as Vice Chair, Director at large and Christmas Angel with the Stittsville Food Bank For the past five years, she has also helped a senior neighbour whose husband passed away by taking her shopping, to appointments and looking out for her well-being, sharing meals.   All that this nominee does is done from the heart, honestly and sincerely, with a touch of humility. She is a good community member, good neighbour, good person, and she inspires others through volunteering her time and talents to the community to be better people as well.

Heather Strachan
This nominee exemplifies the notion that sometimes the smallest of good gestures can go a long way. On a January night, this outstanding community member stopped to help a resident in need who had fallen on the side of the road while dog walking, unable to move with a broken hip. The nominee called 911 and acted quickly wrapping the resident in a blanket from her car for warmth while her husband brought additional sleeping bags until the ambulance could arrive. The lucky hockey blanket stayed with this resident through her stay in the hospital, as a warm comfort and reminder of the kindness of strangers

Business of the year

The Stittsville Seniors’ Community by Revera (winner)
This nominated business is comprised of an excellent staff of caring, thoughtful and respectful persons who are dedicated to helping their senior residents to enjoy healthy senior years while still contributing to the community. Raffles and activities held throughout the year help to raise funds for local charities while giving the senior residents an interesting activity to participate in, truly making residents feel at home.  From supporting local sports teams, catering free lunches in the Community and continuing to hire local students’ year after year, they are a responsible business that helps to give Stittsville a total, balanced society by caring for and keeping senior residents in the community. Staff foster a positive environment to give Stittsville the full spectrum of a community.

https://twitter.com/glengower/status/864626153256038400

Quitters Coffee
This local business has only been part of Stittsville for a few years, but in that time, has significantly changed the dynamic of the community. It is considered by many the unofficial town hall where people come to connect and discuss all things from the mundane to the future of our city. Its owners actively work to improve the village-feel of our community not only in aesthetic, but in the community spirit they show toward displaying the talents of local artists and goods and participating in events that bring us closer together like the Parade of Lights and the Pumpkin Parade 

Rona
With 23 full-time staff members plus part time and seasonal staff, this nominated business is a big contributor to local jobs. The business staff are knowledgeable and provide sensible advice about effective ways to accomplish renovations. Through the products it sells and consumes, this business understands its role to participate in ensuring the sustainability of natural resources and reducing its environmental footprint. They are proud sponsors and supporters of a multitude of local efforts including: 9RunRun, the Parade of Lights, Party in the Park (at Jackson Trails), Stittsville Scouts, the Queensway Carleton Hospital, the Stittsville-Goulbourn RAMS Hockey Association, Kids Come First and much, much more.

U-Rock Music School
This next business is a family-owned enterprise that provides children and teens the tools necessary to succeed in their chosen instrument and in life. They inspire, spark the imagination and build self-esteem, confidence and discipline while teaching young people to take risks, conquer fears, and develop their full potential in a nurturing environment that looks beyond weekly music lessons and creates lasting relationships with students. They also contribute back to their community, every year providing free lessons to children/teens who could otherwise not afford them and donating a portion of t-shirt sale proceeds to support a child in need of financial assistance for urgent medical issues.

Youth Citizen of the year

Caitlin Bauer (winner)
This nominee emulates the perseverance, courage and compassion that not only make her a great leader but an extraordinary citizen of Stittsville. Chosen by her school’s Guidance counselors as an ideal Peer Mentor and Sources of Strength student leader, she actively models to both staff and fellow students the value of giving back to improve the lives of others through her participation and leadership in local and global initiatives such as “SleepOUT for Youth” and “Relay for Life” and even travelling as far as Nicaragua to lend her hand in building a school. She is a role model for youth and adults alike and her efforts and positive impact are felt throughout Stittsville, Ottawa and beyond.

https://twitter.com/glengower/status/864629439329697792

Shayna Douglas
This nominee is studious, a hard worker, high achiever, respectful and extremely friendly to all. Creative in her school projects, in her personal and work life, she is a great person to be around and has a contagious positive personality. She is a member of her school’s student council and prom committee and is likely to be seen lending her time to a variety of initiatives including SleepOUT for Youth, Relay for Life, Sources of Strength, the OCSB Mental Health Student Summit, the Cappies (as a critic) and much, much more. She has been an honour roll student since Grade 5 and continues to work hard for her goals, tutoring students in French immersion, all while working to pay for her own attendance on educational school trips

Matt Smart
This nominee is a grade 12 student at Sacred Heart who plans to attend Algonquin College’s Early Childhood Education program in the fall as a pathway to someday becoming a teacher. Working extensively with SchoolBOX, first being chosen to visit Nicaragua and then fundraising and bringing a group back to the community to build a school, he is a great role model for his peers, a driving force behind Relay for Life at Sacred Heart, and a student leader for Best Buddies, a program that matches mainstream students with special needs students to foster friendships. As a volunteer coach, he is kind and compassionate, but also consistent with expectations and well respected by the players. This year, his efforts to build community were recognized by the Me to We organization in a special celebration in the fall and is recognized for all that he has done and continues to do for our community.

Sam Spriggs
This next nominee has been a regular volunteer with the Stittsville Rotary Club and since his first time accompanying Rotarians delivering flowers in 2006 as a young man. Since then, he continues to help out every chance he can, including opportunities with Clean up the Capital (twice a year), Functions at the Peace Park, Rotary Club Trivia Night, Christmas Singalong at the Villa, and even delivering flowers at Thanksgiving. He is always cheerful and eager to participate.

Katie Xu and Jack Fan
These two nominees are gold-medal winning Olympians from last year’s Special Olympics. They serve as role models for other skaters in the Goulbourn Skating Club’s Special Olympics program. They are always at the arena for the program’s skating sessions and their continuous hard work, consistent practising and positive attitudes are a real inspiration to the other Special Olympics skaters in the program. Overcoming challenges, they inspire their peers and prove that becoming a champion is earned through perseverance and hard work

 

Senior Citizen of the Year

Patricia Warford (winner)
Every Tuesday for the past 15 years, this nominee has volunteered at the Stittsville Legion, setting up and cleaning tables and chairs in preparation for those who play cards. President of the Stittsville Legion Board of Directors for the past 15 years, an active volunteer with the Food Bank for 6 years, volunteer tenant representative with the Goulbourn Non Profit Housing Corp for 18 years, and zone commander for the Stittsville Legion Ladies auxiliary for 12 years, this nominee makes volunteering a part of her life, constantly giving back to the Stittsville community. She leads by example and makes the greatest effort in ensuring that things are done right and kept in order. She is honest and ethical and inspires her fellow residents to create a better sense of well-being and health within our communities.

https://twitter.com/glengower/status/864629439329697792

Knotty Knitters
This group of exuberant seniors from the Stittsville Seniors Community has knitted thousands of items for the Ottawa hospital This activity not only keeps the members of the group active and busy but it achieves a sense of community and gives back in a beneficial way. They are productive and caring role models who are constant in their passion

 

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