MANITOULIN—Is there a remarkable young individual in your community who stands head and shoulders above the rest as a volunteer, whose efforts have made people’s lives better, or in some way stands out as an exceptional junior citizen? The Expositor encourages you to nominate that youth for a Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Award.
The Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards recognize individuals between the ages of six and 17 (no older than 17 by the November 30 deadline) who are working hard to make their community a better place by volunteering for various organizations, making donations, saving lives and maintaining top grade averages.
Wiikwemkoong’s Autumn Peltier, Anishinabek Nation water commissioner and an internationally renown safe drinking water advocate for Indigenous communities around the globe was one of the 12 finalists chosen in 2017.
In 2005, The Expositor recognized Skylar Trimmer (aged six at the time) for his efforts in saving his father’s life, but Skylar (who was nominated by Les Fields of Manitowaning) was a year too young to make the official shortlist for the provincial award that year, still Skylar was most certainly deserving of recognition for keeping his head at such a young age and saving a life through his heroic efforts.
There are the five categories in which a youth may be nominated. Those include as a person involved in worthwhile community service; a special young person contributing to their community while living with a physical or psychological limitation; an individual who has performed an act of heroism in the past year; excellence in achievement, such as the arts or athletics; and just good kids who show a commitment to make life better for others and who do more than is normally expected of someone of their age.
Twelve nominees will be selected as final recipients of the provincial award and will be invited to a special ceremony to be held in the spring of 2020 in Toronto.
Any young person nominated for the award will be personally presented with a certificate of recognition and will have their contribution showcased in The Expositor.
Past Manitoulin honourees include Chris Purvis, who was a 1991 finalist and recipient of the award for saving his friend from an icy creek; Daisy Hore of Gordon, nominated for her act of bravery in saving her sister when their snowmobile went through the ice in March of 2005; Elyse Labelle of Honora Bay, who was named as one of the 2007 finalists; Eden Beaudin of M’Chigeeng, founder of the Pegasus Literary Writing Award nominated in 2008; Janelle Addison of Gore Bay who was nominated in 2009; Cassandra McColman, Janelle Addison and Tanya Aelick who were each recognized for their contributions in 2010; Kristina Renwick of Little Current has been chosen as Manitoulin’s nominee for the 2011; and Blake Priddle of Espanola, who has Manitoulin family connections and was nominated in 2012.
The nomination deadline for the 2019 Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards is November 30 and nomination forms are available at www.ocna.org/juniorcitizen or by contacting The Expositor at 705-368-2744.
