West Quebecers Community Awards

The Community Awards Banquet of the Regional Association of West Quebecers will be Friday, October 22nd, 2010 at the Aydelu Centre, 94 rue du Patrimoine, Gatineau (Aylmer sector).

This event celebrates volunteers dedicated to enhancing their community in the Outaouais and their invaluable contributions to the vitality and strength of our region.

The Community Awards are presented to individuals or groups whose nominations have been submitted by the community at large. A Selection Committee then chooses the winners from these nominations. At this event, we honour some of our community's most noteworthy volunteers who are engaged in all facets of society in the Outaouais.

Description of RAWQ'S Community Awards

Nomination Form 2010

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Summaries of the 2009 Winners of the
West Quebecers Community Awards

J.D. Coulson Award

This award for exceptional achievement within the community surpassing expectations with a broad outreach, depth and significantly measurable results.

Winner: Meals on Wheels

Many people in Aylmer who, because of a disability or age, are unable to cook for themselves really need this service. This group does much more than cook and deliver food, they care about their clients who become ‘family' to them. Volunteers with Meals on Wheels also take the time to talk to their clients providing them with social contact. The drivers watch for any signs of obvious health problems. and seek out other support services when needed. If, for any reason, they cannot deliver a meal, these volunteers contact other designated people.  Each driver has his/her own clients and deliver meals to them three times a week including holidays such as Christmas, New Years, Easter etc. regardless of the weather.

Meals on Wheels has a board of 12 members which includes four who serve as officers. At least 16 volunteers deliver three nutritious meals to each client. These volunteers work diligently and, use their own vehicles and pay for their own gas while donating their time and efforts to Meals on Wheels.

This service is currently limited to 35 clients. Though meals are prepared in the basement of St. Mark's Church by one full-time and two part-time employees, the service is available to the entire Aylmer community regardless of social status, language or religion.

Graham Greig Award for
Outstanding Community Service

This award is for a particular service or variety of services within the community that has broad outreach, depth and significantly measurable results.

Debi BrownWinner: Debi Brown

Previous awards:
Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations - Buzzell Award
Canadian Home and School Life Membership Award

Debi has held positions with the Home & School Association and School Committees since 1984.

Committee Positions that Debi has held

  • President, Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations     
  • Treasurer, Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations          
  • Secretary/Treasurer, Canadian Home and School Federation              
  • Vice President, Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations   
  • Treasurer, Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations          
  • Treasurer, Western Quebec Parents Committee                                    
  • President, Aylmer Home & School Association                                     
  • Parent Commissioner, Western Quebec School Board                         
  • Parent Delegate, Aylmer School Committee                                          
  • Member, Philemon Wright School Committee                                        
  • Member, Aylmer Home & School Association                                        
  • Member, Eardley School Committee                                                     
  • Member, Hadley School Committee                                                      
  • Newsletter Editor, Aylmer Co-operative Preschool                                

Ms. Brown has volunteered with the Girl Guides and been a caretaker for her church as well as working with various sports teams and organisations.

Other Community Involvement

  • Co-Commissioner, Pontiac District, Girl Guides of Canada                      
  • Treasurer, Mercier Division, Girl Guides of Canada                                 
  • Treasurer, Pontiac District, Girl Guides of Canada                                   
  • Unit leader, Girl Guides of Canada                                                       
  • Caretaker, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Aylmer                          
  • Volunteered with various sports teams and organizations as needed

Debi's nominator, Nancy Peppy said,

"I believe Debi should receive a RAWQ award for her length of commitment and her variety of commitment to the English-Speaking Community of West Quebec from the schools, to the recreational activities, to the Girl Guides and to the Church. As you can see Debi has not let any year go by where she has not given tremendously and industriously of her time on top of raising a family and working.  If you went to a Girl Guide event, or a school event or meeting or a church event at St. Andrew's, Debi would be there."

As any not-for-profit organisation will agree, without knowledgeable, committed and enthusiastic volunteers, they cannot survive. Debi took on many positions at times when it was difficult for her in order to see the organisation or event succeed.  To each role she brings knowledge of community and other organisations, what will and won't work, event-planning logistics and a network of other volunteers.  Her involvement with the Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations (QFHSA (a member of the QCGN)) meant travelling to Montreal constantly in order to ensure West Quebec's English Schools were represented.

Founders Award

This award for leadership with far-ranging and long-term impact on the community leaving a set of values or establishing a protocol for the future.

Dick HendersonWinner: Richard E. (Dick) Henderson

The Founders Awards is new this year and will be presented posthumously to Mr. Richard E. (Dick) Henderson who passed away in 1985 at the age of 64 but left a legacy of  good works that live on today.

Mr. Henderson had a lifetime of volunteer activity as a community leader in education, health and social services, service clubs and his parish.

Previous awards:

Heritage College: The Richard E. Henderson Award ($300) recognizes academic achievement, contribution to the quality of life at Heritage College, and service to the community. It is named in memory of the first Chairman of the Heritage Campus Board of Governors.

Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School in Hull: The Richard Henderson Award.

Types of volunteer activities:

Dick Henderson was a founding member of Outaouais Alliance/West Quebecers and served as its first Treasurer until his death in 1985.

He served as

  • a volunteer on the first Board of the 'Services Sociales de Hull' when it was run by volunteers from la paroisse St. Joseph in Hull, before it became a professionally run municipal service.
  • First Chair of Heritage College after playing a pivotal role in its founding.
  • Chair of the Board of La Pieta hospital in Hull and also on the first Board of the Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario.
  • a warden for many years at his parish, Our Lady of the Annunciation in Hull and briefly as a volunteer Boy Scout leader.
  • a member on numerous parents' committees for Our Lady of the Annunciation School, St. Patrick's High School and for the Hull School Board.

He was a lifetime member of the Chambre de Commerce in Hull.

A motion was put forward by the Board of Outaouais Alliance (now West Quebecers / RAWQ) in September 1985 that an Award should be created honouring the memory and service of Richard E. Henderson. As OA did not have awards at that time and the thought then was that awards were beyond their mandate, the motion was never acted upon. Apart from his direct volunteer service to OA/RAWQ, he was a community leader in such activities as the ‘No' Committee (for Canadian unity) during the 1980 referendum in Quebec and the drive for an autonomous English-speaking College (CEGEP) in Hull, and the list of other activities throughout his lifetime, listed above.

All of the success West Quebecers can be said to have been built upon the work laid out by the founding members. It can also be said that every strategic plan has been a reflection of their work, as well and is recognition from the West Quebecers of Dick Henderson's community service.

The impact of Dick Henderson's volunteer service on the community is still felt today through the gains made in the Outaouais for education in English. His leadership in the fight to obtain an autonomous college for young English-speaking students increased opportunities for youth in the English-speaking community of the Outaouais. Both chronically ill patients and children in need still benefit from his leadership at the nascent Boards of both the Pieta Hospital and the Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

Community Service in Education

This award is given to the person who most demonstrates a benefit or growth in the area of education.

Peter HaughtonWinner: Peter Haughton

Living in Bristol, Quebec, Peter Haughton has been active in the community for about 15 years in historical, religious and community groups.

Peter also

  • helps seniors stay independent - driving, visiting and helping with daily chores if necessary
  • educates children and adults on the history of the Ottawa River

He created a personal logging museum at his home, and entertains all ages with hands-on activities from the logging past. He participates on school activities and presentations in the area like the re-enactment of the logging past.

Dedicated and energetic, Peter continues to educate all ages from the community in and around Bristol, the Ottawa Valley, and beyond about the vibrant logging and boat history of the Ottawa River. Peter inspires people to be proud of their past and to become actively involved in their community to make it a richer place to live

Community Service in Arts & Culture

The award is granted to the individual/group for providing improvement, opportunity, growth, support or exposure to the community in the area of arts and culture.  Arts and culture may include, but is not limited to, music, theatre, art, festivals, heritage, design, photography, etc.

Kate AleyWinner: Kate Aley

Kate volunteers with the Pontiac School of the Arts (PSOTA) executive in charge of advertising, making the most of PSOTA's limited funds while keeping the art school in the media spotlight. A teacher at PSOTA since 2006, this year she volunteered at the very last moment to step in and teach several additional classes when another teacher was suddenly unable to attend. Kate's personal capability and generosity saved several children's classes from having to be cancelled.

She also assisted with the design, planning and organization of the 2007 and 2009 Gardens and Gifts Tour of Pontiac, which featured farm and home gardens, and designed the Tour's logo.

Committed to the well being of children in our area, she was president of the board of directors in 2006 at the Maison de la Famille in Quyon; and now runs the  non profit ‘Pontiac Pirate Playgroup' in Luskville ,  creating imaginative games and integrating musical and drawing activities for the children .

She is also a member of the Outaouais CEDEC, bringing her great sense of humour and unlimited amount of energy to the committee, volunteering her literary and editorial skills to CEDEC reports and documents, plus lending a hand to local action groups when needed.

Kate is a mother of two children, works as a journalist and photographer at the West Quebec Post and Pontiac Journal and freelances as a writer for Canadian magazines like Harrowsmith and Kitch Magazine but still manages to be a very involved community member; including the West Quebec Literacy Council and the Pontiac Artists Association.

Leadership Award for Youth

The winner of this award demonstrates leadership; that is, taking a lead.  This means improving understanding, opportunity, growth, advancement, and/or experience for youth.   Outcomes and benefits to youth are stated.

Ashley LatourWinner: Ashley Latour

While pursuing her studies in the Liberal Arts Program at Heritage, Ashley volunteered as President of the Heritage Drama Club.  While acting in such plays as The Blue Room, she assisted in the direction of other plays, including Office Hours, and directed a major production of The Glass Menagerie.  These productions could not have succeeded without Ashley's dedicated attention to the numerous responsibilities that ambitious theatre requires.  She also supported a wide range of student run theatre activities which served as fundraising activities in support of local charities.

Heritage College and the community it serves have been enriched by Ashley's contributions on behalf of others. Her devotion to community theatre, her organizational skills in overseeing and coordinating drama events and, most notably, her cheerful and enthusiastic support of her fellow students impressed everyone.  Ashley significantly enhanced the cultural and artistic vitality of the West Quebec community.  She is to be commended for her selfless efforts to bring to life the theatre dreams of her peers while maintaining an over 80 average in her courses. 

Memories of 2008

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