Volunteer Service Awards
Ontario Celebrates the Outstanding Contributions of Volunteers in Simcoe Grey
The Ontario government is recognizing 24 Ontarians in Simcoe-Grey with a Volunteer Service Award, an annual award honouring the exceptional contributions of individuals providing dedicated service to a single organization.
Recipients of the award were recognized at a virtual ceremony held on November 29 and will receive a personalized certificate and lapel pin to acknowledge and thank them for their years of service.
“Looking after our neighbours and community has never been more important, and I am grateful to see so many volunteers continue to selflessly step up and embody the best of the Ontario spirit,” said MPP Brian Saunderson. “On behalf of Simcoe-Grey, I want to thank and express my deepest gratitude to these incredible Ontarians receiving this year’s Volunteer Service Award for helping to make our community strong and vibrant.”
The 4,555 recipients of the 2022 Ontario Volunteer Service Award, from across the province, support a wide range of organizations and causes, including those serving families, children and youth, vulnerable people, hospitals, senior centres and food security programs. These volunteers also help as board members, in fundraising, in promoting the arts and showcasing the different cultures that make Ontario unique.
The 2022 Ontario Volunteer Service Awards recipients from Simcoe Grey include:
YOUTH VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD
- Joshua Bowles – Town of Wasaga Beach – Recreation, Facilities and Events
- Jacob Bruce – Town of New Tecumseth
5 YEARS OF SERVICE AWARD
- David Buchanan – Stevenson Memorial Hospital Foundation
- Noma Cortes – Town of Wasaga Beach – Recreation, Facilities and Events
- Carlo Cryer – Essa Public Library Board
- Vic DeFrancesco – Wasaga Beach Lions Club
- Adele Derkowski – Town of Wasaga Beach – Recreation, Facilities and Events
- Vaughan Harris – Tecumseth and West Gwillimbury Historical Society
- Janine Harris-Wheatley – Tecumseth and West Gwillimbury Historical Society
- Susanna Malick – Essa Public Library Board
- Sandra Sharpe – Caledon Meals on Wheels – Caledon and Orangeville
10 YEARS OF SERVICE AWARD
- Sheila Bell – Tec We Gwill Women’s Institute
- Brian Bethauer – Wasaga Beach Lions Club
- Steph Howard – Wasaga Beach Lions Club
- Judith Hunter – Essa Public Library Board
- Donald Jorgenson – GlobalMedic (David McAntony Gibson Foundation)
- R. Douglas Smith – Stevenson Memorial Hospital Auxiliary
20 YEARS OF SERVICE AWARD
- Jim Bloomfield – Georgian Bay Volunteer Search & Rescue
- Janice Campbell – Wasaga Beach Lions Club
- Martin Campbell – Wasaga Beach Lions Club
- Derek Mckeever – Essa Public Library Board
- Betsie Van’t Spyker – Stevenson Memorial Hospital Auxiliary
35 YEARS OF SERVICE AWARD
- Nancy Lea Bennett – IODE Yellow Briar Chapter
40 YEARS OF SERVICE AWARD
- John Dick – Rotary Club – Wasaga Beach
“Every day thousands of volunteers from all over the province dedicate their time and talents to make Ontario a better place,” said Premier Doug Ford. “As Premier, I want to thank each and every volunteer for the efforts they make and the examples they set for the next generation of Ontarians. We could not ask for better role models and we are so grateful to them all.”
“Volunteers are the backbones of our communities. The incredible volunteers in Simcoe-Grey have embodied the best of the Ontario spirit and have shown – through their commitment, dedication and selfless service – that we can achieve anything when we come together as Team Ontario,” said Michael Ford, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism. “Our government thanks these incredible leaders, changemakers and everyday heroes for the incredible work they do to make our communities and our province a stronger and better place to live, work and succeed.”
For more information about the program or to submit a nomination, please CLICK HERE to visit the Ontario Volunteer Service Award Web Page.
QUICK FACTS
- Since 1986, more than 250,000 volunteers have been recognized through the Ontario Volunteer Service Award.
- Adult volunteers are recognized for five to 65+ years of continuous service in five- year increments.
- Youth volunteers are recognized for two or more years of continuous service.
For more information, contact:
Don MacNeil
Executive Assistant
Simcoe-Grey MPP Brian Saunderson
705.435.4087