Typically we think of City Council as that group of individuals we elect every four years, who then spend their time figuring how much to raise property taxes, water and sewage rates, and what it will cost us to use various city-owned recreational facilities.
When not increasing the amount of money we have to spend each year in paying the higher taxes and fees to keep our city functioning, they are the ones who have the final say on what the City will spent the money on.
The management of the city’s finances and how they are best utilized are of course of prime importance.
But the current Council should be given some credit for also focusing some attention on people in the city who go the extra mile as they say to make our community a better place.
The key example of that effort was seen Monday as Council presented the recipients of the 2019 Civic Recognition Awards with their certificates Monday.
The ceremony marked the second year for the awards, that this year was expanded to include an award going to a deserving organization.
The recipients were;
•Adult Category: Mark Schendel
•Youth Category: Connor Watrych
•Group Category: The Soup Haven Lunch Program Inc.
It is fitting the City has initiated the awards since so much of what happens in our community to make it a great place to live relies on the efforts of volunteers to make them happy.
The list is long, from those who coach minor sports, to those who volunteer to make events from the summer fair, to Arts Council performances, to Rib Fest happen.
Most of us attend such events as a way to simply relax and have fun, but they don’t happen without a legion of hard working volunteers.
While the annual awards only point out the efforts of a couple of those hardworking people each year, they do signal that the overall efforts of volunteers is noticed and appreciated.
Council also did something in November which follows the theme of recognizing worthy citizens when it presented Taylor Greba with the City’s first Certificate of Achievement.
The Civic Recognition Awards Policy provides for Council to award Certificates of Achievement as a meaningful and enduring way to recognize citizens of extraordinary achievement. Yorkton residents who achieve international, national or provincial excellence in science and technology, arts and sport, and community service may be considered for this special honour.
There are many in our community who have done yeoman’s service which extends beyond efforts in our city, and recognizing those efforts is important.
It is to be hoped the civic awards continue, with community support in nominations, and that Greba is only the first of many to earn the Certificate of Achievement.
See related stories on all Civic Recognition Awards, Connor Watrych, Mark Schendel and The Soup Haven.
