Winning a Hay River Community Spirit Award was a “big surprise” for Chuck Lirette, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Lirette earned the community’s Trailblazer Award for the countless hours he has spent tending to the trails at the Hay River Ski Club — a club that may soon have to close due to budgetary concerns.
“The funding that we get from the territorial government has been cut and so we’re very much at risk of losing our ski club,” he said just over a week after receiving his award. “Right now, we tentatively set a close date for the club of April of next year.
“I’m hoping that this award that I received will be another message to the government that the ski club in Hay River is quite important to the people of Hay River.”
This year’s community spirit awards went to 11 people, businesses and organizations around the community. Award winners were nominated and voted on by community members, which makes the experience all the more meaningful, according to Lirette.
“I’ll spend hundreds and hundreds of hours [a year] out there, and I’ve been involved with our ski club for about 20 years now, so I guess it’s recognition for many, many years of service,” he said. “Everybody appreciates a thank you or a job-well-done, so I guess that’s what this means to me.
“It’s a nice surprise, considering it comes from the community. That’s what our ski club is all about. We’re a group of volunteers trying to provide a source of recreation for people in Hay River.”
Lirette is among six volunteers who keep the ski club running. He said his colleagues “certainly deserve to be recognized as well.”
Steve Anderson, who took home the Good Neighbour Award, was also surprised by his win.
In fact, he said, he was “flabbergasted” when he got the news.
“The people that were also nominated, that were on the list, I would say were well deserving too,” he said. “I’m just happy to be shoulder-to-shoulder with them.
“I’m honoured to have been part of that list.”
Like Lirette, Anderson also said being chosen by his neighbours made the distinction even more special.
“It’s very nice,” he said. “I’m definitely very privileged and blown away by the fact that I’m one of the award recipients.”
The award gala occurred at the Hay River Legion Branch #250 on Feb. 3, and was organized by the Town of Hay River.
It was a wonderful night, according to Anderson.
“It was beautiful,” he said. “I’ve got to hand it to the Town of Hay River and in particular [tourism coordinator] Jill Morse. She did a fabulous job, like she always does for these events. She had a butterfly theme, and it was just beautiful. It was magical.
“It was nice to get together and celebrate things, and celebrate other people and businesses that are part of the community.”
The complete list of Hay River community spirit award winners is as follows:
- Youth Volunteer Award: Simara Wilson
- Senior Volunteer Award: Linda Duford
- Community Beautification Award: Hay River Métis Council
- Arts and Culture Award: Aaron Tambour Photography
- Community Spirit initiative Award: Hay River Legion Branch #250
- Good Neighbour Award: Steve Anderson
- Good Business Award: Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre
- Diversity Award: Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre
- Community Safety Award: Hay River Fire Department
- Trailblazer Award: Chuck Lirette
- Citizen of the Year Award: Kandis Jameson