Northern Life honours community builders

It's not the rocks or streets or even the Big Nickel that make Sudbury what is it — it's the people that mine those rocks, drive upon the city's roads and keep the giant coin shining that make this city so amazing.

On Feb. 16, eight more outstanding Sudburians were recognized for their commitment to making the community a better place at Northern Life's Community Builders Awards.

Without the contributions of this year's community builders, as well as those honoured in past years, Sudbury “would be a different kind of place,” Michael Atkins, President of Northern Life, said.

“The people that win tonight really build the community.”

What makes the annual gala so outstanding is that it brings together leaders from several facets of the community — awards are handed out for arts, economic development, education, environment, health care, sports and recreation, young leader and Hall of Fame.

“Normally, people get together in their own cocoons — tonight we get to celebrate people in many, many areas of our life,” Atkins said.

Mark Burgess, who spoke on behalf of the Burgess Family and the Sudbury Wolves, was “proud” to be among the winners.

“Every year, I watch this — I'm aware of this awards program here,” he said. “I've always been envious of the people that have won it.”

CBA winners are, front row from left, Denise Truax (Arts), Dax Law (Young Leader), Dawn Marie Wemigwans (Education), Bob Rogers, Paul Sajatovic (Environment). Back row from left are Brian Koivu, David Munch (Health Care), Blaine Nicholls (Economic Development), Mark Burgess (Sports and Recreation), Rick Arcand (Hall of Fame). Photo By Marg Seregelyi.

He believes the family's 25-year-commitment to bring up respectable young adults, who shine as athletes, contributed to their success at the awards gala.

“We've been able to really contribute to the community these past years,” he said. “It's not only developing hockey players, but developing young men who can go out in the community — we do a lot of fundraising.”

Blaine Nicholls, who was recognized for his contribution to the city's economic development, said it was a “tremendous” honour to be a winner.

“I've got a huge amount of satisfaction just out of the achievements that the project has made — this is really special, to get this kind of recognition for it,” he said.

Retired, and now a part-time volunteer, Nicholls said he couldn't help but get involved with the architecture school from the beginning.

“I think the idea of adding to the educational component in our city is important,” he said.

“I think architecture is a whole new program to bring to the humanity end of Laurentian University. I think the creation of a design school in Sudbury, serving northern Ontario, will make some significant changes to communities in northern Ontario.”

Other award recipients at the gala include:

Arts – Éditions Prise de parole
Education – Dawn Marie Wemigwans
Environment – Nickel District Conservation Authority
Health Care – Finlandia Village
Young Leader – Dax Law
Hall of Fame – Kiwanis Club of Sudbury

The Community Builders Awards were presented by Northern Life, and sponsored by EastLink and Union Gas. Award sponsors included Dynamic Insurance Brokers, Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, McQueen's Furniture, Mining Technologies International, Sudbury Theatre Centre, Total Personal Solutions/Northern Academy of Training, Vale and Xstrata Nickel. Event sponsors include Benefit Partners, Desjardins Sudbury, Laurentian University, RDH Mining Equipment and Synergy Control Corporation. Northern Ontario Business and Sudbury Living Magazine Group were media sponsors.

Posted by Arron Pickard