The Award of Merit was established in 1956 to recognize individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the Town of Midland. Council meets each year to determine if there are eligible recipients in a given year and to decide amongst eligible candidates who the recipients will be in a given year. This year, there were three worthy recipients.
Our First Recipient: - Gwen Ann Walker
Gwen Ann was an elected member of Midland Town Council for Ward 1 for two consecutive three year terms beginning in 1988. She also served as an elected member of the School Board for a three year term.
During her time on Council, she was on the Seniors Council, the Youth Council which organized a drop-in Centre and was the Chair of the Planning Committee.
Gwen Ann taught English at Midland Secondary School from 1960 to 1962 and from 1971 to 1992. Current Council members Stephan Kramp and Mike Ross are two of her former students.
We recognize her special contribution to the Town in being involved with the Library Board since 1988, a remarkable 22 years of dedicated service. Gwen Ann was the Vice Chair and then the Chair of the Board. During these many years, she patiently and persistently oversaw the planning of the Library extension and then, at the end of her last term as Chair, the completion of the amazing Library expansion. Some of the many tasks she recalls helping with at the library include previously selecting the colours and painting an earlier board room, and hanging pictures. That’s a hands-on Chair!
Gwen Ann’s volunteer activities in the community also involved working at the store for the Habitat for Humanity and being a local canvasser for cancer.
Second Recipient: Elizabeth O’Connor
Elizabeth and her husband Albert moved to North Simcoe 10 years ago, having cottaged in the area for 20 years. She was a teacher for 40 years.
Elizabeth is a tireless advocate for peace, social justice and civil liberties.
She has been the Chair of the Seniors Council for 3 terms and has helped organize events to inform and inspire seniors in our community. Elizabeth is currently spearheading the Council’s efforts to study the gaps in services for seniors in Midland.
She was a local community organizer on the issue of maintaining the secular status of the local hospital and preserving women’s services, in a campaign that engaged the interest of many Midland and area residents.
Elizabeth is the inspiration behind Peaceworks, which formed in Midland in 2002, providing Midland and area residents, with a local voice to join with other communities across Canada and the world on the same day, to voice opposition to the use of force and in favour of peaceful and diplomatic alternatives to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Subsequently, these efforts called for our troops to come home safely, to stop secret trials of detainees in post 9-11 and to support the young war resisters in Canada. Elizabeth has helped Midland host speakers to help residents better understand these struggles, including young War resisters and family members of detainees.
Elizabeth has organized many Peaceworks’ lunches, bringing inspirational and courageous speakers who work on international development issues, often in conflict regions in the world, such as Doctors without Borders, Project Umbrella Burma, Tamil Civilians held in detention camps, Flood Relief in Pakistan, and World literacy free schools. Many of the peace events have involved children, including Pumpkins for Peace, peace banners at the Wyevale School, Brownie candlelight peace celebrations and Christmas tree peace decorations. Elizabeth helped send Mother’s Day knitted squares from Midland for a banner in Washington.
In 2003, Elizabeth was awarded the YMCA Canada Peace Medal and she continues to celebrate this event annually. On behalf of Peaceworks, she is invited annually to lay a rose for the Montreal Massacre commemoration organized by Rosewood.
Her work on peace has helped to plant and design two permanent peace gardens – one in Midland and one in Penetanguishene, the latter of which included the assistance of inmates from the superjail.
Elizabeth’s love of gardening has flowed into being on the Committee to organize the annual fundraising garden tours- first for the Penetanguishene Library and, for the last few years, the Midland Library, which showcases beautiful gardens in the area.
Third Recipient: Paul Hamelin
In 1975, Paul began his policing career in London, Ontario. In 1985, he returned to his hometown of Midland, Ontario and over the next 24 years was promoted through the ranks and served in all aspects of the service culminating in his appointment as Chief of Police in 1995, which he held for the next 14 years. While serving with the Midland Police, Paul reached many milestones in his career including receiving the Police Exemplary Service Medal for 20 years of Meritorious Service, the 30 Year Bar for Loyal and Exemplary Service and in January of 2006, he was inducted as an Officer of the Order of Merit of Police Forces by the Governor General of Canada.
During his Policing Career, Paul was active in many Associations including the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police where he served on many committees and in all capacities including the Office of the President, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association and the Simcoe County Policing Authorities.
During his years as Chief of the Midland Police Service, Paul’s concern and insights into the broader needs of persons with mental health issues were shared with other services and he was on the founding committee of the Human Services and Justice in 1998. He attended the community care team meetings with Outpatients, participated in the initial meetings to help get Shelter Now and helped build on our understanding of the needs in our downtown and the decision to engage the original SOS Outreach Team.
Paul is currently the Executive Director of the Ontario Police Technology Information Co-operative which is comprised of 39 Ontario Municipal Police Services and the Ontario Provincial Police working in co-operation with the Government of Ontario.
Paul continues to be active in the community serving on the Board of Directors of Community Living Huronia, where he has seen this organization grow from the time his mother was an early Executive Director to an organization of 240 staff providing supported living for many persons with intellectual disabilities in our community. He was on the founding Board of the North Simcoe Boys and Girls Club in 2006 and continues as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Midland. In addition, he is a volunteer instructor of the 55 Alive Mature Driver Course for the Askennonia Senior Centre. His three sons are now grown, but for over 20 years, he coached baseball and t-ball. Paul now occasionally serves as a roadie for one of his sons who plays in a band. You may also see Paul as a volunteer at a Much Music Dance for the next generation of music makers in our community.
Paul is inspired by his mother, Joyce who at the age of 81, continues to be active in the community and by his wife, Brenda who shares his commitment to community service.
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