Midland Award of Merit

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.

2017 Recipients

2017 Award of Merit Recipient – The Wilson Family

Jennifer, Kristeen, Brian & Carol with Mayor Gord McKay

Community Service truly is a family affair for the Wilson Family.

Brian, Carol and their two daughters, Kristeen & Jennifer, are one amazing family, an inspiration to all and a true asset to Midland and the surrounding communities.

The Wilson's have volunteered and continue to volunteer countless hours to the Midland Curling Club, Civitan Club and Special Olympics.

If you have ever visited the Midland Curling Club, you would be hard pressed not to see one or all of the family there. Brian is world renowned for his ice making abilities and is a member of the Ontario Curling Association's Provincial Ice Team, traveling across Ontario making the best curling ice for curling competitions. But making ice is only a small part of this family's work and contributions at the Midland Curling Club. Every Sunday for the last 20 plus years, the Wilson's have run the Little Rock Curling program, introducing hundreds of children to the wonderful game of Curling.

The family's work does not stop there. Carol has been a long time member of the Midland Civitan Club. The Civitan's have been hosting the Annual Canada Day Parade and every year you'll see the family involved doing whatever is required to make the event a great success.

While the family has given of their time selflessly and devoted countless hours to the Midland Curling Club and the Midland Civitan Club, the family's true passion for the last 25 years has been the Special Olympics. Brian, newly appointed District Coordinator, Carol, Christine and Jennifer, truly are a blessing when it comes to the Special Olympics. The endless fundraising, training, coaching and travelling with athletes cannot be understated.

It is indeed a great pleasure to present the Award of Merit to Brian, Carol, Jennifer and Christine - the Wilson family. As a special note – this is the first time since the establishment of the Town's Award of Merit that a family has been recognized. Congratulations!

2017 Award of Merit Recipient – Julie Barker

Julie is someone whose passion and commitment to environmental sustainability, creativity and education expands beyond Midland's boundaries. As one of the founding members of the Midland Community Garden in Little Lake Park, Julie Barker can be seen gardening most days throughout the gardening season. An educator at heart, she has been able to capture the critical importance of urban gardening as part of our urban landscape. She is an ambassador for the town – sharing with visitors gardening tidbits, a beautiful photograph or offering a sample to eat.

Since its establishment, she has helped the community garden expand by reinforcing volunteer partnerships, supervising and providing opportunities for community involvement to many groups and organizations including high school students, CNCC, Chigamik, Community Living, Wendat, the Boys and Girls Club and others. Along with co-founding volunteer, Laura Jane Wilson, she has helped secure donations from multiple sources. She has linked the garden to initiatives such as Zuchinnimania and the Library Garden tour.

Her proudest moments are working with children and giving them the opportunity to learn where food comes from. Her commitment to growing food stems from 20 years of farming with her husband, Dr. Elliott Barker. During this time, she has provided arts and craft instruction to many different initiatives in North Simcoe and their farm was a destination for an annual geography trip for MSS students.

In the 1980's, she helped to establish local moms and tots groups in the region, as well as create a community support network for parenting during the early years. Together with Maureen Bissett, she reinforced the growing movement of Family Resource Centres in our region.

In the 1990's she served on the Board of the “Family Playhouse", now known as Midland's “Early Years Centre". For 25 years, she worked with her husband who produced the quarterly journal “Empathic Parenting".

Upon retiring from her teaching career in the late 1990's, she trained in Reading Recovery and volunteered in one-on-one literacy sessions in local schools. Julie is involved in green issues at every level of government, speaking up for the natural environment and sustainability.

It is indeed a great pleasure to present the Award of Merit to Julie Barker.

2017 Award of Merit Recipient – Kevin York

To say that Kevin York is an asset to our community falls short of describing all that he does for the people of our area. Kevin has been a long-time supporter and volunteer for Community Living Huronia and CLH Foundation, and has assisted with numerous events and fundraising campaigns for both organizations.

Kevin is eager and enthusiastic to help CLH in any way that he can, and he can be counted on to use his unique way of garnering support from community members. Kevin will happily hit the streets and collect prizes for the annual golf tournament, or most recently, as the Support and Include Ambassador tasked with collecting donations to send people supported by CLH to the annual fundraising event, 'A Red Carpet Evening' as a guest. Whatever task he is given he carries it out to the completion and surpasses the goals and expectations.

Anyone that knows Kevin can attest to the fact that his spirit and his heart are bigger than most. There are many people who volunteer for CLH and CLH Foundation, but the energy and commitment that Kevin brings to each and every project are unparalleled. When preparing the nomination for the Merit Award, several staff members of CLH were approached to determine how long Kevin has been volunteering for CLH and what he has helped with, and the resounding answer was “forever" and “for everything."

Other events where Kevin has provided his support is the Simcoe County Warden's 13^th Annual Golf Tournament, and the Salvation Army Kettle Bells.

Kevin fully embraces community spirit and selflessly gives every bit of himself to better our community. There is no-one more deserving of recognition for his dedication to Community Living Huronia and to our community.

It is indeed a great pleasure to present the Award of Merit to Kevin York.

2016 Recipients

2016 Award of Merit Recipient – Nancy Spiker

For 24 years as co-owner and president of "A Passion for Fashion' Nancy Spiker has demonstrated a commitment to the sometimes abstract concept of corporate social responsibility. Year after year Nancy has organized charity events that have raised tens of thousands of dollars for worthy causes in our community. Her annual spring fashion show has become a major fund raiser for a variety of foundations and community groups including: the GBGH, the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation, Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre, Regent Public School and the Community Living Huronia Foundation.

For the past six years her efforts have been focused on helping the Community Living Huronia Foundation. Her annual fashion show brings together CLH clients, volunteers and the community at large to raise needed funds as well as community awareness. It is a must attend fashion show, community event and a charity event rolled into one. It's also a lot of fun.

It is not always the foundations that capture Nancy's attention. Sometimes it is the other way around. In October Nancy partnered with the Huronia Community Foundation, to raise money for Team Evan. Evan is a young man in Penetanguishene born with autism, cerebral palsy and type 1 diabetes. Evan's care exceeded the limited supports available in the community and a GoFundMe campaign was started to raise money to buy a Medical Sniffer Dog. Nancy embraced the cause and directed the proceeds of her 25th-anniversary celebration toward the Team Evan fund.

Nancy is not alone in these efforts, no one could do all this without help - but it is Nancy's drive and passion that has brought together the volunteers, friends and co-workers that have achieved so much good on behalf of their community.

It is with great pleasure that we present Nancy Spiker with the 2016 Award of Merit.

2016 Award of Merit Recipient - Moreland Lynn

(Accepting on behalf on Moreland is his wife Leslie).

Moreland was the son of the late George Lynn (a veteran of WWI, first Park Warden of Beausoleil Island National Park, and an honourary First Nations Chief) and his wife Millicent of Penetanguishene. Moreland held a Commerce Degree, Teacher's Certificate and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Queen's University. He financed his early studies through his summer job at Grew Boats and by trading penny stocks. Later he published two business text books with McGraw-Hill Ryerson. After he returned to Midland, he was a teacher and became a well-recognized and respected figure in business and community service. For over a decade his distinctive voice was heard twice a week as a commentator on CKMP radio, as well as on cable television. He served as a Councillor, Reeve and later Mayor of Midland throughout the years 1967 to 1982. His businesses included the first A&W in Midland and Collingwood, Huronia Office Services, and Midland Printers.

Moreland Lynn was a man who made full use of his talents and never wasted a minute. Always available, his public accomplishments were broad and diverse with far-reaching effect. He sat on dozens of volunteer boards and committees supporting many different community interests. As Mayor, he was convinced that the growth of new business and infrastructure was essential to the area. He was keenly interested in local heritage, participating for over a decade as a ministerial advisor for Discovery Harbour and Ste. Marie Among-the-Hurons. Equally interested in the arts, he was a co-founder of the Stage Company from which the King's Wharf Theatre emerged and personally performed in several productions by Huronia Players. His strong bass voice enriched numerous choirs.

He shared his interests readily and conversed with great enthusiasm on almost any topic. Moreland loved conversation.

In 2001, Moreland was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the Province of Ontario, presiding in the Barrie Court for 10 years. This was the professional role he loved most. Here he was able to freely apply his great compassion, wisdom, and common sense.

It is with great pleasure that we present the late Moreland Lynn with the 2016 Award of Merit.

2016 Award of Merit Recipient - Bryan Peter

Bryan has dedicated his professional life to Parks & Recreation. In 1975, Bryan graduated from Fanshawe College with a Recreation's Leadership Diploma and was hired that same year as Director of Recreation for the Town of Wiarton. He spent the next 10 years with Wiarton and the Town of Seaforth before making the big move east to join the Town of Midland.

Bryan was the Director of Parks & Recreation for the Town of Midland for 30 years and during this time, his many accomplishments shaped the Town to what it is today, including;

+ Project Coordinator for the development of the North Simcoe Sports & Recreation Centre

+ Developed Staff/Council Committee for Communities in Bloom program

+ Participated in the development of the Boys & Girls Club, Huronia Gymnastic Club, Skateboard Park, and the Midland Soccer fields, to name a few.

Anything that had to do with Parks & Recreation in Midland over the last 30 years, Bryan had a hand in developing.

Bryan was always looking at ways to improve, not only himself, but on how Parks & Recreation was delivered. After 25 years on the job, studying many nights and weekends, Bryan was able to obtain his Bachelor of Recreation & Leisure from Brock University in 2000, which was an amazing accomplishment.

Bryan also volunteered his personal time to 20+ organizations, including the Midland Sports Hall of Fame, Askennonia Seniors Centre, Midland Silver Stick, Tall Ship and Airport Committee.

Recently, the Town of Midland, along with our partners, the Town of Penetanguishene, the Township of Tiny and the Township of Tay, welcomed approximately 1,300 visitors (both participants and non-participants) to our area August 9 to 11, 2016, for the 2016 Ontario 55+ Summer Games. Bryan's leadership as Games Manager was crucial in order for our area to successfully host an event of this magnitude. The Games were a huge success!

Bryan is a true leader in the Midland Community and we are honoured to present him with the 2016 Town of Midland Award of Merit.

2016 Award of Merit Recipient – Ross Heacock

(Accepting on behalf of Ross is his wife Becky)

Ross Heacock was born on December 5^th, 1942 in Collingwood Ontario and was raised in the village of Elmvale. After completing high school he attended Waterloo Lutheran for his undergrad and then onto Osgoode Hall for law degree. Ross came back to the area and settled in Midland where he joined an existing law practice. Ross practiced law in Midland for 48 years. His career evolved into a partnership to create a firm with Gord Teskey and Rod Ferguson for several decades; then a new partnership with Guy Ditomaso, and finally as a sole practitioner. During that time Ross acted as the Municipal Solicitor for the town for 20 years as well as other municipalities.

Ross was involved in various aspects of the community as he served on the executive Midland Chamber of Commerce for several terms, the Board of Directors at the Midland Golf and Country Club and was a Charter Member of the Board of Governors of the Midland Sports Hall of Fame.

Ross was known for his athletic pursuits beginning with minor hockey in Elmvale and then several years on the Waterloo Lutheran varsity team. He played recreational hockey and also played on the original Midland Oldtimers team that traveled to tournaments throughout eastern Canada and in Europe. He was a proud member of the Midland Oldtimers Saints hockey club playing tournament and league hockey along with fund raising exhibition games against NHL Alumni teams; the Leafs, the Canadians and the Flying Fathers for over two decades. Ross was also an avid skier having mastered the slopes in Collingwood and visiting most of the major skiing venues both locally and across Canada. In the summer, Ross pursued the perfection of golf at the Midland Golf and Country Club where he was a member for over 30 years. He was also noted for his tournament plays a various clubs in Ontario.

Ross was a raconteur of note as his finite recall of details or historical facts or stories of places, people and events were legion amongst his friends and aquaintanences. Ross was the consummate promoter and booster of Midland and the community definitely benefited by his presence here.

It is with great pleasure that we present the late Ross Heacock with the 2016 Award of Merit.

2016 Award of Merit Recipient - Moreland Lynn

2016 Award of Merit Recipient - Bryan Peter

2016 Award of Merit Recipient​ – Ross Heacock​

2016 Award of Merit Recipient – Ross Heacock