community Leader Awards 2021

K

amloops This Week is pleased to present the winners of the third annual Community Leader Awards. These awards recognize people who demonstrate leadership behind the scenes, whose effect is felt as much as it is seen, to give them a chance to shine. Here are the categories we’re recognizing some very worth Kamloopsians in this year:

MENTOR: Makes a positive contribution by being a true leader. An influential counselor, teacher or educator that provides support or sponsorship. Demonstrates a high level of ethics and professional standards, is an inspirational motivator, excellent communicator, good listener and a reliable resource to the community.

COACH: Makes a positive contribution to their sport. Is exemplary in developing skills and confidence in participants. A role model who inspires and encourages high athletic achievement.

COURAGE: This person has risen above adversity or formidable challenges to become a success. As a result, they have had a positive effect on the people around them.

COMMUNITY BUILDER: Someone who has taken the initiative to engage a variety of local residents in an innovative or new community project or event.

The initiative may assist different groups to work together, address a gap in community participation, or result in a more inclusive, engaged community.

FRESH IMPACT: This person has been in Kamloops less than 3 years but is already making an impact in the community in a leadership position in business, volunteer work or other community involvement.

VOLUNTEER: This individual makes a positive contribution to the community by volunteering their time to a variety of causes. They are dedicated to making a difference in several initiatives.

ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER: Everyone is talking about the carbon footprint, but this award celebrates a person who is walking their talk, whether it be riding their bike to work yearround, reusing and reducing, and taking great steps in setting an example for others to follow.

YOUTH VOLUNTEER: A youth that is 19 or under that makes a positive contribution in the community through volunteering. Someone who has committed to making a difference to an organization or individual.

As a community newspaper, we’re all about telling stories, and that’s one of the criteria we kept in mind when selecting our winners — inspiring people with inspiring stories. It’s a pleasure and a

privilege to be able to tell these stories in these pages and we’re confident you’ll find them as inspiring as we did. When you’re finished, we think you’ll feel even better about the community you call home.

In our business, great ideas like this don’t come to life without the support of community-minded advertisers. We’re so pleased that seven local businesses stepped forward right away to say “yes” to this initiative to make it happen. Our sincere thanks go out to the sponsors of our award categories: • Petland, sponsor of the Community Builder Award; • Runners Sole, sponsor of the Volunteer Award; • Chris Chan, Realtor, sponsor of the Mentor Award; • Johnson Walsh Plumbing and Heating, sponsor of the Courage Award; • BC Wildlife Park, sponsor of the Youth Volunteer Award; • Absorbent Products, sponsor of the Environmental Leader Award; • Venture Kamloops, sponsor of the Fresh Impact Award.

Please consider supporting their businesses as they support our awards and our community at large – it’s more important than ever now.

Enjoy reading all about these inspiring members of our community.

— TIM SHOULTS Operations Manager, Kamloops This Week

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WEDNESDAY, June 23, 2021

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COACH

— BRAD YAMAOKA —

I

n the spring of 2020, parents wanted to get their kids in gear and get their butts off of the couch amid the pandemic.

Brad Yamaoka was there to crack the whip.

The former CFLer and 2020 Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame inductee is being honoured in the Coach category in KTW’s 2021 Community Leader Awards, nominated for volunteering his time in an endeavour that morphed into the Kamloops Elite Football Academy.

“It’s just something I wanted to do to keep the kids busy and

my kid was involved, so it was a little easier for me to deal with that,” Yamaoka said.

Organized sports in B.C. were shut down in Match 2020 due to the pandemic.

Yamaoka started putting three high school-aged football players through the paces, rudimentary non-contact work that adhered to COVID-19 protocols.

“It was basically just running,” Yamaoka said with a laugh.

That appealed to other parents.

Restrictions eased heading into the summer of 2020, allowing

Yamaoka to register his growing group as a private academy. The gridiron gang grew to about 25 players and competed in two exhibition games last fall against teams from Vernon.

“It was good for them to get out,” Yamaoka said. “It was almost a social gathering for them. At the beginning, we had to be careful with all the COVID protocols, but we were able to get them some gym time and into the weight room and onto the field.”

Yamaoka was praised in his nomination form.

“His encouragement of young female players has led to at least one young lady playing tackle football longer than she otherwise would have due to her high levels of trust and respect for him,” the nomination sheet reads. “Many young people would have lost interest in the sport without his commitment.”

The Kamloops Elite Football Academy operated this past spring, from March until June.

“I never expected it [an award], obviously, but it’s always nice to get recognized for something you do,” Yamaoka said.

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COMMUNITY BUILDER

orah DeWalt-Gagnon has been named the winner in the Community Builder category of KTW’s 2021 Community Leader Awards.

For the past 10 years, DeWaltGagnon has worked at New Gold’s New Afton mine, currently serving as the mine’s First Nations co-ordinator. She attended Thompson Rivers University and earned an undergraduate degree in business administration.

Initially, the plan was to attend law school, but following a summer student opportunity with New Gold, DeWaltGagnon decided to stick around.

“I never knew I wanted to work in mining,” she said. “I didn’t really know much about it at the time.

But after having an opportunity to work there for the summer, I really enjoyed the culture, the people and the fast-paced environment.”

As the First Nations co-ordinator, DeWalt-Gagnon helps Indigenous candidates find employment at the mine.

She also provides cultural awareness training at mine sites “just to provide education and awareness … about what it means to be Indigenous,” she said.

DeWalt-Gagnon is Secwépemc and was born and raised in Kamloops. Her community contributions go back further from her decade at the mine, too.

In 2007, she was named a princess under the Kamloops Ambassadors program, which provides train-

— KORAH DEWALT-GAGNON —

ing and guidance to young women in the community. After receiving mentorship herself, she has since returned to that program as a mentor, addressing new ambassadors about being a female leader and what it has meant for her career journey.

These days, her work in community building is looking forward — by nearly a decade. The Beyond New Afton project considers what will happen to the mine, its workers and the community after it closes.

“Our hopes are that we won’t have to use this plan and, through exploration, we’ll be able to extend the mine life, but we want a plan we can use at any point in the future, if required,” she said.

The plan follows the closure experience at New Gold’s Cerro San Pedro mine in Mexico. DeWaltGagnon embraced the opportunity to learn from that experience and began surveying New Afton employees and community members for their thoughts. To date, more than 65 per cent of New Afton employees have filled out the survey.

As a mother of three, DeWaltGagnon said she feels lucky to be able to work where she does, in her home territory.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity that I have to do work that I’m passionate about, all while being able to support my family and live in my traditional territory at Tk’emlúps,” she said.

CONGRATULATIONS! KORA DE WALT-GAGNON has been awarded the

COMMUNITY BUILDER AWARD for 2021

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WEDNESDAY, June 23, 2021

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VOLUNTEER

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eing nominated — and winning — in the volunteer category in KTW’s 2021 Community Leader Award caught Nikki Lussier unawares.

“I was just completely surprised, I was totally caught off guard,” Lussier said. “I”m just really humbled that this nomination came from some people that I volunteer closely with. I’m just really grateful and kind of humbled — and a little bit overwhelmed.”

Lussier, of Four Paws Food Bank, said she feels especially lucky that she has excellent volunteer folks around her, along with strong support from within the community and local businesses.

Four Paws Food Bank is operated 100 per cent by volunteers and is completely dependent on donations from the community.

The pet food bank fills an important need; at times, it arranges emergency veterinary care and provide medications.

Four Paws also picks up and drops off animals when needed.

Lussier said during to the pandemic, volunteers had to move their operation from the parking lot of The Mustard Seed Kamloops due to physical distancing challenges.

Four Paws Food Bank now operates out of the parking lot of the Holy Trinity church, at 109

— NIKKI LUSSIER —

Tranquille Rd. in North Kamloops.

There, volunteers serve clients — including support workers on behalf of Interior Health, ASK Wellness Society clients and a wide range of people in the community who need help feeding their pets, for both short-term and long-term stints.

“Cats and dogs are definitely the most common, but we also have stuff covered for all the little critters, too,” Lussier said. “We’ve got birds, rabbits, fish, lizards. You name it, we have it.”

Lussier has also created a program that supplies small emergency kits of basic pet needs for people accessing the Y Women’s Emergency Shelter.

She manages Four Paws’ social media accounts, with Facebook being the primary connection point for clients sourcing food or for people looking for volunteer opportunities.

Lussier is responsible for all communications with clients, case workers, community partners and the general public.

Her compassion, dedication, support and advocacy for animals and their owners is being recognized as an invaluable contribution and example to the community.

Lussier started with Kamloops Four Paws Food Bank in 2018.

“I thought it was an excellent fit for how I wanted to volunteer in the community,” she said, noting she

got involved on the fostering side of the food bank, with the shelters, and eventually joined the board.

Lussier’s advice for others looking to get involved with a not forprofit organization: “Be super clear on your mandate and not going too far out of it. There’s often a lot of temptation to want to help everybody and you simply cannot do that. Get good at one thing before expanding and make sure you have

the resources to do that. Surround yourself with great people who are committed to the same cause.”

Looking forward to post-pandemic times, Lussier said she wants to be able to meet everyone again, noting working separately due to COVID-19 hasn’t allowed volunteers to gather as a group.

To learn more about Four Paws Food Bank, or to volunteer, visit its Facebook page.

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Congratulations to NIKKI LUSSIER

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who was chosen Kamloops Volunteer of the Year in the Community Leader Awards.

The award is sponsored by Runners Sole, who value volunteers in their community.

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YOUTH VOLUNTEER

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— AMANDA McGILLIVRAY —

manda McGillivray had no idea she had been nominated — and no idea how much she would love volunteer work.

The former Sahali secondary student has been been honoured in the Youth Volunteer category of KTW’s 2021 KTW Community Leader Awards. The Youth Volunteer Award is given to a person 19 years of age or or under who makes a positive contribution in the community through volunteering.

For Amanda, that commitment began when she was just nine years old and volunteering with the Tod Mountain 4-H Club. She has spent the past 10 years involved in 4-H events such as bottle drives and public speaking competitions and in judging and livestock cattle projects.

“It’s really helpful in connecting kids from farming and ranching backgrounds,” said Amanda, whose family owns the 100-plusyear old McGillivray Land and Livestock just south of Kamloops.

In her spare time, Amanda has also volunteered at A.E. Perry elementary, painting murals with inspirational quotes at the school’s entrance.

“I usually go in at the beginning of the school year and maybe once in the fall and before Christmas break and change them up seasonally,” Amanda said.

For the past few years, she has been

a volunteer at Royal Inland Hospital’s afternoon auxiliary program, helping to make patients’ stays more comfortable. As a member of that program, Amanda would visit with patients and take orders for the gift shop.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that program was halted in March of 2020.

“That was sad because I really liked going,” Amanda said, noting she was surprised at how much she appreciated that work.

“I really enjoyed going around and talking to patients and hear-

We Appreciate Our Volunteers

ing their stories and hanging out with them,” Amanda said.

She said she got involved at the hospital because she wanted to expand her volunteer work to more traditional areas and branch out beyond her own interests via 4-H. She said volunteering is something she enjoys doing because it’s a productive way to spend time and stay connected to the community, while meeting new people and giving back.

The soon-to-be 19-year-old is attending the University of Victoria this fall and hopes to get

involved doing volunteer work with the school’s students’ union.

Amanda said her advice for other youth looking to get involved in volunteer work is to just dive in and see how it goes.

“The biggest barrier that I went through in getting started with volunteering is I was really nervous and apprehensive about starting something new,” she said. “But I think just starting it and seeing what happens is a good mentality to go about it because I surprised myself in how much I enjoyed it and how much it added to my life.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO

AMANDA MCGILLIVRAY

WHO WAS CHOSEN KAMLOOPS YOUTH VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR IN THE COMMUNITY LEADER AWARDS.

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WEDNESDAY, June 23, 2021

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MENTOR

— KRISTA FARADAY —

“I

’m incredibly grateful and honoured,” said Krista Faraday, owner of Academy of Dance.

Faraday is the winner of the Mentor category of KTW’s 2021 Community Leaders Award.

“I’m totally surprised,” Faraday said. “It’s always been my goal to be a mentor to youth in Kamloops and to my students.”

Faraday works with students ages two to 18.

She grew up dancing and knew she wanted to be a teacher. At the studio where she was teaching, the owner decided to sell the business.

Faraday purchased and re-branded it and started her own dance school.

Now, 19 years later, Faraday operates out of three locations — teaching most forms of dance, including ballet, tap, jazz and lyrical, while also offering specialized kids’ programs.

She has also become more connected in the community of Kamloops.

Faraday sees most dancers start when they are two years old and they continue with her until they graduate from high school.

“We watch them fully grow up and go through all their ups and downs,” she said. “It is really something special.

It’s something I didn’t really realize it was part of it when I first became a dance teacher and a studio owner.

“We’re so much more important

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than them coming in, dancing and then going home,” Faraday said.

“There’s a lot more that happens.”

Seeing kids make life-long friendships, building connections and supporting families through hard times are what Faraday sees as her role within the dance community.

Looking beyond recent pandemic restrictions, Faraday is hopeful traditional performances in front of live audiences will soon return.

“We kept them [performances] going during the pandemic as best we could,” she said. “We did lots of stuff virtually and changed the format so that they still felt they were getting that opportunity. It just looked different.”

Referring to a return to live performances Faraday quipped: “You’re gonna see tonnes of dances all shaped around the pandemic.”

Faraday’s advice for anyone opening a business?

“It’s important to believe that you are worth it. Your way is the right way.

Just believe in yourself and do it.”

As well, she added: “You don’t have to do it all. Decide what you’re good at.

Something like bookkeeping, if that’s not your strength, hire a bookkeeper. You can sleep well at night.”

As she reviewed the past year, Faraday attributes her business success to her staff and a group of supportive parents.

Thank you for all your time and hard work you truly are an inspiration!

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COURAGE

— NEIL RACHYNSKI —

N

eil Rachynski says he doesn’t feel brave or courageous, but how he dealt with his cancer diagnosis says otherwise.

In the spring of 2018, Rachynski left Kamloops with wife Julie, who was called to Toronto for a work opportunity.

The couple’s two adolescent children stayed behind and Rachynski, a former employee of Kamloops This Week, planned on beginning work in the fall.

But around that time, he began experiencing flu-like symptoms that lasted for weeks. After visiting walkin clinics and receiving treatment, but not getting better, Rachynski knew something was wrong.

“I was run down. No energy.

I’d walk down the hall and get fatigued or sometimes dizzy. And it would progress,” he said.

His wife took him to the emergency room, where Rachynski repeatedly passed out. Doctors investigated with blood work and X-rays.

Rachynski remembers the moment well. A doctor met him in an examination room and told him he had pneumonia.

“And I remember thinking, ‘OK, the pneumonia was the good news,’” he said.

Rachynski had leukemia, a cancer that starts in the blood stem cells.

Treatment started quickly and it turns out his Toronto locale was

pretty ideal. The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre was nearby. But the diagnosis was a big interruption.

“Everything stops,” he said.

The couple flew their two children out to Toronto to break the news. It was tough news to reveal to family, especially with other effects Rachynski was feeling, such as issues with his vocal chords — meaning his wife was often the one making those calls.

Blood transfusions and chemotherapy followed and visitors during an intense six-week period of treatment in hospital had to don masks, gloves and gowns.

“I’m a pretty independent person and I found myself very dependent on other people for support,” Rachynski said. “Not just nurses, doctors and lab people, but your family and your friends.”

He said messages of support from friends and family helped him through the process. But his own attitude also played a big role.

“I remember thinking, there’s all these things I can’t control, but the thing I can control is how I feel about it. I can control my attitude and get on board with the program, make the best of it and try to be positive and decide what my attitude is going to be every day,” he said.

Facing cancer was not an easy task for Rachynski and his family. His

wife lost her mother to cancer just a few years earlier. He has also lost a best friend to cancer and the couple’s children lost a friend to leukemia.

“So, it was a hard belief for us that this was going to be a happy ending. We hadn’t seen very many happy endings from people in our world,” he said.

But the ending to his story is a positive one. The experience changed his outlook on life and,

now, he’s always striving to be better.

Rachynski’s leukemia went into remission in 2019 and he returned to live in Kamloops a short while later.

He now works for the Thompson Region of Division of Family Practice, which represents family doctors, nurse practitioners and midwives — a job he calls “a real fit.”

“I’m very lucky. I’m outrageously lucky,” he said. “I’m aware of that every day.”

COURAGE AWARD

Congratulations to NEIL RACHYNSKI

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FRESH IMPACT AWARD

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— NIC ZDUNICH —

S

mall-town Saskatchewan native Nic Zdunich came to Kamloops on a whim to be near his sister.

From there came myriad opportunities. He ended up studying abroad in Milan, Italy, through Thompson Rivers University and obtained his bachelor of arts degree, majoring in communications.

The 32-year-old said he wanted to stay in Kamloops due to the semi-arid desert climate. He is currently working as a community builder for the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce.

“Kamloops is just this place that is so full of potential,” he said.

Zdunich is being recognized among this year’s community leaders in the category of Fresh Impact, due to his recent arrival in the city.

Zdunich said he is honoured to be recognized. His role of community builder entails strategic communications and such professionals usually work in the background, he said — not often the ones in the spotlight.

“I’m very touched,” he said.

Zdunich said he works on a small, but mighty team at the chamber, which is tak-

ing a long-term view of the community in planning what Kamloops will look like in 2050.

He said he works at the intersection of business and community, meeting with members, planning projects and working to raise the profile of the city.

One such project currently underway is a parklet, essentially a small green space that will be piloted in parking spaces outside the chamber office, downtown at 615 Victoria St. It is just one innovative project in which Zdunich is involved.

His partner works with the Kamloops Food Policy Council and Zdunich said he also has an interest in the issue of food security, stemming from his Prairie roots.

Zdunich hails from Kenaston, a farming town of only a few hundred people just south of Saskatoon. It is known not only for its farming, but also for having what is dubbed to be the world’s largest non-melting snowman.

Zdunich has travelled a lot since living in Saskatchewan, through studying abroad and otherwise, and plans to continue building community for the foreseeable future in Kamloops.

COMMUNITY LEADER AWARD

CONGRATULATIONS, NIC ZDUNICH Kamloops Chamber of Commerce Community Builder, Nic Zdunich has just been awarded The Community Leader Award for his impact and leadership in business, volunteer work and community involvement.

LEADING THE WAY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER — DAN GROESS —

post-Halloween walk home down a candy wrapperladen street in Brocklehurst five years ago got Dan Groess thinking about the environment.

The owner of A Groess Underground, an underground location and drain-cleaning business, had just dropped his daughter off at school and decided then and there to make environmentally friendly choices.

Groess has been named KTW’s 2021 Community Leader Award winner, which honours an environmental leader who endeavours to reduce their carbon footprint by taking great steps in setting an example for others.

Following that fateful walk five years ago, Groess started an annual community cleanup — with exceptions, due to COVID-19.

The event is held on Earth Day in April, with Groess and a team of volunteers picking up trash in the Brocklehurst area. He hopes to now expand the annual cleanup city-wide.

“I’m just one guy, but I’m able to cleanup all of Brock in one day with the help of my community members and friends,” Groess said, noting he is looking forward to getting everyone together again for future community cleanups as pandemic restrictions ease.

Groess has also demonstrated envi-

ronmental consciousness in a number of distinct ways through his business.

He has replaced toxic drain-cleaning chemicals with a high-pressure hot water flush to remove grease and debris, which is more than just better for the environment.

“If I can replace those draincleaning chemicals, which don’t do that great of a job in the first place, if I can replace that with water, one house at a time, I’ll be making a difference,” Groess said.

Groess has a solar panel fastened to his truck, meaning he can run his equipment off solar energy. He has

also made the switch from diesel to kerosene in his pressure washer.

“It’s a little bit more expensive, but it’s definitely a better, cleaner burn and I don’t have to use as much,” he said.

To celebrate his five years in business last month, Groess is now part of the City of Kamloops’ Adopt a Road program, taking on Windbreak Street and Tranquille Road from Windbreak to Kamloops Airport with a minimum of three cleanups per year.

Groess said he had time to think on that walk home five years ago, deciding he could be doing more to help

out with the environment and wanting to serve as an example for his daughter and the community at large.

“We’ve been talking about litter for years and it doesn’t seem like anything is changing, so be the change you want to see,” Groess said.

Groess said he was ecstatic, humbled and honoured when he learned he had won the environmentalist award in KTW’s 2021 Community Leader Award.

“The environment has always been a big part of my life and anything I can do to protect it is our mission statement,” he said.

CONGRATULATIONS TO DAN GROESS

WHO WAS CHOSEN ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER OF THE YEAR IN THE COMMUNITY LEADER AWARDS.

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