Community Leader Awards 2023

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HONOURING THOSE WHO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND EVERY DAY

Kamloops This Week is pleased to present the winners of the 2023 Community Leader Awards. These awards recognize people who demonstrate leadership behind the scenes, whose effect is felt as much as it is seen. Here are the categories in which we are recognizing selfless Kamloopsians this year.

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.

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.

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.

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

MENTOR: Makes a positive contribution by being a true leader. An influential counsellor, teacher or educator who 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.

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.

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

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 or taking great steps in setting an example for others to follow.

INDIGENOUS LEADER: This person is making a positive impact on Indigenous business and culture in Kamloops and area, helping spread awareness and growing relationships within Kamloops with Indigenous businesses and organizations.

PRESENTED BY

ELITE UNDER-40: This person is under the age of 40 and is recognized for going above and beyond in the community in a variety of fields and endeavours.

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 local businesses stepped forward to help KTW make this initiative a success.

Our sincere thanks go out to the sponsors of our award categories:

• Coach Award: No Limits Fitness

• Community Leader Award: Kamloops Mazda

• Volunteer Award: Supplement King

• Youth Volunteer Award: Brown’s Locksmith

• Mentor Award: Chris Chan Royal LePage Realty

• Courage Award: Thrive Clinical Counselling and Consulting

• Fresh Impact Award: Community Futures

• Environmental Leader Award: Sunny Green Environmental

• Elite Under-40 Award: Petland

• Indigenous Leader Award: Kruger Kamloops

Please consider supporting their businesses as they support our awards and our community at large.

In the next few pages, we hope you enjoy reading about these inspiring members of our community.

Aly Bradford’s reward for volunteerism was watching four athletes compete at the International Cheer Union World Championships in April in Orlando.

“To watch all of their hard work on the stage and watch them succeed at such a high calibre was worth more than any award and worth all of the late nights we were in the gym,” said Bradford, co-owner of Freeze Athletics in Kamloops. “Oftentimes, especially within cheerleading in Kamloops, our athletes don’t get the same opportunities that they do down on the Lower Mainland.”

Bradford received the Coach Award for

the role she played in helping Cian Watters, Eva Byczek, Madison Brien and Sean Mitchell crack the Canadian team that competed at the world championships.

The quartet was named to a 28-person team that was composed mainly of athletes from the Coast, in addition to the Kamloopsians, and the squad trained sporadically in the Lower Mainland.

Bradford jumped in to make sure the athletes had space and supervision at Freeze in Kamloops to practise and chase spots on the final roster, important training time to augment the sanctioned team sessions.

“Only 24 got to compete at world

championships,” Bradford said, noting the training sessions at Freeze began last summer. “We were just trying to do what we could to make sure they could be successful and do the best they could do. It’s hard when you’re that far away from everyone else on the team.”

Bradford had no idea she was nominated for the award.

“It’s always nice to be recognized, as well,” she said. “It’s really nice to see there are things in Kamloops where people are being recognized for their achievements. Experiences like that give it a small-town, community feel.”

On behalf of the No Limits Fitness community, cong r atulations to ALY BRADFORD on winning COACH OF THE YEAR in the Community Leader Awar ds

presented by

Aly Bradford

A 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.

Coach Award recipient Aly Bradford (centre) with Maria Maywood (left) and Alicia Grover of No Limits Fitness, the award sponsor.

Aprolific volunteer, Niki Remesz said she is someone who likes to work behind the scenes. And there’s plenty of work that she has done.

Remesz’s volunteering experience includes arts and sports organizations, such as Western Canada Theatre and the BC Games Society, and community groups like the Chris Rose Therapy Centre for Autism.

More recently, Remesz has been helping out with One Hundred Women Who Care. The group meets four times each year, with a nominated charity chosen randomly and each attending member contributing $100 to the donation pool.

Along with her local impact, Remesz is also working on the provincial stage. Last month,

she was named chair of the BC Games Society board and is looking forward to upcoming events, including the 2024 BC Winter Games in Lhtako territory/Quesnel and the 2024 BC Summer Games in Maple Ridge.

Remesz said she wants to work with the province and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport to ensure continued development of youth sports.

“Youth sports means healthy minds, healthy bodies and healthy communities,” she said.

Remesz said working at the provincial level will allow her to bring everything she learns back to Kamloops.

Asked what advice she has for prospective volunteers in Kamloops, Remesz suggested

finding an organization that speaks to you, whether it’s a love of music driving you to the Kamloops Symphony, an interest in theatre leading you to Western Canada Theatre or a connection with animals leading you to organizations like the BC SPCA or Angel’s Animal Rescue.

“Mostly, I think volunteering is a great way to feel good — feel good contributing, doing something outside of your four walls and learning something you wouldn’t otherwise,” she said.

Remesz said the reward for building a community continues as she runs into fellow past volunteers at future events.

“Every single one of them has a smile on their face and they’re so happy to greet you,” she said.

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.

by

presented

Niki Remesz

Community Builder Award recipient Niki Remesz (right) with Chris Pauls of Kamloops Mazda, the award sponsor.

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.

Where there’s wood, Terry Shupe does good.

The retired judge is well known in Kamloops and beyond for his talent in creating handmade wooden cars and other toys, which he has donated to myriad local and international causes.

Shupe not only creates the toys for kids, he often helps the young ones in crafting the, “I have a variety of models to choose from, so the kids who attend get to pick whichever [model] they want to work on,” Shupe told KTW last fall as he prepared to contribute to

a Repair Café event in the city. “Then they’ll attach the wheels and take home their car.”

At such events, Shupe provides each participant with a handcrafted wooden car, a cup of glue, a damp rag, dowelling and a toothpick. He explains the process of building toy cars.

“I’ve done woodworking for 20-plus years and, in the past, I donated to Christmas Amalgamated and in the past, I had this same exercise at Canada Day,” Shupe said. Shupe has also donated wooden cars to families in need, both locally and abroad.

A most recent volunteer effort was at a tea party organized by Kamloops Immigrant Services for recent arrivals from Ukraine and elsewhere. Shupe also completed some training workshops with Refugees and Friends Together, a volunteer-run refugee resettlement group in Kamloops.

In addition, Shupe has travelled to various parts of the world, helping with rebuilding after disasters — and bringing wooden toys for kids. And, in 2022, he travelled to Bosnia to help train judges as democracy was being formed in that country.

Terry shupe

Above: Volunteer Award recipient Terry Shupe was represented by son Phillip (left) and granddaughter Jasmine (second from left). Deidre Delgado (second from right) and Darren Maywood (far right) are from Supplement King, the award sponsor.

Left: Volunteer Award winner Terry Shupe.

a tea

Immigrant Ukraine some refugee various rebuilding toys Bosnia being

At just 18 years of age, Sourish Rajesh

Kanna has already become a prolific volunteer.

His volunteer experience includes work at Royal Inland Hospital, the Big Little Science Centre, the Kamloops Brain Injury Association and even a temple in India, where he helped serve meals and cared for animals, including taking on the duty of bathing an elephant.

With the goal of becoming a medical doctor, Kanna decided to volunteer at RIH.

“I just thought it’d be a great way to get exposure in the medical field because I’m planning to pursue medicine at UBC,” he said.

Kanna has been volunteering at the hospital since December 2022. He calls it a rewarding experience.

“I just like the vibe of volunteering. It gives this positive atmosphere, like to help others, and it’s just a nice feeling you’re getting back from helping your community and helping out others,” he said.

Christy Denton, one of several people who nominated Kanna for the award, praised the teen’s warm and compassionate demeanour, adding he “consistently goes above and beyond” his duties, always seeking ways to assist patients and staff alike.

His work at the Big Little Science Centre has been mostly with school-aged kids, with whom Kanna said he loves to be around and help out.

His first volunteer experience, however, was in India, at a temple he and his family visit annually in Chennai, in India’s southernmost state of Tamil Nadu.

There, he cared for animals, including the temple elephant, as well as goats and cows.

Following his high school graduation this year, Kanna plans to pursue a bachelor of science degree at Thompson Rivers University before heading to the University of British Columbia for medical school.

When he is not volunteering or tutoring others, Kanna enjoys cycling, hiking and music, including playing the flute and piccolo.

When asked what advice he would offer to prospective volunteers, Kanna recommends seeking a number of different opportunities, especially those relevant to your interests.

“Make sure where you’re volunteering is something that you are going to enjoy and don’t just focus on one opportunity,” he said.

Youth Volunteer Award recipient Sourish Rajesh Kanna.

Haywood-Farmer

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.

Christa Haywood-Farmer said she was “super” surprised to learn she had won the 2023 KTW Community Leader Awards Mentor Award and that people consider her someone they can learn from.

Haywood-Farmer’s job as manager of community and vocational Integration with the Canadian Mental Health Association is all about mentorship, supporting many different staff members in a coaching role. That extends to her clients, who have mental-health issues, as Haywood-Farmer demonstrates to them behaviours, social skills and boundaries.

“I’m honoured that people respect the work that I do and they value what I do and they take some of the pieces I do and make it their own to help support clients,” HaywoodFarmer said.

Originally from Alberta, Haywood-Farmer has called Kamloops home for 26 years and has worked in her field for more than 20

years. She has worked many roles with the CMHA, involving training and teaching.

Haywood-Farmer has taught mental health first -aid in Kamloops since 2009, assisted in the development and implementation of psychosocial rehabilitation programming, creates new learning opportunities for the community and holds a seat on the community advisory board at the Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre.

“I taught all sorts of people — meaning service providers, families, volunteers, RCMP, paramedics, firefighters — on how to respond to individuals who have mental illness,” Haywood-Farmer said. Within the CMHA, she started a program targeting mental-health needs within the workplace, teaching how to support people with those needs.

“I have taught and presented to different groups in the community,” Haywood-Farmer said, noting talks with the BC Lottery

Christa Haywood-Farmer

Corporation and at Thompson Rivers University.

She also provides suicide awareness training through a collaboration with the Kamloops Blazers and has given many presentations on mental health at Kamloops high schools.

Award nominator Karina Laitres had this to say about Haywood-Farmer:

“Christa Haywood-Farmer is a true leader. Approaching every day with positivity and energy, she ensures everyone around her is encouraged and appreciated at all times. As the manager of community and vocational integration at the Canadian Mental Health Association, Haywood-Farmer always puts 110 per cent of herself into advocating for the absolute best for community members, vulnerable populations, youth and each and every employee and volunteer at the CMHA. She offers unconditional support to all of those within the CMHA. She embodies the definition of a true and inspirational leader.”

presented by

Christa

CLA Mentor Award recipient Christa Haywood-Farmer (right) with award sponsor Chris Chan of Chris Chan Royal LePage Realty.

On June 19, 2016, a then-18-year-old Jessie was beaten nearly to death by Kristopher Teichrieb, a Brocklehurst resident, after Jessie got lost after attending a grad party and wandered onto Teichrieb’s property.

As a result of this attack, Jessie was in a coma for 10 months. He suffered a catastrophic brain injury and will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

When he was told he and mom Sue were the recipients of this year’s Courage Award, Jessie, now 25, was excited.

“Oh, that’s so phenomenal,” he said from his home in Savona. “I am smiling. This is happiness.”

It was the first weekend of June and Jessie had just arrived home by taxicab, due to the fact Sue’s specially equipped van has broken down. The cost to get Jessie from The Hamlets care home in Westsyde to the family home in Savona, about an hour away, on weekends is $150 each way.

Sue said an accessible van is about more than transportation.

“The van is a way for me to sleep,” she

said. “When Jessie’s in the hospital, it’s like home. I go down there and I rest and I sleep when he’s having surgeries. He’s having another dental surgery coming up. We’re at 14 surgeries. I think this will be 15. In the beginning. It was just, like, surgery after surgery or infection and pneumonia and back on life support. And Jessie is a fighter. I don’t know how he’s here right now.”

In 2018, Teichrieb was sentenced to seven years on his conviction of aggravated assault. In 2021, he left prison for a halfway house on statutory release.

To date, an ongoing online fundraiser at gofundme.com (search “quality of life after tragedy”) has helped raise money for the family, but the need is ongoing as costs are constant. Money raised has gone to purchasing the nowout-of-commission van and retrofitting the Savona home for Jessie’s weekend returns.

While a recent court decision awarded Teichrieb’s home to Sue, the house is heavily mortgaged and in need of serious renovations, so the net benefit will not be enough to make a significant dent in their financial needs. Although a court in 2021

ordered Teichrieb to pay the Simpsons $7 million, the family has yet to receive a penny.

Sue said she is working on a book about her experience and is trying to figure out a way to publish it. She has also re-entered the workforce, securing a part-time job at a diner in Cache Creek to help pay the bills.

An auction to raise money to help transport Jessie from The Hamlets to his Savona home over the summer will be held on July 14 and Sue is still looking for donations to help the cause, such as hotel stays, restaurant gift cards and gift baskets.

“Any help is greatly appreciated and to those who have donated, thank you so much,” Sue said. “This auction will help with costs to bring Jessie home.”

In addition to the auction, those wishing to help the Simpsons can drop off bottles at the Southgate Camosun Crescent and North Kamloops Fortune Drive locations of Generals Grants, under the Jessie Simpson account. For detailed information on the auction, call 778-257-5715. Donations can be also be made by mail to Jessie Simpson, PO Box 233, Savona, B.C., V0K 2J0.

Jesse Simpson

Above: Sue Peterson (left) and Katherine Gulley of Thrive Clinical Counselling and Consulting, sponsor of the Courage Award.

Right: Jessie and Sue Simpson are recipients of the Courage Award.

FRESH IMPACT

Donald Taylor

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

For the past five years, Donald Taylor has been helping worthwhile causes by dressing up as Santa Claus and taking on the persona of the jolly old man. Taylor trims up his white beard and dons his tailored red Santa suit as local children sit and chat with their favourite seasonal character.

presented by

During each Christmas season, Taylor sets up his elaborately decorated village, where kids can meet Santa Claus. Photos with Santa are by donation, with proceeds going to Social Butterflies Activities and Learning, the school his son, who is on the autism spectrum, attends. This allowed Social

Butterflies to purchase iPads for its students. Taylor said it all began when at the age of 42, when he was living in Maple Ridge and was president of his son’s school’s parent advisory council.

Taylor decided to grow his beard out and it came in pure white, so he was recruited to be the Santa for the school’s Christmas fair. The beard — and his Santa persona — stuck and, after moving his family to Kamloops, Taylor continued to set up a Christmas village in his front yard and welcome children as Saint Nick.

Taylor keeps active during the rest of the

year by sharing his love for singing. This past year, he organized a karaoke contest called Kamloops Pub Star.

“It was kind of a community building type thing and trying to get some hype up for karaoke because it’s a dying art,” Taylor said. Contestants performed in the preliminaries at six pubs throughout the city.

“We had the finale over at Pogue Mahone and it was packed,” he said. “We had celebrity judges. It was wonderful.”

To find out more about Taylor’s charitable endeavours, go to Facebook and search “Kamloops Santa Claus North Pole Village.”

MKamloops, many, as cycling a vehicle “I’m people said. “Anything of this, She with environmental welcomed

Fresh Impact Award recipient Donald Taylor (left) with Blair Gray of Community Futures, sponsor of the award.

Marg Archibald is a superb example of an environmental leader.

During her decades in Kamloops, she has been an inspiration to many, as she can always be seen walking and cycling wherever she goes. She has not owned a vehicle since 2015.

“I’m painfully aware of the legions of people that really deserve this,” Archibald said. “Anything to highlight the importance of this, I’m in.”

She volunteers for many groups involved with environmental issues and has often welcomed people into her beautiful backyard

for concerts and fundraisers to support those groups.

During her time as manager of the Sahali Mall, Archibald arranged for the Kamloops Regional Farmers’ Market to continue in the mall through the winter months.

At the age of 50, Archibald wrote a book, Cycling Into Your Soul, detailing her experiences travelling and cycling in Russia, Czechia (Czech Republic), Corsica, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, New Zealand and Thailand.

Closer to home, Archibald has continually supported Bike to Work Week (now known as GoByBike Week).

Now in her 70s, Archibald can be found on Saturday mornings downtown at the farmers’ market on St. Paul Street, ensuring each passerby is aware of the bicycle valet service now available in the city.

Archibald is an inspiration to those who advocate for active transportation.

She constantly demonstrates actions everyone can take to help reduce their carbon footprint.

“I’ve got grandchildren,” Archibald said. “We have to be thinking in these terms. I gave up my car in 2015. That’s a big, big piece of it.”

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 year-round, reusing and reducing, and taking great steps in setting an example for others to follow.

Marg Archibald

Above: Tyler Christiansen of Sunny Green Environmental, sponsor of the Environmental Leader Award.

Right: Environmental Leader Award recipient Marg Archibald.

INDIGENOUS LEADER

This person is making a positive impact on indigenous business and culture in Kamloops and area. Helping spread awareness and growing relationships within Kamloops with indigenous businesses and organizations.

presented by

Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc member

Jordann Hazelwood is an employment and training coordinator for the Stk’emlupsemc te Secwépemc Nation (representing the Tk’emlúps and Skeetchestn First Nations).

She was honoured for breaking down barriers and advancing Indigenous people in the mining and oil and gas sector,

“My passion, first of all, is to create space for our people, being progressive and

advancing roles in industry,” Hazelwood said. “Ultimately, that really does play a role in having our Indigenous people access employability, but also it trickles down to building healthy communities.”

Hazelwood, who recently moderated a panel on Indigenous women leading the way in the workforce at the Forward Summit in Calgary, said she was shocked and honoured to learn she would be recognized.

“It’s certainly a privilege to be able to

do the work I do and serve my Indigenous community and Kamloops as a whole,” Hazelwood said.

“It’s always nice to be able to connect with others who are passionate about going out of their way to make a positive impact.”

As nominator Joy King said of Hazelwood: “She is an amazing example of what hard work and dedication can do in our community, helping other Indigenous people find employment throughout our community.”

Jordann DeFrias (Hazelwo o d)

as this years re c ipient of the Indigenous Leader Award.

ruger is honoure d to re co gnize

Jordann Hazelwood

Indigenous Leader Award recipient Jordann Hazelwood (right) with Thomas Hoffman of Kruger Kamloops, the award sponsor.

Celebrate kindness in Kindloops with us

We’re asking for your submissions to highlight our community’s random acts of kindness. To participate, tell us the name of a local individual and something kind they did for someone else in Kamloops. We will publish your positive stories in the July 19 edition of Kamloops This Week.

Those who enter will be placed into a draw to win a $100 GIFT CARD TO A LOCAL KAMLOOPS BUSINESS

This person under 40 is recognized for going above and beyond in our community who in a variety of fields and endeavours.

The secret sauce for success is never hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock, according to Sam Thacker.

“That’s the first choice you make every morning,” Thacker said. “Are you going to hit the snooze button and be lazy and go back to sleep or are you going to get up and go out and give 110 per cent every day.?

Winner of the 2023 KTW Community Leader Awards Elite Under-40 Award, Thacker, 21, has dedicated himself to Kamloops and advanced in his career faster than any other member of the Clarke Automotive Group. After just two years in sales, Thacker was promoted to the position of new car sales manager at the highestperforming dealership in Kamloops — Dearborn Ford.

Thacker’s commitment to the community involves sponsoring athletes and attending and supporting multiple fundraising initiatives in town.

In fact, when he learned he was the recipient of the award, Thacker was attending a fundraiser for the Kamloops Hospice Association.

“It was an honour to receive that news,” he said.

Thacker said he views life as getting out of it what you put into it and sees the auto dealership business as being more about hospitality and going the extra mile for customers.

“I don’t view this dealership as just selling cars,” Thacker said.

Born and raised in Kamloops, Thacker completed a year of study in the business program at Thompson Rivers University before finding himself at a crossroads — whether to continue studying or enter the workforce.

That brought him to the automotive industry and Dearborn Ford in Valleyview.

Thacker recalled sitting for the interview as

an 18-year-old kid with not much knowledge of the automotive industry, but noted those at Dearborn “saw something” in him.

In his first month on the job, Thacker was salesperson of the month. Eighteen months later, he was named a customer service leader and salesperson of the year.

Thacker said he is always trying to better himself and figure out the next step once he has given something his all. That led to him taking on the floor manager position and, a few months later, a promotion to new car sales manager. Thacker is now the youngest person to ever serve in the sales manager position for the Clarke Automotive Group, a job he has held the past eight months.

Always looking to the horizon, Thacker’s next goal is to secure a general manager position.

Having ascended to a leadership role quickly, Thacker provides his passion and experience to his whole team at Dearborn.

presented

Sam Thacker

Elite Under-40 Award recipient Sam Thacker.

Proud sponsor of the 2023 KTW Community Leader Awards. Congratulations to all the winners & nominees!

When we celebrate community leaders, we do more than acknowledge their individual accomplishments. We celebrate the very fabric that binds us together—a spirit of unity, resilience, and compassion. By shining a spotlight on these extraordinary individuals, we remind ourselves of the strength that lies within our community, the strength to overcome challenges, and the strength to build a brighter future for all. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners and thank you for all you do for our community.

Justin Grover, General Manager Dearborn