"And the Award Goes To…"
Lady of the Year (Beta Sigma Phi)
Over the years, Kitimat's outstanding citizens have been recognized with awards. The Kitimat Kiwanis Club sponsored Citizen of the Year with Mrs. Ada Hayes receiving the first award in 1965. The Club chose those Kitimat citizens who had given a lot of their time, energy, and effort to make the community a better place to live.
Beta Sigma Phi began Lady of the Year and honoured Leslie Creed in 1972. The women's sorority recognized many Kitimat women for their outstanding contributions to Kitimat in education, government, health care, and community service. The Lady of the Year was honoured at a gala event held by the sorority and was presented with an engraved silver tray. Leslie Creed created a loving, caring, and supportive home environment for her husband, District Fire Chief Aubrey Creed, and their children, and worked with the same values in the community.
Students received the Municipal Citizenship Award presented at the Awards Day Assembly at MESS each year. Mike Kinnear was honoured in 1956 and Connie Cronk received the award from Sam Lindsay in 1962.
List of award recipients on bottom of page
Citizen of the Year (The Kitimat Kiwanis Club)
The Accomplishments of One Citizen of the Year, Ada Hayes.
Ada Hayes, Kitimat's first Citizen of the Year, stated to the Northern Sentinel reporter that when she first arrived in Kitimat, she hated the place. So she decided that if she was to like Kitimat, she had to become involved in the building of the town:
- Assisted with the establishment of the Fine Arts Association in Kitimat, and became its first President.
- Member of The Canadian Club - its purpose, to bring lecturers on a wide variety of subjects and from all over Canada to Kitimat.
- Member of the Citizenship Council since its inception in 1956.
- Member of the Kitimat Writer's Club since its inception in 1961.
- Involved with the Kitimat Public Library Board, including holding the office of President for some time.
- Member of the Ladies' Auxiliary, Kitimat General Hospital, then on the Board of Directors.
- Volunteered for the building of Kitimat's first curling rink.
List of award recipients on bottom of page
Lady of the Year
Edna Orr is honoured as "Lady of the Year" for 1973. Identified are Edna Orr (centre) and Joanne Monaghan (on right of Edna) who received the honour in 1982.
Citizen of the Year
Kitimat's first Citizen of the Year, Mrs. Ada Hayes with a writer's scroll, 1965. She was a founding member of the Kitimat Writer's Club in 1961 and was a leading force in many of Kitimat's community organizations. Courtesy of the Northern Sentinel.