Volunteer medal recipient

Lieutenant Governor Vaughn Solomon Schofield presented eight citizens with the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal during a ceremony at Government House in Regina. The medal recognizes outstanding volunteer service or exceptional community involvement.

Joan Wilson from Saltcoats was one of the recipients. Over the past 30 years, former Town Councillor Joan Wilson has time and again demonstrated her love of community in the countless hours she has devoted to volunteer projects in Saltcoats, Yorkton and area. Her interests have ranged from sports and arts and culture to nature programs, and have involved her in activities as diverse as helping create murals, one of which was unveiled during a visit of The Princess Royal, to designing miniature salamanders for participants in the first Saltcoats Salamander Walk/Run. Her impressive list of volunteer contributions over the years includes the following:

Provincial Executive Member, Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils

Chair, Irish Dance Association, Saltcoats

Chair and Board Member, Yorkton and District Home Care

Board Member, Saltcoats Lakeside Manor Care Home

Board Member, Saltcoats Regional Library

Member, Community College Committee

Member, Yorkton Arts Council and volunteer with related children's activities at the Godfrey Dean Art Gallery; facilitator of Club Mud pottery group

Played a key role in the Saltcoats local drama group, Laketown Players, often taking lead roles in annual dinner theatre productions, working on props, painting scenery, scouting for costumes and coaching individual players, especially newcomers to the stage and community drama

Member of Nature Saskatchewan, the Native Plant Society and Yellowhead Flyway Birding Trail Association - instrumental in the honouring of two local naturalists, in the protection of habitat where species of wildflowers and native grasses still survive and in the restoration and establishment of new plantings amenable to relocation and re-establishment

For more information on the Volunteer Medal visit www.ops.gov.sk.ca/svm.