The city paid tribute to several of its outstanding citizens – both past and present – recently during its annual Community Recognition Awards ceremony.
The event is designed to celebrate those people and businesses that have made significant contributions to the city or have enhanced its image or quality of life in some aspect.
Paul Chalifoux and his wife, Margaret, were among the honourees. Despite their long record of giving and community action, this recognition was unsuspected.
“I was surprised!” Paul remarked. “I’m gratified and honoured to be recognized by my peers a long time after my service. We’ve been out of the way for a few years. To all of a sudden be brought up and applauded by others is quite a good feeling.”
He added that his wife smiled all the way through the “tremendous” proceedings.
“She was beaming!”
He served as mayor from 2004 to 2007 and 1998 to 2001, and was also an alderman from 1992 to 1998. She had been very active with Baseball Alberta and the St. Albert Minor Baseball Association starting in the 1970s. For her efforts as the individual who made the most significant contribution to the development of amateur baseball in Alberta, she was given the OV Award of Merit from the provincial sports body back in 1994. She was only the second woman to receive that distinction.
She was also involved with the St. Albert Farmers’ Market committee for several years, among other things. Paul was heavily involved with the Chamber of Commerce starting in the 1970s and other civic boards including the Economic Development Advisory Board. He was also involved in community sports, coaching baseball and hockey.
Together, they were the co-winners of the Volunteer Citizen of the Year Award given out in 1987 by the Community Information and Volunteer Centre.
There are several categories including arts and culture, citizenship, professional achievement, sports excellence, and business. There is also a past era businesses of distinction honour.
The Chalifouxs were honoured with Citizenship – Community Builder status, along with Hazel B. McKennitt, Dr. Peter J. Murphy and Mary O’Neill. There were also three awards given out posthumously to Dr. Kim Calder, George W. (Jock) Fyfe, and R.L. (Lawrence) Wakefield Sr. in the same category.
For Professional Achievement, John C. Samson was inducted posthumously and the Bruin Inn was inducted for Past Era Business of Distinction.
The names are now permanently etched into the faces of the stylized basalt boulder-shaped monuments located near the northwest corner of Sir Winston Churchill Avenue and Perron Street.
Citizens can file nominations year-round, but the deadline for considerations is in mid-February. For more information on the program or to obtain a nomination form, contact Anna Royer at the community and protective services department at 780-459-1504 or visit www.stalbert.ca/community-recognition-program.
