Getting Involved in Your Community

Marlene Knezevich is nominated for Community Service Citizen of the Year for her multi-faceted contributions to horticultural and environmental activities in Wilmot Township. A proven leader with seemingly tireless energy, Marlene is known and admired for her organizational and networking abilities. Her skills are matched by her work ethic. No task is too dirty, too difficult, or too tiring for Marlene. All of it is accompanied with a smile and good humour.

As a long time, active member of Wilmot Horticultural Society, Marlene has spent countless hours improving our local visual landscapes by designing, planting and tending plantings at Wilmot Township properties. She has been a board member of the horticultural society for many years, with public education being one of several responsibilities. In this role, she contributes many articles about gardening and environmental issues to local publications.

Marlene was the prime force in creating the horticultural society’s newest initiative, Let’s Tree Wilmot. Working tirelessly despite Covid-19 restrictions, she researched, organized and motivated other volunteers, resulting in LTW’s first tree planting in October 2020. As Chair of Let’s Tree Wilmot, Marlene has given exceptional leadership to a project that has already engaged hundreds of volunteers in tree-planting projects in New Dundee, Mannheim, St. Agatha, Petersburg, Baden, and New Hamburg.

Marlene volunteers at the plant tent at the annual Mennonite Central Committee Relief Sale, enthusiastically sharing her vast knowledge of plant material. She stepped in to manage its operation when the tent was in jeopardy because a volunteer wasn’t available to handle this demanding job. The Relief Sale yields tens of thousands of dollars for the humanitarian work of MCC; the plant tent is a popular attraction.

Community minded and gregarious, Marlene continues to engage and inspire others in her desire to make the world a better place. She has been an active member of the Nith Valley EcoBoosters since 2015, when it became a community-based group. She is an excellent candidate for recognition because of her many and ongoing contributions to Wilmot Township.

Doug McLean, a local hydro worker, has been volunteering his time to New Hamburg since the 1990s when he organized and volunteered crews and trucks to decorate multiple Christmas trees behind the waterwheel and the waterwheel itself. In addition to this, he has hung both the old and new Christmas decorations in New Hamburg. When the new Christmas decoration came on board, he installed power on the poles along Waterloo Street - this was a lot of work.

I came to know Doug in October of 2022 when he volunteered to help hang the 75 Memorial banners in New Hamburg. He had to install brackets on the poles before he was able to hang the banners. This was a time consuming job as it took over 3 afternoons and evenings to accomplish this task. Two months later, he removed the memorial banners and hung the Christmas lights. When I told Doug a few weeks ago that there will be 204 banners to hang this year, he said he would make sure there were enough poles to hang them on, even if they had to install more poles.

I feel that his devotion to New Hamburg is indeed admirable. He has been volunteering his time for over 40 years and has never received any recognition for his kindness. He told me last year that he loves New Hamburg and he has been fortunate to raise his three sons here.

Without people like Doug McLean working in the background, our community would be ordinary. He is a prime example of an unrecognized leader in our township.

Penny goes above and beyond for this community, she volunteers her spare time wherever she can, especially for the kids. I believe that Penny deserves to be recognized for her commitment to serving this community for all of her time, love and efforts to everything she commits to and volunteers her time to. Optimist Club and volunteer Wilmot Wolverines (trainer), Baden Public School reading program. Parent council at Waterloo Oxford.

Susan is a tireless volunteer warrior in our community. Collecting cans and reconditioning jig-saw puzzles are what most of us know Susan for but did you know that some of the charities that have benefited from her efforts include Wilmot Family Resource Centre, Interfaith Counseling Centre and causes like the Forest Glen Playground where she gave up to $500.

Did you also know that Susan will be the first to help a neighbor running errands or helping in their home. She is keenly interested in her community and is an active member of The 100 Women of Wilmot Who Care as well as the Wilmot Lions/Lioness Club. Whether it's voting on awarding a worthy charity financial support or working a community BBQ Susan is always there. And she will lend her support to other clubs that need a hand. For example, its not uncommon to find Susan signing out several books of tickets to sell for the New Hamburg Optimists annual Vehicle Draw.

Ask Susan anything about politics and you'll be in for a great conversation. Please consider Susan when you vote for Citizen of the Year in Community Service.

I am very happy to be able to nominate Lyndsay Dajka for the Wilmot Citizen of the Year award in the youth category. I have known Lyndsay since April 2021 when she contacted me about becoming a member of the Nith Valley EcoBoosters, a citizens’ environmental group based in Wilmot and Wellesley Townships in Waterloo Region.

Lyndsay impressed me and other members of our group when she came to our first meeting with an idea of a way to create and attain goals that would help avert climate disaster. She had learned about this initiative called “Dear Tomorrow” at a Global Just Recovery workshop that she had attended. Right away it was obvious that Lyndsay was a bright and confident young woman who was capable of pitching an idea to a group of older people that she had just met. This view of her was reinforced when, within a couple of months of joining our group, Lyndsay delegated on behalf of our group to members of Wilmot and Wellesley Councils to advocate for greenhouse gas emission reductions.

Later that year the Nith Valley EcoBoosters Youth Advocates group was initiated with Lyndsay taking the lead. Lyndsay has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills over the last couple of years as the Youth Advocates have worked hard to add members and expand their reach into local schools. Lyndsay prepared agendas, set up zoom meetings, did presentations at schools, ran recruitment events and very capably chaired the group’s meetings.

In addition to working with the Youth Advocates, Lyndsay has volunteered to help organize community rallies related to environmental issues. Serving as chair of a number of rally planning committees that have been mainly adults including me, Lyndsay has shown how she can be a strong leader with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Lyndsay is a worthy candidate for the Wilmot Citizen of the Year award in the youth category. Her passion about protecting the environment and taking action in her beliefs has made a difference not only in our community, but beyond. She has certainly made a significant contribution to the Nith Valley EcoBoosters and I have enjoyed working with Lyndsay. She is truly an inspiration.