Five distinguished members of the community were honoured with keys to the city last Wednesday for their contributions to the community. They have made contributions that include the Enmax centre, and years of public service and athletic accomplishment.
A key to the city is a largely symbolic gesture dating from medieval times, Mayor Rajko Dodic told attendees, before joking, that it didn’t offer them any breaks from city taxes.
The recipients were former mayor Bob Tarleck, former Lethbridge-West MLA Clint Dunford, former Lethbridge College instructor and city alderman Shaun Ward, Barbara Lacey who is also a former city alderman, and Jody Nilsson who recently retired from the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce in June.
Dodic used his introductions to stress that the many contributions of these individuals had fundamentally shaped Lethbridge into the community it is today.
Lacey received her key for her contributions as a city alderman and for her efforts as the CEO and medical officer of health for the city that saw public health staff rise from 18 to 100.
Other programs introduced by Lacey include the home care program, genetic counseling, a travel clinic and the sexual health program.
Lacey said that although she was receiving the award, there should be many more standing next to her.
“Very few people make achievements on their own and I had lots of help during my time. Lethbridge is a strong community and if you say that you want to get involved, someone will involve you,” she said.
Tarleck, who did not seek re-election last year, was known for his “Mayor Bob” personality and openness, according to Dodic.
Dodic added many of Lethbridge’s achievements over Tarleck’s tenure were due to his emotional control and attitude of cooperation.
“Bob was a consensus builder who always kept his calm and got things done to everyone’s benefit,” he said.
During his speech Tarleck mentioned fellow recipient Dunford who helped Tarleck get funding for the Galt Museum after the provincial government told him there was none.
Dodic also thanked Dunford for his efforts when it came to Lethbridge’s post-secondary community as the minister of advanced education and career development, which saw the implementation of initiative’s like campus Alberta.
Nilsson, who counts among her decorations an induction into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame, a woman of distinction award, and an Alberta Centennial medal to name a few received her key for her 30 years as the general manager for the Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce.
Dodic said that Nilsson’s leadership was instrumental through the years and that because of her Lethbridge’s chamber now holds national prestige.
“Because of her we made it through the recessions of the ‘80s and ‘90s in great shape and our community didn’t have to stop investing in itself,” he said.
Ward, who was an instructor at the college for 31 years until his retirement in June 2007, received his award for his efforts that saw infrastructure spending used to build numerous facilities across Lethbridge such as the Enmax Centre and the Servus Credit Union Soccer Centre.
Ward spoke of his other contributions and how he felt that many things still needed to be done, teasing Dodic that they should be on the agenda.
“I can’t help but notice that there are a few things left undone since I left. Specifically we need to borrow while interest rates are low so that we can build a new foot bridge, a performing centre for the arts and a small nuclear power plant,” he joked.
One theme that was common among all recipients during their speeches was that the teamwork and the time many of them had spent working with each other was more responsible for the strength of the community then any one of them alone.