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Recipients of the fourth
Young Leaders in Rural Canada Awards (2005-2006)

On October 31, 2007, the Government of Canada, through the fourth Young Leaders in Rural Canada Awards recognized exceptional achievements and contributions by young Canadians. These annual awards highlight rural youth who dedicate their passion, spirit and skills to the benefit of rural, remote and northern communities throughout Canada in the following categories: Innovation, Leadership and Partnership. For 2005-2006, two young leaders have earned awards in the following categories: Leadership and Partnership.

For more information, please call the toll-free number 1-888-781-2222.

News release

LEADERSHIP
Recipient – Meghan Detheridge
Sydney, Nova Scotia

“Meghan is known for her tireless work ethic and leadership skills. It takes a special person to step up and volunteer endless hours when there is a need and Meghan is one of those special individuals.” – David D. Wilson, Associate Chief of Police

Meghan Detheridge of Sydney, Nova Scotia has made many valuable contributions to her community, including currently serving with the Petersfield Canada Day Committee, Greenlink Park Society Board, JCI Cape Breton as well as the Sydney and Area Chamber of Commerce. Over the past few years she has also been involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Civil Air Search and Rescue, Transition House and Junior Achievement. Needless to say, Meghan has been busy, however, in 2005–06, her most notable contribution to the community was a world-class skateboard park.

Ms. Detheridge took the initiative to spearhead a local youth/adult skateboarding society and led the group to raise over $200,000 to construct a 12,000 sq. ft. concrete skateboarding facility for local youth to socialize, develop skills and confidence, and be physically active in a SAFE environment. Meghan ensured youth were involved with the project from day one, whether it was fundraisers, presentations or the actual design of the skateboard park. Meghan and her small group increased awareness through public ad campaigns, lobbied the provincial government and regional municipality for conceptual and financial support, canvassed local businesses for financial assistance by educating them on the benefits of redirecting youth from their store fronts, and worked with skateboard designers to create the skateboard park.

“Her approach and maturity, when dealing with the media, was superb. I personally listened to a number of interviews on CBC where she was promoting the project. It was because of her determination and commitment that the facility was constructed.” – David D. Wilson, Associate Chief of Police

The organization and creation of a skateboard park has changed societal attitudes towards skateboarding in these rural communities, an example of why Meghan’s spirit, enthusiasm and dedication were the right fit for this project.

In addition to providing youth with a safe and state-of-the-art location to skateboard, the creation of the park forged community partnerships and encouraged collaboration between all levels of government and local businesses. The skateboard park is currently being used beyond expectations as older adults and parents come to watch the youth. The park is a true example of community collaboration.

Meghan Detheridge has demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to her community. She has worked tirelessly, not for a quick fix, but for a sustainable solution. For many, Meghan’s fundraising goal would have seemed impossible, for Meghan it required only dedication, spirit and perseverance.

The challenges associated with this type of project are immense but not insurmountable. In a region faced with so many challenges for many local youth, Meghan Detheridge has provided not only a place to practice a sport, but a beacon of hope and a sign of potential right at home. Anyone who can instill a sense of hope in local youth is truly a community leader and role model.

PARTNERSHIP
Recipient – François St-Amand
Saint-André, New Brunswick

“Without the presence of François in our community, it would be difficult to imagine such success in such a short period of time. He is a young leader who is quite innovative. He works hard and has demonstrated unusual leadership abilities in creating extraordinary partnerships.” – Chantal St-Amand, President, Foundation ACCES ERSA

Originally from Saint-André, François St-Amand demonstrated his leadership in his early teens as he took care of the summer recreational activities in his community. After graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Université de Moncton, François returned to Saint-André where he was hired by School District 3 to work at the École Régionale-de-Saint-André. In his position as Development Officer, Francois was part of a pilot project entitled “L’École au coeur de la communauté” or “The School at the Heart of the Community”. The primary outcome of this project was to integrate the school into the community through increasing partnerships.

It soon became clear to François and the school administration that they needed to create a non-profit community organization. François held endless meetings with community organizations, which resulted in the creation of Foundation ACCES ERSA. With François’ dynamism, know-how, and leadership, this foundation was the start of significant successes for the school and community.

François has undertaken several major projects for the rural community of Saint-André through ACCES ERSA. School Principal Alain Poitras notes that “Although François has had the consistent support of solid partners and a team of dynamic volunteers, the following accomplishments would not have become a reality without the exemplary dedication of this young leader.”

François mobilized community members with plans to construct a community park on the school playground with a skating rink, skateboard park, and basketball court. Since the financial needs of the park totalled more than $80,000, François quickly canvassed the community for potential partners. His hard work and dedication resulted in over eight major partnerships and enough sponsorship to complete the project.

“The construction of the community park provides children with the opportunities for physical activities, without having to drive to a neighbouring city. On several occasions, many people came to skate or play hockey as a family or group. The financial partners and volunteers are proud to have contributed to this initiative,” added Alain Poitras, Principal of the École Régionale-de-Saint-André.

After this successful initiative, François opened and administered a certified daycare inside the École Régionale-de-Saint-André. Among other things, the daycare offers a free pre-kindergarten program for community children aged three and four, and an after-school daycare program for school children. The pre-kindergarten program helps parents prepare their children for entry into their future school.

The children also have the opportunity to participate in the after-school program called ‘à la carte’, developed and managed by François. This program is called ‘à la carte’ because children can choose to register in one or more activities, including sports, kung fu, dance, painting, piano, guitar, tutoring, knitting, as well as French-language arts and culture. The children benefit from more than 1,200 hours of activities during the year and the volunteers feel satisfaction in participating in the education of children.

The school became the first in Acadia to adopt a community-entrepreneurial approach in its teaching methods as directed by François. During its regular schedule, the École Régionale-de-Saint-André allows its K to 6 students to learn and develop by placing them in the professional context of a business, under the supervision of teaching staff and with the help of members of the community. One afternoon a week, students from all the classes have the opportunity to participate in one of the ten projects – or micro-businesses – that were suggested by their teachers.

François’ initiatives have harnessed many awards including the Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Early Childhood Literacy Award, the Recognition Award from Enterprise Grand Falls Region, and the National Recognition Certificate. François’ work well exceeded the goals set forth by the District, truly positioning the school at the heart of the community.