Congratulations 2017 Award Recipients

The City of Duncan presents awards each year to residents who demonstrate excellence in the fields of arts, sports and long-term service to the community. On December 4, 2017 at the Annual Meeting held at City Hall, this year’s awards were handed out:

2017 Perpetual Arts Trophy Recipient – Peter Yelland

Peter was a musical educator of youth for 17 years teaching in the valley school system, including Lake Cowichan High School and Quamichan Secondary School, where he formed numerous choirs, including the Lake Cowichan High School Women’s choir.

Throughout his years, he has performed many times as a tenor soloist and he formed and directed choirs in the Cowichan Valley.  He directed and sang as a soloist for the Duncan Music Club, the Cowichan Musical Society and the South Island Musical Theatre Society. He also played significant roles in the production of Showboat, Mikado, Desert Song, Iolanthe, That’s Entertainment, Gondoliers, H.M.S. Pinafore, Die Fledermaus, Pirates of Penzance and Oliver.

We thank the Cowichan Valley Arts Council who worked closely with the City in selecting this year’s recipient. In honour of his award, Peter was given a carved wooden box from artist Robert Andrew of Mayne Island.

2017 Perpetual Trophy for Excellence and Sportsmanship – Tony Else

Tony, at 15 years of age, has always enjoyed sports, but has only competed in track and field for the past two years.  In grade 8, his first year of competing at the high school level, competed against ninth and tenth grade students in High Jump, Long Jump, Javelin, Discus and Shot Put at the Mid-Island Competition.  At the Vancouver Island Championships, he qualified for the Provincials in High Jump, placing 14th out of 28 competitors.

In his second year, summer 2017, he qualified for the prestigious Canadian Legion National Track and Field Competition in High Jump and Shot Put held in Brandon, Manitoba. While there, Tony put together a relay team with three fellow BC athletes. The relay team members had competed against each other before, but never ran together. They pulled together, practiced twice before the race, and with no coach, won the silver medal for their age group.  In Shot Put, Tony came in 6th and passed his previous personal best by 1.12m, and in High Jump, he came in 10th, jumping 165cm or 5’7″.

Congratulations to Tony on all his achievements in sports to-date and we wish him continued success.

2017 Scroll of Honour – Harold Wallace

Harold has been a huge contributor to dozens of projects, foundations and community events in the Cowichan Valley. He has been involved in Operation Track Shoes for many years which is a volunteer based organization, providing a safe and supportive environment for people with and without disabilities through participation in recreational and social activities.

Harold has donated the Time Capsule bronze Plaque to the City of Duncan and all the bronze memorial plaques on the furniture purchased by the Hospital Foundation outside the Cowichan District Hospital.

Harold has been a long time member of the Kiwanis, the Moose Lodge (now the Duncan Community Lodge), the Elks, past president of the Legion and Shriners, has been Santa at a number of Christmas events at schools, a contributor to Providence Farm and this year he will be the Potentate of the Shriners in British Columbia.

Thank you to Harold for all his past and continued contributions to the community.