Local Heroes 2015
They inspire the best in us, and for their work we can all be thankful.
There’s a quote from actor Robert Downey Jr. that goes, “Hero is not a noun, it’s a verb.” Our collection of local heroes this year exemplifies that concept. They are doers, not talkers. Though all will claim their pursuits are humble, they have actively shifted the shape of our community for the better, whether through the halls of power, the bringing together of neighbours, the nurturing of youthful promise, or the dew on flower petals as they shimmer in the morning sunlight outside a hospital window. They inspire the best in us, and for their work we can all be thankful.
- Ingrid Sproxton is a lifelong learner
- Jim Lorriman is a craftsman
- Mary Rose is Dufferin’s Irish Rose
- Kate O’Hara is a facilitator
- Lynn Sinclair-Smith is a gardener
- Mel Stevens is a guiding hand
- Colleen Darrell is a trailblazing volunteer
2015 Local Heroes: Ingrid Sproxton, Jim Lorriman, Mary Rose, Kate O’Hara, Lynn Sinclair-Smith, Mel Stevens and Colleen Darrell. Photo by Pete Paterson.
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Ingrid Sproxton
Ingrid is a lifelong learner who went back to school part time to earn a business degree at age 50.
Jim Lorriman
The single most important thing I wish to accomplish – is to encourage artists and craftspeople to preserve their craft by making videos spelling out the intricacies of their talent.
Mary Rose
“I hesitate to say I did anything. It has to be all of council working together.”
Kate O’Hara
I consider myself a facilitator. Maybe it’s the teacher in me.
Lynn Sinclair-Smith
Lynn is the organizing and fundraising brains behind the Friendship Gardens, the vast network of trees, shrubs and flowers that grace the hospital grounds.
Mel Stevens
But Mel deflects all recognition for these successes. “The credit goes to God,” he says.
Colleen Darrell
For Colleen, volunteering with the Caledon Hills Bruce Trail Club seemed like a natural choice.
