Maxey named ‘Citizen of Year’

Well-known as a leader in community music projects, Diane Maxey was announced as the town’s 22nd “Citizen of the Year” at last night’s council meeting.
“I am both humbled and honoured members of this community deem me worthy of this title,” Maxey said this morning, adding that when she was contacted by the “Citizen of the Year” selection committee last week, she wasn’t sure if she felt deserving of the recognition.

“I really accepted it because it was a platform for me to talk about volunteering and how vital it is to our community,” she remarked.
“But I am very humbled and very honoured people would even think of me,” Maxey added. “I don’t even deem me fit for this kind of a title.
“I don’t want to go in a parade and go up there waving. That’s my biggest fear,” she laughed.
“But being able to use it as a platform for volunteering, that’s why I accepted it.”
Maxey has a long history of organizing and directing choirs and other musical projects in Fort Frances, including school choirs during her days as a teacher, a community children’s choir, the ever-popular Christmas cantata, and, in the past couple years, the Rainy Lake Ringers handbell group.
The town will officially honour Maxey at its annual appreciation banquet on Friday, Nov. 20.
After that, she will be asked to appear in the “Parade of Lights” on Nov. 28 and next year’s Canada Day parade.
A total of 23 applications for “Citizen of the Year,” including some for the same nominees, were submitted by the Oct. 30 deadline.
The selection committee, consisting of Bill Gushulak (“Citizen of the Year 2000”), Mark Kowalchuk (“Citizen of the Year 1994”), Mayor Roy Avis, and deputy mayor Sharon Tibbs, then met last week to choose the one they felt was most deserving, and recommended that person for final approval by council at last night’s meeting.
The identities of the nominees weren’t revealed. Only the winner is publicly announced.
Last year’s honouree was Linda Hamilton.
Also at last night’s meeting, council:
•heard a presentation by the Ministry of Natural Resources regarding deer proliferation in town limits;
•approved applications for tax adjustments at 1135 River Rd. W., 1147 Portage Ave. N., 336 Scott St., 702 Crowe Ave., and 1329 Sixth St. E.;
•referred a planner’s memo re: a request for refund of fee (minor variance at 511 Keating Ave.) to the Planning and Development executive committee for recommendation;
•referred a funding request from the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce to the 2010 budget process (a $12,500 fee-for-service for the purposes of marketing Fort Frances as a tourist destination);
•passed a bylaw to approve a contract awarded to Venshore Mechanical Ltd. to replace the grit removal system at the water sewage treatment plant;
•passed a bylaw to approve an agreement with Asselin Transportation and Storage Ltd. for the collection of garbage and recyclables in the Town of Fort Frances;
•passed a bylaw to approve a contract with SMS Engineering Ltd. for the preparation of a condition and maintenance report on the mechanical systems at the Civic Centre;
•referred a letter from T. Fleury re: traffic concerns at the intersection of Scott Street and Central Avenue to the Traffic Safety Committee for its recommendation;
•agreed to a request from the Royal Canadian Legion Br. #29 to proclaim Nov. 5-11 as “Poppy Week” in the Town of Fort Frances; and
•referred a request from the Salvation Army for council participation in the 2009 Christmas kettle campaign to secretary Lori Pattison for co-ordinating.