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durhamregion THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ May 3,2006 ♦ Page 9 Farmer up for Senior of the Year award Clarington councillor nominates Gord Barrie by BUKE WOLFE Special to The Canadian Statesman CLARINGTON - Life-long Clarington-resident Clarington-resident Gord Barrie has been nominated for the municipality's annual annual Senior of the Year Award. Mr. Barrie, of Bowmanville, was nominated for the award earlier this month by Clarington councillor Gord Robinson. The two have known each other for many years and at one point were both a part of the Durham Central Agricultural Agricultural Society, of which Mr. Barrie was president. "We've had a lot of outstanding nominees nominees from areas such as Newcastle," Mr. Robinson said, "but this year I thought it was time to recognize someone someone from the rural community." "He's not flashy or outspoken," Mr. Robinson said, "but his heart and compassion compassion is second to none." Mr. Barrie was shocked at the nomination nomination despite having known about it beforehand. "I knew I was going to be nominated for Senior of the Year," he said, "but it was still a surprise." The Barrie family has been raising dairy cows at the farm for many years; Mr. Barrie's sons, who currently operate operate the farm, also raise cash crops such as corn and wheat. "I've milked cows all my life," Mr. Barrie said. "I guess we'll be doing it for a while." The. 1,000-acre farm, which has been in the Barrie family since 1917, is recent compared to when the Barrie Barrie family first laid roots in the area. According to Mr. Barrie, the family first settled in Port Hope in 1730. "They moved up to Bond Head shortly shortly after that," he said. "The old house they built is still there. My ancestors were all farmers." ... Mr. Barrie's contributions to the community have been numerous. In addition to the Durham Central Agricultural Agricultural Society, he has served with many other organizations, such as the Walter Passarella / Metroland Durham Region Media Group Gord Barrie was recently nominated for the Senior of the Year honour by Clarington Councillor Gord Robinson. The Barrie family has been involved in farming in the area for generations. Durham County Milk Committee, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the Durham East Soil and Crop Improvement Improvement Association, and the Durham Farmers' County Co-op, in which he served as president for 21 years. Mr. Barrie has also been involved with the Trinity United Church, serving as chairman of its congregational coun- . cil. . He also currently serves as chairman for the local Abandoned Cemeteries Board, a position which he assumed in 1974. Mr. Robinson sees that position as indicative of Mr. Barrie's long history history with the region. "He knows where they are," Mr. Robinson Robinson said, adding that Mr. Barrie's knowledge,, of Clarington has led to the discovery of many old cemeteries in the municipality, often on property that has been bought or sold without prior knowledge of any historical significance. significance. "I'm really impressed with people that have that'knowledge," Mr. Robinson Robinson said. "We're losing that identity of our past." Over the many years that he has lived in Clarington, Mr. Barrie has witnessed the numerous changes that the community has gone through. "The country school I went to is gone," he said, adding that many of the farms in the area have remained in the same families for many generations. "The town's edging , this way," Mr. Barrie said, "but they said they'll stop at a certain point. "I hope they do. This land is too good for them to be building houses on." 'He's not flashy or outspoken, but his heart and compassion is second to none. -- Clarington councillor GordRobinson BY BLAKE WOLFE Special to The Canadian Statesman CLARINGTON - Viola Ashton was recently nominated for an Ontario Senior Achievement Award by both Community Care Durham and the Clarington Older Adult Association. The award recognizes Ms. Ashton's many contributions to the community, in the form of volunteering countless hours of her time. Ms. Ashton was notified of the nomination last week while working at the Clarington Older Adult Association's kitchen, where she volunteers on a weekly basis. "I was quite surprised," she said. "Volunteering, was,my life goal." Ms. Ashton's volunteering has taken on many forms over the years. Her contributions contributions include 25 years of volunteer work with Community Care Durham, including duties ranging.from delivering delivering Meals on Wheels and newsletters, to participating in the organization's annual Tag Days fundraiser, which involves canvassing door-to-door for donations to the organization. "Tag Days is the biggest fundraiser that Community Care has each year in Clarington," Ms. Ashton said. In addition to Community Care Durham, Durham, Ms. Ashton has donated much of her time to the Clarington Older Adult Association. According to Laura McDonald of the Clarington Older Adult Association, Ms. Ashton has "played a significant role" with the organization since its inception in 1998. "Viola's commitment to our organization organization has ranged from organizing organizing fundraising events to serving as president of the board of directors," Ms. McDonald said. Ms. Ashton still serves as the organization's past president. president. She served as president for three consecutive years, from 2002 to 2004. One of the most notable achievements achievements Ms. Ashton'accomplished with the Clarington Older Adult Association Association was the creation of a lunch program program for Clarington seniors in 1999. "She spearheaded a program that provided community-based seniors with the opportunity to enjoy a homemade homemade meal and socialize with fellow members," Ms.- McDonald said. She added the program has doubled in size since it began, with over 75 Clarington seniors attending each week. . "There is never a task too large for Viola to tackle," Ms. McDonald said. "Her outgoing personality, creative creative flair and ability to relate to the members is an irreplaceable gift that is greatly appreciated. Viola is truly an asset to both the community and our organization." In addition to this most recent nomination, nomination, Ms. Ashton has previously received awards from the Municipality of Clarington and Community Care Durham, honouring her work. The Ontario Senior Achievement Award is given to 20 seniors across the province annually. Reaching Your Goals Freedom 55 Takes Cafefyl Planning Financial That's Why We're Here to H lelp. •Individual life Insurance »GICs 4 mutual funds •Disability insurance • Group Insurancé •Group retirement plans •Mortgages •Business Insurance •Travel insurance •RRIFs, LIFs 4 Annuities »RRSPs 4 RESPs JJADRUSy Dwight and Deria Hickson Financial Security and Investment Representatives SKingAve., Newcastle (905)987-5372 linlrw IM. 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