A number of McCauley residents and community contributors have received some major awards recently.

In our previous issue, MLA Janis Irwin wrote about presenting me with the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal. A couple of other community members have also recently received this honour.

McCauley resident Todd Janes received the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal from Sarah Hoffman, the MLA for Edmonton-Glenora on October 13th, 2022, for his contributions to the city and province. Todd is the Executive Director of the Stony Plain Road Business Association. In a Facebook post, Sarah Hoffman describes him as “a tireless advocate for Alberta’s arts, culture, and business communities.”

Kate Quinn was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal from MLA Janis Irwin on December 16th at the office of the Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation (CEASE). “For over 30 years Kate has been an advocate speaking out against sexual exploitation and sex trafficking in our communities. As the Executive Director of CEASE, Kate has helped countless individuals,” said Janis Irwin in a Facebook post.

A couple of other McCauley community members have been honoured for their work in the Arts and contributions to making Edmonton a better place.

McCauley musician AV (Ann Vriend) received the 2022 Edmonton Artists’ Trust Fund (EATF) in December. Known for her porch concerts bringing the community together during the pandemic, many of AV’s songs are inspired by her experiences living in the neighbourhood and her passion for McCauley.

Another recipient of the EATF – and a reason we here at the paper are celebrating – is Vikki Wiercinski: Boyle McCauley News’ Designer and Advertising Coordinator. In addition to being an artist and designer, Vikki is a ceramicist and the lead organizer of the Royal Bison Art and Craft Fair.

The EATF is a joint initiative of the Edmonton Arts Council and the Edmonton Community Foundation, and is intended to encourage artists to stay in the city. We certainly hope both AV and Vikki stick around for a long time to come!