Barry McLeod has been named Mission’s 2018 Citizen of the Year.
He received the honour during the annual Mission Community Service Awards, presented at the Clarke Theatre on April 19.
McLeod is considered to be a remarkable man whose passion for the community and compassion for people extends far beyond the parameters of his job.
He is a youth worker who has devoted not just his career but also his life to helping others.
He spent the first 10 years after graduating from the University of Manitoba working in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside before taking a job in Abbotsford. Two years later, in 1993, he moved to Mission where he has lived and worked ever since.
According to McLeod he appreciates the friendliness of Mission residents but also values the “made in Mission” mentality – which is characterized by people who are willing to step up and work together in order to get things done.
McLeod sits, and has sat, on a multitude of committees both as an individual and a Youth Unlimited representative. He is active at Mission Connect Events, Stone Soup Suppers and as a champion for restorative justice and restorative ways of resolving conflict for youth in our community. He also volunteers as a coach and a mentor, and has taught sports, art and woodworking. He is a longtime advocate of Mission Youth House and said that he knew from the start that, as long as the project was built on a foundation of unconditional love, that would be the bridge that was needed to help young people feel safe and at home.
Other distinguished award recipients included:
Freeman of the City Award
Cal Crawford
Terry Gidda
Betty Robertson
Mel Zajac
Lifetime Achievement Award
Dick Brodie
Ron Cockroft (posthumous)
Bonnie Harber
Sophie Zehner
Against the Odds Achievement Award
Tracy Martin
Community Service Award (under age 25)
Doug Hughes
Jordyn Mooney
Community Service Award
Natashia Cox
Loa Duncan
Janis Foerster
Julie Hartland
Moneca Harder
Mervin Hildebrandt
Beverly James
Ernestine O’Rourke
Reg and Lily Sayers
Wally Warkentin
Crime Prevention and Community Safety Award
John Keresman
Arts and Culture Service Award
Cory Cassel
Sports Volunteer of the Year Award
Dan Williams
Special Accomplishment Award
Daphne Sleigh
Dan Rempel
Special Recognition Award
The 125th Anniversary Committee.
