Lori Martine receives her “Spirit of Oliver” award from Mayor Ron Hovanes during a special ceremony at Frank Venables Theatre on May 15.
Photos by Keith Lacey
An accomplished music teacher and community volunteer, a teenager who has given so much back to her community despite her tender years, and a group of veterans who are proud to wear the colours of the Royal Canadian Legion have been honoured in the 2016 Spirit of Oliver Awards.
Lori Martine was named the winner of the Spirit of Oliver recipient for individual or couple for her many years of community volunteerism.
Komal Dhaliwal, 16, was presented with the youth award for her dedicated commitment to numerous programs in Oliver.
The Oliver branch of the Royal Canadian Legion received the group award at a presentation last Sunday afternoon in the lobby of the Frank Venables Theatre, located inside Southern Okanagan Secondary School (SOSS).
Mayor Ron Hovanes, who acted as Master of Ceremonies for the annual awards, said the Town of Oliver values the amazing contributions that volunteers make every year and to recognize outstanding contributions, the Town has selected outstanding recipients who go above and beyond to make their town a better place to live.
The individual award presented to Martine recognizes the volunteer work of an individual or couple who have contributed significantly through voluntary service involving a variety of projects, groups and/or programs and the nominee must demonstrate outstanding community service and be over 18 years of age.
The group award recognizes a community group that demonstrates an outstanding contribution to the community. Community groups must demonstrate outstanding community service and service clubs may only be considered for a specific outstanding contribution.
The youth award recognizes an individual young person who has demonstrated a commitment to the community and has made extraordinary volunteer contributions. They must also be between the ages of 12 and 18.
Martine, who is the mother of former Osoyoos Coyotes hockey team captain Thierry Martine, moved to Oliver 25 years ago from Brandon, Manitoba after accepting a position to become the music teacher at Osoyoos Elementary School.
Soon after arriving in Oliver with her husband Bernie back in 1991, Martine joined Christ the King Catholic Church and formed that church’s choir, which exists to this day.
She also formed a student choir at Osoyoos Elementary School and that choir now performs at numerous community events throughout the year.
“I’ve always thought it was important for students to give back to the community and the students in our choir are constantly performing at community events like the Christmas Light Up and at local seniors homes,” she said. “It’s a great way for young people to give back to the community.”
Martine was also responsible for the formation of the Oliver Elementary School Fine Arts Club.
She is also the area representative with the Royal Conservatory of Music out of Penticton, but helps arrange competitions for young musicians in Oliver and Osoyoos, so they don’t have to travel all the way to Penticton for competition.
She also plays the organ at her local church every Sunday morning and is the bugler with the Royal Canadian Legion branch in Oliver.
Martine said her love of music was instilled into her by her mother Dot Keene while growing up in Manitoba.
Martine thanked her husband Bernie, who she said allows her to pursue her many volunteer duties throughout the year.
“I wouldn’t be able to do all that I do without his support,” she said. “We raised four kids and he was always there to take charge when I had to leave and head out for my volunteer duties.”
Martine also thanked her children for their tremendous support and encouragement.
Thierry is the assistant golf pro at Fairview Mountain Golf Club in Oliver. Her daughter Gabriella, 23, is studying to become a doctor at UBC Southern Medical School, while her daughter Juliana, 21, is finishing her third year studying communications at Simon Fraser University.
Her youngest daughter Cheryce, 19, is studying kinesiology at University of Calgary.
Martine said she is very proud of the Spirit of Oliver award.
“I’m very honoured and humbled,” she said. “I feel that all of the little things I’ve done in the community all add up and it’s nice for your peers to think you deserve to be recognized and are doing something good in the community.”
Dhaliwal, who was surrounded by her proud parents and sisters, is finishing Grade 11 at SOSS.
Dhaliwal is not only an outstanding student – she will be applying to medical school a year from now – but she dedicates many hours of her time each week to numerous community groups.
She coaches in the Town of Oliver mini soccer program and is a candy striper who regularly visits elderly patients at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver. She is also a founder of the Youth Cares program in Oliver.
Her mother Jagroop is a strong believer in volunteerism and inspired her to give back to the community at a young age, said Dhaliwal.
While she enjoys all of her volunteer duties, Dhaliwal said visiting patients in the hospital is her favourite.
“Many of these seniors don’t get a lot of visitors and their faces just light up when they get a visit from a young person like me,” she said.
Dhaliwal said she plans on continuing to volunteer for many years to come.
“I couldn’t imagine not doing it,” she said.
Peter McKenna, president of Branch 97 of the Royal Canadian Legion in Oliver, said winning this Spirit of Oliver award is a big honour for the branch’s executive committee and all 450 members.
“We’re all very honoured, very humbled,” he said. “I’m very proud of all of our members and all of our volunteers who go out of their way to give back to the community.”
McKenna gave special notice to Dee Ranger, the lady who organizes the weekly 50/50 draw.
“All of the money we raise from our 50/50 draw and Saturday meat draw goes directly into our fundraising pool and every cent of that money is given back to the community,” he said.
The legion raised close to $30,000 to donate to various community projects in 2015 and it expects the same kind of success in 2016, said McKenna.
Hovanes said volunteers are the “heart and soul of the community” and Oliver is blessed to have so many wonderful citizens who care so much about their town and go out of their way to help others.
By Keith Lacey
