The Spirit of Oliver Awards are back for their thirteenth year and this year’s batch of nominees was announced at the Frank Venables Theatre on Wednesday evening.
For the group award, which recognizes a local community group, the Oliver Crime Watch and Highway to Healing group are nominated.
The youth award only has one nominee: Simi Gill.
The individual award, which focuses on volunteer contributions, has eight nominees: Ron Johnson, Klaudia Deschenes, Jen Allgeier, Ken Clark, Susan Capyk, Greg Norton, Carol Sheridan and Beth Garrish.
The community builder award, highlighting an individual’s improvements to the community, has three nominees: Amanda Workman, Randee Ede and Leza Macdonald.
The heritage or pioneer family award, created to honour pioneers that helped settle Oliver, has no nominees.
“Sadly this year, as much as we tried, we didn’t get any nominations,” Mayor Ron Hovanes said.
“We say this every year and after the awards are announced people walk away from the table saying ‘we should have nominated so and so.’ Try and remember that. We do need to nominate these people.”
The winners will be announced at the annual Spirit of Oliver Awards Breakfast at the Oliver Community Centre on April 20 from 7:30 to 9 a.m.
