A long-time Kapuskasing volunteer calls receiving her Sovereign Medal at Rideau Hall on Thursday a memorable and humbling experience. Louise Thomson was one of more than 20 people who were involved in the ceremony along with Governor General Mary Simon. Thomson says it was her parents that got her hooked volunteering at the tender age of eight.
“The Daughters of Isabella were having some sort of big do or a super and we had to peel the apples for the pies,” she said. “So that’s where it all started. Then after of course I became a brownie and a girl guide then I became a leader in the girl guides.”
The award is actually two years in the making. Thomson says she was supposed to get the award two years ago but the pandemic changed the plans. Planning for Kapuskasing’s 75th anniversary and hosting a Daughters of Isabella regional convention are among Thomson’s favourite memories.
She has a message for those who are thinking of becoming a volunteer.
“Volunteering gives you a lot back you give, but it gives you a lot more,” she said. “So anybody who wants to even try it. Try volunteering — one event two events, see how passionate you will become.”
