The city is paying tribute to the people and organizations that improve our city.
This year a woman who works with First Nation communities on renewable energy projects and the Therapeutic Recreation Department at Pioneer Ridge are the 2020 Respect Award winners.
Crime Prevention Council Coordinator Lee-Ann Chevrette tells us Roopa Rakshit moved to Thunder Bay in 2012 and is well-deserving of the RESPECT award.
“We felt that Roopa has done quite a lot in our community in the seven or eight years since she relocated here,” Chevrette says. Roopa has been involved in a number of communities involving newcomers, refugees and Indian Canadians.
“Roopa has been providing opportunities for individuals to become more involved and engaged in Thunder Bay. She has really led by example as she has thrown herself into the community and has created opportunities for herself to support others and to build relationships with others to bring people together, and ultimately those types of efforts really make people feel more included and safer in the community,” Chevrette says.
The Therapeutic Recreation Department at Pioneer Ridge was also highlighted this year for their work in advocating for the cultural, social and spiritual needs of the home’s residents.
“We recognize the important role they play in older adults who are living at that home. Older individuals can be really vulnerable, and what we learned is that this department takes a lot of extra steps to create celebrations and have activities and events that really engage them in the broader community and really support and recognize their human dignity,” Chevrette adds.
Typically the awards are given out during the city’s Diversity Celebration Breakfast in March, but due to COVID-19 that wasn’t possible this year.
“This year the breakfast event was cancelled due to COVID, so we opted for a different format. We produced a video highlighting the contributions of the individuals and the importance of presenting respect awards in our community. We had a small presentation at City Hall and interviewed them so we could create this video and share it with the community,” Chevrette says.
This is the eighth year for the Respect Awards. You can watch the video below.
