On April 13, two Pontiac residents were honoured with special pieces of silverware commemorating their volunteering efforts and dedication to their communities.

At a ceremony held at the Université du Québec en Outaouais in Gatineau, Grand Calumet Island resident Tyler La Salle and Charlotte St-Pierre Boucher of Fort-Coulonge were each presented with a medal from the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Michel Doyon for their contribution as volunteers in the Pontiac.

As part of the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Award Program, the medal is made to recognize the hard work of dedicated volunteers who have made significant positive impacts in their community.

For La Salle, winning the youth medal is a big deal – an achievement he ranks higher than anything he’s ever won or been recognized for.

Considering how commonly volunteers show persistent dedication to their communities without receiving much if any sort of recognition, La Salle felt delighted that all his hard work is finally paying off.

“It was very satisfying knowing that all the work you put in your community doesn’t go unnoticed,” he said. “And that you finally get recognized for all the volunteer work that you do because it’s work that you don’t get paid to do it. You do it from your heart and it’s very gratifying to know that.”

Nominated by his former high school L’École secondaire Sieur de Coulonge’s (ESSC) board of governors for his involvement in curricular and extracurricular activities, La Salle got word that he won the award after receiving a call from the high school’s assistant director Gabie Paré. Around three weeks before the gala, Paré asked him to give her his personal information like his phone number, his address and his email.

Confused as to why she wanted those details, La Salle asked what it was for, to which she responded that he had been selected as a recipient of the medal.

Having been involved in volunteering initiatives for nearly 10 years, La Salle has held active roles with numerous organizations in his community, including the Grand CalumetIisland R.A. Committee, helping bring more activities to the town. Most notable was a carnival for kids, which he recalls as one of his proudest accomplishments to date.

“It was an all-day event – full weekend actually, filled with activities for kids,” he said. “Growing up around here, there wasn’t a lot of activities like this and this was a pretty major one. It meant a lot.”

“What was significant for me was knowing that I took a problem that existed when I was a kid,” he continued. “There was a need for this type of activity. Putting together an event that doesn’t necessarily help me but helps everybody else – that was what made it more rewarding.”

Now working part-time as a constituency assistant for Pontiac Liberal MP Will Amos, the 19-year-old said he plans on continuously serving his community in whatever way he can, as he believes it’s the right thing to do to make the world better for future generations.

“I do it for the future,” he said. “I do it because later on, if I have children, I want them to have the best community possible. That’s basically why I do the work. There is the personal accomplishment too. But, I do it for my community to make it the best possible community for future generations to come.”

Held up volunteering with flood management in Fort-Coulonge, St-Pierre Boucher declined to be interviewed for this piece.

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