Our winners leave an indelible imprint on our community

Michael Atkins Laurentian Publishing

We are celebrating our ninth annual Community Builders Awards of Excellence. It is actually one of the youngest of the annual celebrations our company has enjoyed over the years. We didn't think of it until we were looking for a way to celebrate Sudbury after 30 years of business.

It wasn't revolutionary. As we all know in this day and age, there are numerous awards programs across the province and around the country. It just seemed like a neat thing to do. It zeroed in on what makes Sudbury an extraordinary place to live and do business. It's not just a spirit thing as in flag-waving but much more substantial.

To me it is decency and civility carved out of the rock and all our struggles with the Rock along the way from its price to its danger. It's never been easy for Sudbury, which is what makes it so special.

Most amazing is how this way of being gets transferred to the many who come to live in Sudbury that wouldn't know a rock from a hard place. People like me 39 years ago. It is liberating. In Sudbury, if you want to help, you can. If you need some help to help, you will find it.

Our winners this year are leaving an indelible imprint on our community. From the most famous music festival in our community, to a school principal who makes magic, from a publisher that does the impossible, to a visionary who helped establish a school of architecture against all odds, from an institution that has left us with parkland for the generations to an entrepreneur who brings us a slice of our national obsession to a student as good as they get.

We are proud to be associated with these wonderful people who inspire us and make us proud.

Thank you for supporting this initiative. Sit back and enjoy seeing a part of your community that not only works but excels. We don't get many nights like this in a year. We deserve it.