Witmer named Citizen of the Year
Posted Mar 19, 2014 09:50:56 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A former MPP, teacher, trustee and community leader has been selected as the 2013 Citizen of the Year for Kitchener Waterloo.
Elizabeth Witmer tells 570News she is humbled, honoured, and surprised – especially when she got the call Sunday afternoon.
“I was totally unaware that this was even in the works. I didn’t realize that my name had been submitted, and so I was quite shocked when I received the call.”
Witmer is the longest serving female MPP and is now Chair of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.
During her time in politics, she held several Cabinet posts as Minister of Labour, Health and Long Term Care, Environment and Education.
While Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, she helped to establish the Cardiac Care Centre at St. Mary’s Hospital and the Regional Cancer Centre at Grand River Hospital – something she says she is very proud of.
“That enabled our citizens to have those services close to home. That would not have happened without the support and the cooperation and leadership of others in the community as well.”
The former Deputy Premier joins a long list of esteemed nominees, including Walter Bean, Jack Harper, Owen Lackenbauer, Mac Voisin, and most recently Jim Erb. The award was first presented to Ira Needles in 1957.
Hosted by the Lions Club of Kitchener, the Citizen of the Year Award recognizes a deserving resident from the Kitchener and Waterloo area.
She will be honoured at the annual event on Thursday, May 1.
Listen to her full interview with 570’s Kathlene Campbell-Conlon here:
