Local residents have star power

Harriet Madigan and Wanda Wallace have star power.

The two North Bay women received the Northgate Shopping Centre’s Community Builders Award Monday.
And as part of the award their names and pictures have been burnished into a star, which now hangs on a pillar near the shopping centre’s main entrance, in a part of the complex known as the Tower of Fame.

Northgate initiated the award in 2001, says shopping centre manager Phil Richardson, to recognize “people in our area who are working diligently and inspirationally to provide betterment for our community.”

Former Ontario Premier Mike Harris won the first award, and last year it was given to Dave Marshall, former president of Nipissing University and now president of Mt. Royal College in Calgary.

Richardson said the latest recipients are “wonderful people who have given so much to our community.”

Madigan and Wallace are co-chairwomen of the local Communities in Bloom committee.

“They’ve worked for many years beautifying our community and raising everybody’s awareness to the importance of beautification,” Richardson said.

“We want to give them the award because it gives the opportunity for people to see these folks recognized and gain further inspiration to contribute more to our community.”

Madigan was almost speechless when asked to comment on the award, but said it’s never just one individual “who makes things happen in a community.”

“We have a tremendous city and I have a philosophy that every individual makes a difference,” Madigan said.
“You just have to help them realize they can, and we saw it happening in Communities in Bloom.”

Wallace said community building takes many people and thanked those who had worked with Madigan and her over the years.
“But I’m just honoured that an ordinary citizen like me, who is a mother, a grandmother, a homemaker, and an employee of the board of education, is represented this way.”