Me to We award winners

This is the third annual Canadian Living Magazine Me to We Awards, and it’s clear from the hundreds of wonderful entries we received that the me-to-we spark is spreading across Canada. From grade school children raising awareness on an issue that has struck a chord with them, to teens, single parents and seniors raising funds for a cause they are passionate about, once again, we found ourselves inspired and humbled by Canadians who are determined to build stronger, more vibrant communities and lend a hand to those who are less fortunate than themselves; in short, they want to make a difference.

With the support of Craig and Marc Kielburger, the ambassadors for Free the Children, we bring you this year’s award winners, as well as honourable mentions in each of the five award categories. Each recipient receives $5,000 to give to a charitable cause of his or her choice.

Reading their stories reminds us that we all have the ability to change our world.

In the community
Constable Todd Chadwick
Building relationships by reaching out
Miramichi, N.B.
If it were up to Constable Todd Chadwick, the modern-day work of police officers in community-service branches would harken back to the days of the affable beat cop, who knew his community on a personal level. These days, he says, the police are often viewed as harbingers of bad news. He aims to change that. “Why can’t I stop and speak to a senior who’s watering his lawn without people thinking there’s trouble?” he says with a laugh.

A former emergency medical technician, the married father of three has worked as a police officer for nearly two decades in Miramichi, and he has spent the past seven years implementing some 20 programs in the community. Among them: Partners for My Miramichi, which mobilizes the public to make changes in whatever areas they feel need attention; the Miramichi Advisory Committee of Youth, a group of teenagers that advises city council on policies affecting young people; and the Defibrillation Program, which has installed defibrillators in police cruisers and trained officers on their use in emergency situations.

Todd’s goal is to encourage police involvement in the community, and community involvement in public affairs, as a way of forging improved relations all around. And, he says, it’s not that difficult. “The biggest thing that I’ve found is the relationship you can build from a simple hello,” he explains. “You might not solve their problems, or maybe you can, but people want to be able to have the police’s ear.”
• Todd’s Me to We Award money will be donated to Partners for My Miramichi.

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