Once again we find ourselves giving kudos to kids.
Our Oak Bay youth are among an elite crowd of do-gooders, no doubt following in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents.
Oak Bay is a lucky community, filled with volunteers of all sorts, but seeing the commitment and dedication of our local youth gives us pause to reflect on all that is great about living here.
Any community can have a thriving business district, good schools, great parks and roads clear of potholes.
However it is the commitment of its citizens to help others, to make sure our students excel, to keep our streets safe and those parks clean and thriving that gives us the special feeling that others often attempt to duplicate.
We are fortunate to have an enthusiastic senior population who gladly give of their free time to make Oak Bay one of the best “small towns” around but to have youth as young as 13 striving to become active, engaged and contributing citizens, is – as the aptly named youth awards indicate – exceptional.
Hosted by the municipality, the awards themselves are sponsored by local businesses which see the benefit to recognizing the achievements of the young people who are contributing to the betterment of our society.
These businesses, along with the Oak Bay Kiwanis Club, also deserve our thanks for encouraging young people to continue in their efforts on our behalf.
As Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen said: “These youth send a message of hope to the community that the next generation is full of promise, and inspire us all to do our part to make a difference.”