Cathie Stewart named Good Citizen of the Year

“I tend to be a back room operator, that’s where my expertise lies, so you will find me in the background, orchestrating many people to do different stuff,” said Stewart.

“I just feel that Vernon is amazing in that, for a community this size, it allows us access to so many things so easily.”

Cathie Stewart, the recipient of the Good Citizen o the Year Award (Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

Stewart has been a fixture of the community since she moved from Vancouver to Vernon in 1975, saying she almost immediately started volunteering the moment she got here.

“My career is in health care, and there was a notice on the notice board on the hospital in about September of ’75 [saying] they wanted to set up a crisis line,” Stewart recalled.

“I’d been in Vancouver and I’d always thought ‘That’s something I’d like to do’ so I went and initiated and spent a lot of years volunteering both as volunteer and then on the board with the crisis line.”

From there, Stewart started being contacted by people who needed volunteers from other causes, and she took full advantage of those opportunities.

Stewart has served a number of local organizations since then, including the Vernon Jazz Club, where she is the current president; Okanagan Screen Arts, which has taken over the Towne Theatre; Powerhouse Theatre; North Okanagan Community Association, where she is a current board member; volunteer for the Performing Arts Centre, working along side the Okanagan Symphony; and a volunteer for the silent auctions at the Art Gallery, the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues festival and with the Okanagan Military Tattoo.

Stewart attributed her volunteer and community work as “just being open to being” and saying yes when opportunities arise, adding that the work “broadens your view of the world.”

In 2021 Stewart took on the role as president of the Vernon Jazz Club, a position she had never planned to take over but was thrust upon her when the former president passed away unexpectedly .

She said she had previously agreed to be vice president with the caveat that she not take over as president

“For me, the challenge was to step into that position that I never saw myself or wished to have for myself because I’m in the background, that’s where I’m comfortable, so having to do that was probably, from a growing perspective, what I had to do,” said Stewart.

“It has been amazing how supported I’ve been and how it hasn’t been as difficult or unable for me to do. I have met, for the most part I think, the challenges of that.”

Abby Lagerquist, JCI’s Chair of the Good Citizen of the Year, told Vernon Matters that Stewart was one of several nominees for the annual award, but said the nominator pointed out all the work that Stewart had done in 2021, which is why she was selected for the award.

“So being the good citizen of the year for 2021, we looked at who was adaptable, especially in these changing times and uncertain times,” said Lagerquist.

“Cathie reflected on how she does a lot of the background work, she doesn’t take the recognizing, she’s always behind the scenes, so it’s just wonderful to have this project from the Junior Chamber with the help of Kidston and Company lawyers to be able to recognize the people who don’t usually get the recognition.”

Cathie Stewart surrounded by members of JCI Vernon after being named Good Citizen of the Year (photo by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

Kidston and Company LLP, who sponsored this year’s award, committed $500 to the charity of Stewart’s choice.

Stewart said she had originally thought of donating the money to the Towne Theatre, but that organization is already planning many fundraising events for the year.

“I’m thinking [Towne Theatre is] doing okay, I would really like to see [the money] go to the Vernon Jazz Club,” said Stewart, adding that the Jazz Club is completely run by volunteers.

“It is a gem, but we can’t seem to get enough people to come and experience, and when they do, they go ‘Holy wow, this is amazing!’ but it’s not known so I think that the strength of the Jazz Club is getting stronger and I’d like to give them a little extra boost to maybe do some of the things that we need to be done to maintain it.”

Cathie Stewart with representatives from Kidston Company LLC, who are making a charitable donation in Stewart’s name (phot by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

by Liam Verster

Cathie Stewart named Good Citizen of the Year

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