The YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce has awarded this year’s Peace Medallion to Lynn Silverton of Grey Highlands.
The YMCA says, “Silverton is an inclusive community leader through her chairmanship of the Grey Highland’s Peace Committee, Grey Highland’s Police Service Board, the Grey Highland’s Seniors’ Advisory Committee, Grey County Cares and many more.”
Each year, YMCAs from across Canada recognize those who, without any special resources, status, wealth, or position, have demonstrated a commitment to peace through special
contributions made within their community and globally.
A release from the YMCA says “Silverton is an inclusive community leader who identifies and shares community-building tasks, challenges and opportunities rather than hoarding them. Her ‘You can help’ message is inspiring because it reinforces the idea that we all own the pursuit of solutions to community problems.”
They add, “She is able to execute her drive for inclusion through her chairmanship, within the last two years of the Grey Highlands Peace Committee, the Grey Highlands Police Services Board, the Grey Highlands Seniors’ Advisory Committee and Grey County Cares; through Vice Chairmanship of the Grey Highlands Public Library Board; and through Presidency of the Flesherton-Markdale Legion and the Markdale Rotary Club. She accomplishes this as well through her membership during the past two years on the boards of six other civic organizations in Grey Highlands.”
The YMCA adds, as the Chair of Grey County Cares, (an organization raising funds and supplies in Grey County to help Ukrainian newcomers) Silverton drew on her own experience as an immigrant to help ten Ukrainian families escape war and settle in Grey County.
They say on top of all that, Silverton finds opportunities for the Peace Committee to partner with other groups on projects. In October 2022, she took the lead in bringing together the Peace Committee, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (Priceville), the Grey Highlands Public Library, the Old Durham Road Black Pioneer Cemetery Committee, JunCtian Community Initiatives and the Sheffield Park Black History and Cultural Museum to hold a community event in Priceville honouring an early Canadian Presbyterian abolitionist leader, Michael Willis.
The YMCA says, “Silverton demonstrates all the YMCA values of PEACE: Participation, Empathy, Advocacy, Community and Empowerment.”
Sarah Cowley, CEO of the YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce says, “Her advocacy and commitment is truly inspirational.”
Since 1987, some 2,000 individuals and groups across Canada have been recognized with YMCA Peace Medals during YMCA World Peace Week.
In Grey Bruce, they have honoured 24 individuals and 13 groups from our community.
