Rosalie Power, executive assistant to Mayor Gord Van Tighem, says she was surprised to come home from work and see a Queen's Golden Jubilee award waiting in her mailbox. Power has been a Block Parent for 25 years. - NNSL photo

Yet what did she see in her mailbox recently?

"I wasn't expecting it at all because I know it is a pretty prestigious award, since the mayor got one, you know," said Power who, besides being the mayor's administrative assistant, is also the chair of the Yellowknife North of 60 Block Parent program.

But Linda Patterson, national president of Block Parents Canada, said Power was at the top of her nominations list for the jubilee award.

"Rosalie is a wonderful person," Patterson said from her home in New Brunswick. "She has single-handedly kept our program going in Yellowknife. Without her, we just wouldn't have a program up there at all."

Power has participated in the program for 25 years, and has served as chair in Yellowknife for more than 15 years.

Forty-six-thousand Golden Jubilee awards were given out across Canada this year. Out of 100 nominations submitted by Block Parents Canada, 46 of them were accepted.

Power said she thinks it will be a neat thrill for the mayor to her award alongside his own.

"I can't wait for him to get back into to town to show it to him," Power said in an interview before Christmas, noting van Tighem was on vacation for the holiday.