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Hay River names citizen of the year
Georgina Bassett honoured for contributions to communityPaul Bickford Northern News Services Published Monday, March 5, 2012
She was presented with the Alfred Mansell Citizen of the Year Award for 2011 on Friday at the annual gala of the Hay River Chamber of Commerce. Bassett said she was very honoured and "completely surprised" to receive the award. She was very emotional when it dawned on her that she was citizen of the year as the winner's volunteer activities and accomplishments were being listed by the person who nominated her, Gail Marshall. "I just couldn't believe she was talking about me," Bassett said. "I couldn't stop crying." Born and raised on the Hay River Reserve, Bassett is a life-long resident of the Hay River area and a member of K'atl'odeeche First Nation. She is very active in St. Andrew's Anglican Church, where she was ordained a deacon in 2009. As she accepted the citizen of the year award, Bassett also had a "wonderful surprise" of her own. She told the audience that she will be ordained an Anglican priest later this year. After the presentation ceremony, she said the ordination is expected to take place in September or October. Being ordained a priest will allow her to perform more church ceremonies than she can as a deacon, such as offer full communion. "It gives me an opportunity to do more than I am doing now," she said. When asked if she will work full-time as a priest after her ordination, Bassett noted Rev. Vivian Smith will be at St. Andrew's Anglican Church for another year. "Then we'll see," Bassett said. The citizen of the year was also commended for her community activities, including co-ordinating the Hay River Thrift Shop; volunteering at H.H. Williams Memorial Hospital, Woodland Manor and the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre; preaching on the Hay River Reserve; and actively raising money to try and help rebuild the Hay River Reserve's St. Peter's Anglican Church, which was heavily damaged by ice and water during spring breakup in 2008. "I just do it for the love of what I do," she said. Bassett is also working to reclaim her South Slavey language by meeting with elders. She works at Bassett Petroleum, a business she co-owns with her husband, Steve Bassett. The couple has four sons and five grandchildren. Bassett was nominated for the citizen of the year award by Marshall, the Hay River manager of Bassett Petroleum. Another honour – the Customer Service Excellence Award – was also presented at the chamber of commerce gala. The award went to Eddie Lepine, a tire technician at Tire North Ltd., the Kal Tire dealer in Hay River. Lepine, who has worked at Tire North for 17 years, was praised for his expertise, hard work, and fast and courteous service. The Customer Service Excellence Award winner was not at the gala, but the honour was accepted on his behalf by his wife, Dee-Dee Lepine. Eddie Lepine was nominated for the Customer Service Excellence Award by Faye Eliason.
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