Canada Day in Arnprior honours community members of the year

While Canadians take July 1 to celebrate their country, the town of Arnprior also applauds the great Canadians in town that make it so special.

The Volunteer of the Year and Senior of the Year awards were presented during Canada Day festivities at Robert Simpson Park Saturday.

Glen Arthur was recognized as Arnprior's Volunteer of the Year. Arthur is the town's former recreation director, who already has an arena at the Nick Smith Centre named after him and helped coordinate the Santa Claus parade.

"Anything that can make people smile, in a nutshell," Arthur said, when asked about the highlights of his volunteerism.

"Doesn't it really matter what it is. If you could do something to help people enjoy themselves and smile, that's really what it's all about."

Lois and Eric Ridgen were named Arnprior's Seniors of the Year. The couple, ages 90 and 95, have spent the last 52 years in Arnprior.

Lois was a long-time nurse at the Arnprior hospital and currently knits quilts which are donated. Eric currently volunteers his time at the town's archives and previously helped found Arnprior's naturalists club and the Macnamara Trail.

"It's nice to know that people appreciated the work that's gone into what we did," Lois said.

"I'm sure there are many, many others in this town who deserve this sort of award as well," added Eric.

Mayor Lisa McGee said it is people like them in the town of Arnprior that embody what being a true Canadian is about.

"They're just three people of many hundreds of volunteers that make up Arnprior," McGee told CTV News.

"Being Canadian and in Arnprior, it's a sense of community," she went on to say. "We are all together we are all one coast to coast, and even more so in Arnprior where the sense of community is what had me fall in love with it in the first place."

A number of events were on throughout the town for families to enjoy this Canada Day.

A pancake breakfast was held at the Nick Smith Centre, followed by a bike decorating contest and parade down to Robert Simpson Park, where afternoon festivities took place.

The town says recreational fireworks are permitted this weekend, but are being discouraged. Instead, the town of Arnprior is inviting residents to view the professional fireworks show taking place at dusk over the river at Madawaska Boulevard.