OTTAWA – Corkery’s Kim Steele’s dedication to fitness and sharing it with her community has earned her the Mayor’s City Builder Award, presented during today’s (Nov. 27) council meeting.

Mayor Jim Watson and West Carleton-March Ward Coun. Eli El-Chantiry presented the Mayor’s City Builder Award to Steele at the start of the city council meeting, in honour of her outstanding volunteerism.

Steele has been offering free fitness classes at the Corkery Community Centre since 2006. Her three weekly classes have expanded access to fitness programming in rural Ottawa. Her classes have also become an avenue for collecting food for new mothers and cards for residents who are sick or in need.

“Steele’s warmth and generosity model the best of community leadership,” the mayor said. “Participants in her classes are mostly women, but entire families, including teenagers and seniors, and people of all fitness levels also attend. In addition to promoting health and fitness, Ms. Steele brings people together, offering an opportunity for participants to forge special bonds that would not otherwise exist.” 

The Mayor’s City Builder Award is a civic honour, created to recognize an individual, group or organization that, through outstanding volunteerism or exemplary action, has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to making our city a better place today and for the future. This may include lifelong service, outstanding acts of kindness, inspiring charitable work, community building or other exemplary achievements.

Individuals, groups or organizations may be nominated by members of city council or the public.

The award is presented at the beginning of each city council meeting.