Introducing the 2023 Elkford Citizen of the Year!
The District of Elkford is thrilled to announce the 2023 Citizen of the Year: Steve Wood!
If you drive along Highway 43 regularly, chances are that you’ve seen this dedicated good Samaritan out collecting litter and cans from the road shoulders and ditches. Whether he’s working solo or has assembled other volunteers to help, Wood made it his mission to keep our highways and forests cleaner and safer for wildlife, cyclists and motorists alike. He was also nominated for his commitment to collecting and donating cans to Twin Meadows Animal Rescue (TMARS) and for his ongoing contributions to the Elkford Snowmobile Association (ESA).
Wood has lived in Elkford for a decade with his lovely wife, Pam, having previously visited for several seasons to enjoy the epic snowmobiling conditions that Elkford has to offer. He loves the mountains and endless opportunities for outdoor adventures and has been a passionate sledder all his life.
“Steve Wood volunteers his time to any organization or person who asks,” says his nominator. “He is a huge advocate for keeping Elkford’s roads and forests clean, and he does this while helping TMARS raise funds for the benefit of local rescue animals in the process. He also goes above and beyond to help groom the local snowmobile trails—sometimes on his own dime—for the ESA, just out of pure love of the sport and sharing that passion with others.”
What prompted Wood to get involved? Simple: he cares and likes to help! Wood’s highway cleanup efforts were an initiative he undertook on his own after seeing the mess left when the snow melted. In addition to donating the bottles and cans collected during cleanup, he asks others to drop off their cans for TMARS. He also had the honour of becoming trail boss for the ESA this year, too, and says he’s loving every minute of it.
“On behalf of the District of Elkford and our community, we thank Steve Wood for his outstanding contributions to our community,” says Elkford’s Mayor Steve Fairbairn. “We’re beyond fortunate to have citizens like Steve here, and we congratulate him on being named as the 2023 Citizen of the Year! It’s an honour well deserved, and if you see him and other volunteers out collecting litter from the shoulders and ditches, please slow down and move over for them. Better yet: stop littering already and give them a hand!”
When asked what he enjoys most about his volunteer efforts, Wood says “I have been involved with clubs and doing trail grooming for 25 years. Nice to get people together, socializing and working together!”
Please join us in congratulating Steve Wood! It’s people like him who make our community such a wonderful place to live, and it’s an honour to recognize a citizen so deserving of this award!
