2021 Municipal Award Recipients

Gleb Evstigneev is a leader for the trampoline program both at Campia Gymnastics and Gymnastics NL. He was also named Campia's and NL Trampoline's Athlete of the Year for 2019. He has won many medals and accolades on both the provincial and national level and is the first athlete to represent NL at the Canadian National Championships. After impressing the judges at the national competition, the Canadian Olympic Team Coach Dave Ross invited Gleb to train at the Skyriders 2020 Junior Team Trampoline Training Camp alongside some of Canada's best trampoline coaches and athletes. Even with the challenges brought on by Covid-19, Gleb remained committed to his training and participated in various virtual classes. Outside of sport, Gleb is a grade 11 honours student at Mount Pearl Senior High and is a member of his school's Improv Club.

Katie Slaney is a student at Mount Pearl School of Dance, where she partakes in five dance classes per week and has won multiple medals and invites to other competitions. She participates in an exam ballet class and most recently passed her Rad 4 exam. Katie also takes several figure skating training classes each week, including jump, stretch, and conditioning, and last year she trained with the Canadian Ice Academy. For the past four years, she has been a Program Assistant with the Mount Pearl-Paradise Skating Club and has also volunteered at many seminars/events across the province as a demonstrator for the younger groups.

Jillian Hutchings is an accomplished athlete who shows leadership in her approach to sport and demonstrates a deep determination to succeed. In 2020, Jillian returned to soccer to play in the Women's Intermediate League (Tier II). This was after several years away from the sport during which she was focusing on her passion for gymnastics. Jillian quickly demonstrated her athleticism and drive, and during 2020, Jillian was the league's dominant scorer with 15 goals, scoring three hat-tricks for the Paradise Parker Drilling team. Through Jillian's strong work ethic and athleticism, she helped to propel her team to first place in the league at the end of the season. As an accomplished gymnast, Jillian has competed in the Canada Games and has received the highest overall result for an NL athlete. She was named the Provincial and Atlantic Champion in 2019 and achieved fourth place finish in the Eastern Canadian Championships.

Kyle Murphy is the Women’s Assistant Head Coach at Campia Gymnastics and is responsible for mentoring staff, training coaches, and working with over 60 athletes. In 2019, Kyle coached 16 gymnasts who went on to great success at the Provincial, Atlantic and National levels and performed as Interim Program Director at Campia Gymnastics which is responsible for overseeing over 1000 members. In addition to this, Kyle volunteers at Gymnastics NL and has judged at all invitational and provincial competitions in 2019 and 2020. Over the COVID-19 pandemic, Kyle has been instrumental in guiding multiple athletes through virtual training sessions and helped athletes safely return to the sport. 

Keira Gullage is a 16 year old high school student at Mount Pearl Senior High. She excels in all her schoolwork and has been named to the Principal's List of Distinction multiple times. From 2019 - 2020 Keira played rugby with her school team and placed second at the Provincial Girls Rugby Championship. During the same period, Keira also participated in cheer at Coast Wave Elite and competed in numerous competitions. She has her Junior Lifeguard certification, has represented Paradise in the Miss Achievement NL Leadership Program, was awarded a bursary from the Government of NL, and completed a three-week summer program in learning French at the Campus Notre Dame de Foy. As a Girl Guide, Keira took part in numerous volunteer activities, including planting trees, visiting seniors, and town clean-ups, and has raised money for the Janeway Telethon by making bracelets and selling them in the community. 

Greg Barton is a long-standing dedicated member of the Paradise sporting community and Paradise Minor Hockey. Yearly he takes time off his very demanding professional career to oversee player evaluations and offers his guidance whenever possible to help every child involved with the league. Not wanting anything in return, Greg dedicates his time to help those around him. As a newly appointed board member of Paradise Minor Hockey, Greg has proven to be a great friend and mentor and is often called upon for his experience and leadership. He is always available and is open to new ideas to help improve our sport and community. Greg is a proud resident and an exceptional Paradise Warrior leader, coach, parent, and President.

Judy Sparks had dedicated her life to community service. Most notably, her career path began with serving her country as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces for some 35 years. Since returning to her home community of Paradise, Judy took an active role in the Paradise Centennial Lions Club. She has chaired several initiatives, including Voices for Women and Lions Quest. She has been involved with various club activities, including meal preparation at Ronald McDonald House, an eyeglasses clinic at the Gathering Place, breakfasts at Elizabeth Park Elementary, food drives, open mic nights, and many fundraisers to help those most in need. In addition to her charitable work, Judy plays an active role on Town committees, including Snow and Ice, Sun Splash, Paradise 50th Anniversary Committee, and has helped with the Christmas parade, Dragon Boat Festival, and Canada Day Celebrations. Judy has been named Lion of the Year by her Lions Club and an Outstanding Citizen by the provincial House of Assembly.

Since starting in 1994, the BELFOR operation has grown from five employees to 20 managerial staff and 100 service technicians, with 100 per cent locally employed staff. Their extensive range of services includes marine, offshore, commercial, industrial and residential duct cleaning, robotic HVAC inspections and cleaning, fire stopping, environmental remediation, mold remediation, emergency property services, property damage restoration, and new home construction. They are a company that accepts its leadership role in terms of doing the right things, the right way, for the right reasons. Their commitment to ethical standards and environmental responsibility, combined with their support staff and concern for the public interest, has allowed them to build a sustainable and robust business. BELFOR encourages work-life balance for all its employees, supports valuable employee training, offers employee recognition, awards, and benefits, and recognizes the importance of team-building. Beyond this, BELFOR also supports the communities in which they serve through volunteering and charitable donations and is an active member in a variety of industry associations. BELFOR is a proud member of the Paradise business community.

Premier Sports Academy (PSA) is Newfoundland & Labrador's only indoor baseball and softball facility. Employing a highly trained coaching staff, PSA runs a series of unique programs, including, but not limited to, Full Year Off-Season Development Programs, Private Training (1-on-1 or Group), Seminars, and Special Guest Camps. Starting operations in 2020, PSA faced a number of business challenges, most notably the Covid-19 pandemic. With resiliency and determination, PSA used their downtime to strengthen and expand their business. Most notably, they have started a podcast, begun a development program with 100 athletes, have signed partnerships with major sports brands Mizuno and Jaeger sports, sponsored Baseball Newfoundland's High-Performance Program, and also sponsored a 16U baseball team. Premier Sports Academy looks to give young athletes a stepping-stone towards furthering themselves toward collegiate or professional baseball/softball and strives to be an alternative to help everyone be more happy, healthy, and communal.

Walter Pennell Place located at 15 McNamara Drive at been a business pillar in the Town of Paradise since 2019. The building is named after a town resident, Mr. Walter Pennell, a contractor who helped build the first Town Hall and several residential properties. Complementing the surrounding neighbourhoods while keeping the business community's needs in mind, this building has been excellently maintained both inside and out. Housing four Paradise businesses, with room to grow, Walter Pennell Place is kept clean and beautiful through regular interior/exterior maintenance, consistent gardening, and attractive external lighting. 

Mobile Smile NL is a fully mobile clinic for dental exams, screening, scaling, cleaning, polishing, and fluoride treatments and was the first mobile dental clinic to become established in the province. Owned by Katherine Peddle, this clinic offers an alternative solution to those that are unable to visit their dental practitioner for check-ups and cleanings and also provides screenings for those with no teeth, which can address denture-related issues and detect early stages of oral cancer. Recognizing the immediate challenges caused by Covid-19, Katherine looked to address an increased number of mobility and accessibility complications for people needing oral health care. Mobile Smiles NL is fully equipped for service delivery and illustrates how traditional methods plus innovation and creativity can yield quick, efficient service delivery.