A Castlegar resident was recognized at the 14th Annual BC Communities in Bloom Awards Banquet in Abbotsford last Thursday.
Darlene Kalawsky was awarded the BC Communities in Bloom (CiB) Community Champion Award in recognition for her ongoing work in Castlegar and for her work at the provincial and national levels of the Communities in Bloom organization.
Kalawsky was instrumental in starting Castlegar Sculpturewalk, which now has the designation of Sculpture Capital of Canada. She devotes time to many initiatives including the Library Board, Rotary, the Canadian Peony Society, the Heritage Community Food Bank, the SPCA, Concerts in the Park, Adopt-a-Road, Nature Fest, the Pass Creek Fall Fair, the Garden Tour and the Royal Canadian Legion. Kalawsky also serves on the board of numerous non-profit organizations.
Kalawsky started the beautification of Castlegar when she joined CiB approximately 14 years ago. Her motivation and drive have pushed Castlegar to become a major tourist attraction. Kalawsky’s tireless and selfless efforts do not go unnoticed by citizens of Castlegar, tourists and especially by her devoted Castlegar CiB volunteers.