HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-12-14, Page 11THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2017. PAGE 11.
Peach honoured with 2017 Latornell Award
LATORNELL UNIVERSITY
(GUELPH
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LATORNELL
Quite an honour
Geoff Peach of Blyth was honoured posthumously with the 2017 Latornell Leadership Award
for his work with the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation. His wife Cheryl and
daughter Kathryn were in Alliston recently to accept the award in his honour. From left:
Carolyn O'Neill, manager of the Great Lakes office of the Ministry of the Environment and
Climate Change; Cheryl Peach; Pat Donnelly, co-founder of the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal
Conservation and Kathryn Peach. (Courtesy photo)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
The late Geoff Peach of Blyth has
again been honoured for his hard
work and dedication towards
conservation over the course of his
career.
Late last month, Peach was
posthumously presented with the
2017 Latornell Leadership Award
for his work with the Lake Huron
Centre for Coastal Conservation. He
was awarded alongside Brian Kelly
from the Regional Municipality of
Durham, Mark Heaton from the
Ministry of Natural Resources and
Dr. Steven Cooke of Carleton
University.
Peach's wife Cheryl and daughter
Kathryn were on hand at the
Latornell Conservation Symposium
in late November in Alliston to
receive the award on behalf of
Geoff.
Patrick Donnelly, the Coastal
Science and Stewardship Advisor
for the centre, said that Peach had
worked hard to leave the centre in a
good place after he passed away.
"Geoff has left the Coastal Centre
in great shape and his good work
lives on, embedded with the four
full-time staff, an office in Goderich,
an impressive list of funded projects
and a group of dedicated volunteer
Board of Directors...," Donnelly
said. "Geoff's legacy lives on and I
believe this award named after Art
Latornell and recognizing Art's
unique mentoring abilities is a very
fitting tribute for my friend and
business partner."
Cheryl said that while the centre is
certainly celebrating success, it is
still challenged to obtain core
funding and donations as a non-
profit organization.
However, both she and Kathryn
said Geoff would have been greatly
honoured to win the award.
"It is amazing how much one can
influence others and do it so gently,
strategically and with humour. All
with the belief and vision of keeping
these lands and waters here to enjoy
for future generations," Cheryl said.
"Geoff was a true mentor and
educator - he worked for the
community and the public ... he
readily and freely shared his
knowledge and expertise with
coastal communities, his staff,
students, educators and his family, in
order to preserve these beautiful,
natural resources for future
generations"
Kathryn said it has been amazing
to see the recognition for her father
throughout the year.
"Dad always loved to celebrate
events, especially his birthday: for
days, weeks, and on his 50th, it was
the year," she said in her speech.
Well, in true dad style, this too has
been the year of Geoff: the media
stories, donations to his scholarship
fund, the Freshwater Hero Award,
the Geoff Peach Walkway
dedication at Sauble Beach and now
this prestigious award. Although he
was proud of what he had
accomplished, he had no idea of his
impact or how far an audience he
had reached. "
Cheryl agreed, saying that Geoff
taught those around him not only
about the world, but about life and
its importance.
"Geoff taught us, life is not about
personal monetary gain or success. It
is about those you love, staying true
to yourself, and doing what is right
for you, others, and the world in
general," she said.
For more information on the
Latornell Awards, visit the
organization's website at latornell.ca
and for more information on the
Coastal Centre, visit its website at
lakehuron.ca.
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