Volunteers play a crucial role in creating positive change. There is power in being able to recognize local needs, like a gap in sports inclusion or lack of live music and entertainment, and offer support that directly addresses the need and improves the quality of life within the community. The City’s latest Heart of Gold civic award recipients have made a lasting impact on Timmins.

Julia Romauldi - figure skater, public speaker, medal winner, and athlete leader – can add national influencer and inspiration to her long list of accomplishments. Selected to support Tim Horton’s latest Global Day of Inclusion campaign, Julia spoke eloquently about the importance of inclusion and improving opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Now, Julia is being recognized with a Heart of Gold civic award from the City of Timmins for the positive contributions she has made in her own hometown. Her list of accomplishments is long, and highlights her tenacity and passion to mentor and encourage young athletes, support Special Olympics, and advocate on behalf of the Canadian Down Syndrome Society. Julia is the founder and administrator for the local Special Olympics Facebook group in Timmins, which celebrates the accomplishments of our local athletes, while reinforcing the importance of inclusion in sports. She actively fundraises for the Law Enforcement Torch Run, Bell Let’s Talk Day, is a volunteer coach for both the CanSkate Program and Special Olympics Fundamentals Program, and is a board member for Special Olympics Ontario.

Julia’s efforts inspire meaningful social change, promoting equal rights and opportunities. To meet Julia is to understand that when we help break down the systemic barriers that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities face, both the individual and the community thrive.

And then there’s the Timmins Festivals and Events Committee (TFEC). A powerhouse of volunteer drive and determination. One group whose objective was to bring live music back to Timmins on a large scale. Big name rock and pop artists. Chart-topping country stars. Crowds of screaming audience fans in the wash of stage lights and a pounding sound system. Over a decade of rocking the river and Timmins, with a move to a larger outdoor venue to accommodate more people and more music. With “Rock on the River” came “Beerfest” and “Rocktoberfest” and more ways to fundraise for the star headliner, like Timmins’ own Preston Pablo, who will be playing a sold-out show at the McIntyre Community Centre in May.

For local music fans, TFEC reinvented the outdoor concert experience. For music enthusiasts, it meant a trip to Timmins. “Rock on the River” puts heads in beds and boosts local summer tourism, with an economic value of over $500K annually, including the residuals from food, beverage sales, vendors, and more. The event gets Timmins noticed. TFEC supports local retailers, restaurants, and hotels, and there’s no sign of slowing down. The group is working to perfect sustainable live entertainment production, rain or shine.

John Olaveson, Jeremy Wilson, Sean Harris, Norm Dwyer, Sara Bertrand, Sarah Tonelli, Lise Groulx, and Paul Pigeau, thanks for making Timmins rock even more!

Recipients of the Heart of Gold Recognition Program are recognized during a regular meeting of council. Residents are encouraged to nominate someone they know who has made a positive impact on the community or achieved outstanding accomplishment in the following categories:
• Volunteer and Community Service
• Youth Community and Civic Engagement
• Achievement in Sports
• Achievement in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics)

For the nomination form and program eligibility, visit: https://www.timmins.ca/our_services/city_hall/mayor_and_council/heart_of_gold_civic_recognition_program