Ellen Whittaker-Brown – Friendship Award

Ellen Whittaker-Brown has been a resident of the rural community of the Kingston Peninsula for many years and has also been a teacher/principle at our only school, Macdonald Consolidated School which covers Kindergarten to Grade 8, for many years. Ellen is a very hands on teacher/principle who is affectionately known by students and teachers alike as “Miss Ellen”.

Miss Ellen is very active in the school as well as many other community organizations, including Peninsula Br 62. For many years she has been coordinating our Remembrance School Church service between the Legion and the Church Minister. Following the service, the legion and auxiliary members are invited into the library to socialize with the Grade 5 class students and enjoy some cookies and hot chocolate. This is a highlight for the grade 5 students as well as the legion members.

Ellen as assists with our Nov 11th Remembrance Day Service by reading the names of our honour role and other local deceased Veterans who are having wreathes being laid in their honour. She also coordinates speakers to come into the school and talk to the students on special historical events such as Battle of the Somme, Vimy Ridge etc as well as Modern Day Veterans and their contributions in our military history.

Miss Ellen also coordinates our Canada Day Poster and Essay Contest between the school and Canada Day Committee. She is able to make suggestions on selections if we are having a hard time as she knows her students’ circumstances and is able to advise when student has put a tremendous effort into the project.

Ellen Whittaker-Brown sits on the Friends of the Peninsula Board and she is one the members that knows the importance of the Legion to the Community. Peninsula Br. 62 has benefited from several substantial donations from this organization that Ellen is the Secretary of. These include a commercial generator, which allows the Legion to operate as a warming center and funds for building repairs that otherwise we would not have been able to afford a couple of years ago.

The legion, as well as several organizations and two fire departments on the peninsula, have also benefited from donations of AED Machines and replacement pads. These are very important items as we are a rural community which can take upwards to an hour to make it to hospital. Ellen coordinates these devices between groups during the winter and summer so that they are placed around the area to have the maximum coverage. She has also given our legion group members and others training on how to use the machines in case of an emergency.

Ellen was our contact for the Bells of Peace program at the school and church she attends.

Ellen also coordinates the school breakfast, meal and milk program which provided nutritious meals to students that come to school hungry and/or have no lunch.

Ellen is a regular attendee to our Sunday brunches. She is not only a friend to the Legion she also assists other groups arounds the Peninsula such as loaning equipment for the annual Summerville Church “pop-up-gallery”.

Ellen is always on the go, doing something usually without fanfare but with a true sense of civic duty with the care and dedication of life long community minded person.