A Port Perry woman has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship in recognition of nearly 30 years of dedicated volunteer service to the youth of Durham Region.
Margaret Ayres, the executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Durham, received the prestigious provincial honour after being nominated by her sister and supported by staff and board members who wrote letters to the province on her behalf. Ayres had no idea she was being considered for the award and was completely surprised when she received the phone call while sitting outside the organization’s building in Port Perry.
It blew me away. I was shocked, Ayres said, choking up slightly while looking at her medal. It makes me emotional because it is a huge compliment and a huge honour to receive that.
Ayres has spent nearly three decades with Big Brothers Big Sisters, beginning as a volunteer before eventually taking on the role of executive director of the North Durham chapter about 20 years ago. The charitable organization provides one-on-one mentoring programs for youth in Brock, Uxbridge, and Scugog, offering both traditional mentorship pairings and in-school programs across northern Durham Region.
Under her leadership, the organization has grown to serve children from grades 1 through 8. The in-school mentoring program pairs adult volunteers with children for one hour per week, providing individual attention that can make a significant difference in a child’s educational and personal development. These classrooms can have 30 or more kids. Sometimes that one child just needs one hour away from all that hecticness to have an hour for themselves, Ayres explained.
Ayres recalled one particular mentoring experience that has stayed with her for decades. A young boy she mentored had lost his mother at an early age and was struggling in grade school, expressing a desire to drop out. She began teaching him life skills she thought his mother would have taught him, including cooking and arts and crafts.
When she first met him, he was in Grade 6. In the years that followed, she watched him overcome the challenges of his early youth and grow into a happy and productive member of the community. He is now engaged, owns a home, and completed his education — a testament to the lasting impact that consistent mentorship can have on a young person’s life trajectory.
Although she was deeply honoured by the provincial medal, Ayres emphasized that she never got into volunteering for recognition or celebration. For her and many of the volunteers she works with, the real reward comes from the memories and lifelong connections formed through mentoring relationships that span years and sometimes decades.
I do what I do because I love what I do, Ayres said. If we all got along a little better and helped each other out, it would be a much better world.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Durham is entirely funded through community fundraising efforts and relies on dedicated volunteers to deliver its mentoring programs. The organization is always looking for new mentors to pair with children across Durham Region who could benefit from having a positive adult role model in their lives.
