Hornby resident earns prestigious Arbor Award

At the recent 4-H Ontario's Volunteer Conference and Annual Meeting, Bert Stewart of Hornby, representing the Halton 4-H Association, was presented with a Syngenta 4H Ontario Arbor Award for his outstanding volunteer work with the Ontario 4-H program. The other volunteers recognized with Syngenta 4-H Ontario Arbor Awards were: Don Dodds, Huron; John Drummond, Waterloo; Mike Winch, York; and Bill Zwambag, Middlesex. "If it wasn't for Bert Stewart I likely wouldn't be in 4-H right now," said nominator Jennifer Peart. "And I definitely wouldn't be planning for my last year in 4-H." A devoted youth advocate, Stewart was instrumental in founding two of the most prestigious dairy 4-H events there are. In 2004, he was recognized for his part in creating the Scotiabank Classic-- formerly known as Scotiabank Hays Classic. In its 26-year existence, the show has become the most prestigious dairy calf show in the world and is credited as a major encouragement in retaining senior dairy 4-H members. In 1990, Stewart was influential in creating the Ontario InterCounty Provincial Dairy Judging Competition. The ultimate goal of the competition is to be selected as one of four team members representing Ontario at the 4-H Dairy Judging Competition at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin on the Ontario Dairy Judging Team-- a team coached and chaperoned by Stewart himself for its 16-year existence. Currently, Stewart serves as the president of the Canadian 4-H Council. Outside of 4-H, Stewart's efforts still remain focused on youth and the dairy industry. Since 1994, he has served as a trustee of the Ontario Dairy Youth Trust Fund, a Trust Fund that has raised and spent more than $250,000 on dairy youth events in the province. Active in his community and the Holstein industry, he has earned the respect and recognition of his peers and was honoured at the 2005 World Dairy Expo as the 64th winner of the Klussendorf Trophy-- the highest recognition given to a dairy cattle showman in the United States. "Bert Stewart is one of the 4-H program's greatest and loyal supporters," says Bonnie Cooper, editor of the Holstein Journal. "Bert is a very deserving candidate for the Arbor Award." For more information on 4-H Ontario visit www.4-hontario.ca or call 1-877-410-6748.