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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, F eb ru ar y 24 ,2 02 2 | 20 Oakville keeps moving forward, even in adversity The motto of our town is 'avancez', which means go forward. It says it all. We have overcome many challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic will be no exception. Since the time of Oakville's merger with Trafalgar Township and the Village of Bronte in 1962, there were many challenges. Oakville persevered. This is a mere testament to Oakville's tenacity. In our town, we have a distinctive and substantial sense of community that aligns our interests in order to find solutions and overcome challenges. Together, Oakville is a heavyweight when it comes to tackling local issues as well as those that go beyond our borders. We share a profound ethos that this is our home, and we will always strive to preserve and protect our livability. Living in Oakville means we all have a common stake in howwe recover and rebuild, as well as valuing collaboration and innovation. As your humble mayor, I see our resiliency and community spirit time and time again. Two years into the pandemic, we are beginning to see some provincial restrictions relax and begin to enjoy some normalcy. In time, we will be able to lift all health measures as we continue to follow public health guidelines, wear proper masks, and get vaccinated. Regardless of how close we are, let's continue to support and care for one another. Your members of Council, professional staff, engaged residents, and community leaders all share the vision to be Canada's most livable town. This pandemic has only strengthened our resolve and we will make our home the best place to live, together. Lastly, I would like to praise the women, men and young people in our community for adapting to the pandemic despite the changes in the way we work, learn and live. We acknowledge the sacrifices and dedication of our healthcare workers, educators and other essential workers. Challenges and adversity do not stop you from achieving success. They give you the opportunity to achieve more. The spring water of Lake Ontario is shockingly cold but that didn't stop 14- year-old Kyaan Ferenc Bubs Csepreghi from leap- ing into the water from his canoe to save a drowning man earlier this year. To honour his brave de- cision, the young Oakville teen was recently given a Gold St. John Ambulance Lifesaving Award (there are silver and gold catego- ries and the gold recogniz- es the risk to him as a first aider.) Csepreghi and a friend had been paddling in Lake Ontario this past spring when when they noticed a young man struggling in the water. As the two pad- dled closer, Kyaan re- moved his life jacket to give to the individual and when the man didn't respond, Kyaan jumped into the wa- ter. "Kyaan ended up swim- ming below the man to push him up so that his head was out of the water enough to be able to catch his breath. Kyaan wedged the open lifejacket under the man's arms and guided him to hold onto the canoe. Kyan's friend proceeded to paddle with his little broth- er to shore, while Kyaan swam behind them," stated the event summary sub- mitted. "On behalf of St. John Ambulance, I was ho- noured to recognize and congratulate Kyaan for his outstanding heroic ac- tions," said Tim Bauer, Ex- ecutive Director, St. John Ambulance, Halton-Ham- ilton Region. "Kyaan's selfless ac- tions and fast thinking were key to saving this man from drowning. This is a critical reminder for our community; life and death emergency situa- tions occur every day. We all need to ensure we have the skills and knowledge in order to respond as Kyaan did." For St. John Ambulance training options, visit www.sja.ca or call 905-469- 9325 Oakville's Kyaan Ferenc Bubs Csepreghi receives a gold St. John Ambulance Lifesaving Award from executive director Tim Bauer, left, and board chairman Chuck McCormack, St. John Ambulance Halton-Hamilton. St. John Ambulance photo TEEN AWARDED ST. JOHN AMBULANCE LIFESAVING AWARD NEWS