FERGUS – An enthusiastic crowd was on hand at the Stone Gable Hall in Fergus last Sunday, as Senator Rob Black was inducted as a Hal Rogers Fellow of the Kin Canada Foundation.
The award, named in honour of Rogers, who founded Kin Canada in 1920, is infrequently bestowed and reserved for those who have made a significant difference to their communities at the local, provincial, or national level. Previous inductees include Wayne Gretzky, Celine Dion and Rick Hansen.
In remarks following the presentation Black spoke of his commitment to giving back to the community.
He noted he has worked for 38 years in the not-for-profit sector, and he highlighted his work in agriculture and the rural sector with OMAFRA and the Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology; the Rural Ontario Institute; and the Senate of Canada.
Particularly close to his heart, Black said, is his work with 4-H at the local, provincial, and national level.
He noted he has the 4-H pledge sitting on his desk in Ottawa and not many days go by that he doesn’t recite it in his head before he begins his work in “the chamber of sober second thought.”
Black added he wouldn’t have been able to achieve what he has without all that he has gained from 4-H over the years.
The senator concluded by thanking the Kin Canada Foundation for the tremendous honour and thanking people who travelled from across the region to attend the ceremony.