Our Citizen of the Year for 2016, Owen McLaughlan has been an advocate for Agricultural education in Canowindra for over 36 years, motivating students to seek careers in Agriculture and Science. He has written the Year 11 and Year 12 Agricultural Syllabus in 2011, has been a HSC marker of Agriculture for 16 years and was selected to be the Supervisor or Marking for 5 years. He has been a past president of the Lions and Apex Club, President/Secretary of the Canowindra Football Club for 12 years, President of the Swimming Club for
3 years and is a keen sportsman himself.
Owen is currently Chairman of the Canowindra Community Garden. Our Young Citizen of the Year for 2016, Matthew Harrison, will start his final year
at Canowindra High School this year where he is School Captain. He is a high achiever academically, and also excels as a sportsperson, participating in many local sporting clubs, including Touch Football, Tennis, and cricket where he is a top order batsman with the Canowindra Cricket Club. On a community level Matthew has recently completed his training with the Rural Fire Service and also participates in the ANZAC services in Canowindra. St. Vincent De Paul is a well known outlet in the main street, where the shop provides a place for volunteers to assist with running the business, offering community
and financial support to those in need. The centre provides welfare, care and support as well as providing food, clothing, furniture and accommodation for those requiring assistance. In addition it provides the hospital with newspapers and magazines weekly, supports St. Edwards School, the Christmas Day lunch and Lyndon House, when it was in operation. The group who run this deserve to be congratulated on the wonderful work that they do at the centre.