By Jill Sperling

YMCA honours two Kamloops peacemakers

Jan 30, 2019 | 10:58 AM

KAMLOOPS — Two local peacemakers were honoured with YMCA Peace Medals Tuesday evening. 

Dominique Baird is an advocate for the employment and inclusion of people with diverse abilities, able to speak from personal experiences as a person with Down syndrome. 

26-year-old Baird has volunteered with People in Motion since she was 14 years old and is a hostess at the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Kamloops. 

She found out she would receive the medal a week ago and says she was speechless. 

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“It’s such an honour,” Baird said. “I can’t believe one of my best friends nominated me in Novermber. I feel blessed, happy, glad and loved. I have never felt this loved before by everyone here.”

The second recipient of a peace medal was Dr. George Johnson, a TRU professor and writer. 

Johnson has been part of the Kamloops United Church congregation for more than 25 years and for most of that time has chaired the Global and Community Action Committee. 

He is a social activist, promoting the White Poppy Campaign, and sitting on the committee for last year’s Walk for Peace and Social Justice. 

“I was thrilled, I was surprised,” Johnson said. “Sometimes when you’re a writer you’re not in the community all the time, because you’re writing and it’s an isolated occupation, but it’s great to be recognized publicly in this way. I’m really thrilled.”