Moments before Shirley Gratton received Prince George's highest civic honour on Monday afternoon at Fort George Park, she had an inkling something was up.
Gratton has been invited to the Kiwanis bandshell at the Celebrate Canada festival under the auspices that she would help present an award alongside Mayor Shari Green, but soon realized she would be the one honoured.
"I looked over on [the mayor's] sheet and I saw my name there," Gratton said. "I thought, what else could I win?"
There have been no shortage of accolades for the long-time city volunteer and former city councillor, including being named Citizen of the Year in 2004. But Monday's award was even more special as Gratton is only the 13th recipient of the Freeman of the City award. She was recognized for work over the years in everything from local sports, to arts and crafts to community development.
"It is just a very prestigious award, I'm very humbled," Gratton said.
The Freeman award comes with a key to the city and is handed out only by unanimous consent of city council, something that happened recently in a private meeting.
Gratton began her civic involved as a teenager in Salmon Valley, helping raise money for a community hall. Over the years she's also help raise funds for a host of sporting pursuits, she has been involved with the B.C. Northern Exhibtion (formerly PGX) for 65 years and helped spur a number of community beautification projects. With a passion for history, Gratton has also been involved in a variety of local historical organizations like Prince George Hydro Power Pioneers and Huble Homestead.
"It's safe to say that she's certainly had a hand in many initiatives that we've all come to expect in the Prince George landscape," Green said.
With so much to choose from, Gratton said the project closest to her heart was helping to get the ball facilities at Heather Park built. After a trip to Missouri, Gratton remembers being told by an American baseball official that Prince George would never be able to put on a top notch tournament.
"When we built it [the official] said, 'you'll never be able to put on a tournament like we do.' I said, 'do you want to bet,' " Gratton recalled. "When the [minor baseball] commissioner from Washington came up kept talking about what a wonderful tournament we had."
Helping spruce up the city through projects like Communities in Bloom and hanging baskets are still special for Gratton.
"There's many things that continue to pop up," she said.
Gratton also had two stints on city council, from 1992 to 2002 and again from 2005 to 2008.
"Former council colleagues will tell you she's always made decisions carefully, with the best interest of the community at heart," Green said.
As a former councillor, Gratton knows all about the Freeman award - even the obscure privileges which come with the honour.
"I know in the rules of the Freeman of the City, you are allowed to graze your cow on city hall's lawn," she said, noting her grandfather used to do just that in the very early days of the city.
Gratton doesn't have a cow of her own, but that won't stop her from exploring the possibility of exercising the full rights of her new status.
"I don't have [a cow], but I can can find one," she said.
