Owen Dickie’s death is obviously a significant loss for his family and all of Lake Country, but it’s also an opportunity to celebrate who he was.
For anyone who knew Dickie, even in passing, he was full of life and always had a smile.
But more importantly, he willingly gave of himself and particularly to Oyama, which he had called home since 1989.
“He was a doer and he was always there. He always had an idea to move things forward,” said Deb Butler, an Oyama Community Club member.
Dickie was a fixture around the community hall, lending a hand with maintenance or looking after the community garden. He also helped out at Oyama Fun Day or during Christmas and Halloween festivities.
When he thought that there was even more he could do for the community, he was elected as Oyama’s representative to Lake Country council in 2011.
“He was a hard worker and he had the welfare of the community at heart. Every committee he was on he was a major asset,” said Mayor James Baker.
He pushed for seniors housing and was an early advocate for preserving the rail corridor for recreation. Parks were enhanced because of his efforts and he pushed for greater public access to council meetings through new hearing systems.
At a time when cynicism exists about politicians, Dickie entered public office for all of the right reasons — to serve.
So as we mourn his death, we should consider ourselves fortunate that he made life better for our region.