Image (left to right): Daisy Wai, David Heppenstall, and Hon. Raymond Cho. Photo credit: Nanda Lwin.
MINISTRY OF CITIZENSHIP & MULTICULTURALISM — The Province of Ontario recognizes David Heppenstall with an Ontario Volunteer Service Award, presented by Members of Provincial Parliament Daisy Wai and The Honourable Raymond Cho. This Award celebrates volunteers who have provided long-time volunteer service to an organization, acknowledging their significant contributions and impact to the community.
David’s recognition highlights his active engagement with and dedication to the Ruskin Literary and Debating Society. Established in Toronto in 1900, the Society’s mission for over a century has been to enhance its members’ public speaking skills through the exploration of literary, social, political, and economic topics. This unwavering commitment to its founding principles has fostered a thriving community that continues to flourish today.
David humbly acknowledges the collective volunteer efforts of the entire active membership of the Society. Thus, he wishes to share this recognition with every other member, unreservedly expressing that many others are equally — and more — deserving of this accolade. The success of the Society is directly attributable to the unwavering commitment and hard work of many individuals. To his friend, Nanda Lwin, David expresses sincere thanks for the nomination.
David dedicates this Award to the memory of two of his late friends at the Society: Michael Robert Doody (2023) and Andrew Malcolm Crabtree (2024). Their loss is as profound as was their commitment to the Society. Andrew and Michael’s unwavering volunteerism truly embodied the spirit of the Ontario Volunteer Service Awards. David is grateful to walk in their shadow. 💮