By Shazia Nazir, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter
A Tilbury woman with decades of volunteer service has been nationally recognized for her contributions to the community.
Katharine Smyth was among 64 recipients of the Governor General’s Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers, which honours individuals who have made exceptional and sustained volunteer contributions in Canada and abroad.
Smyth, who runs Katharine’s Bed and Breakfast in Tilbury with her husband Doug, has long been a fixture in the community. The couple, married for decades, raised four children and are now grandparents to nine.
Smyth’s roots in volunteerism trace back to her youth, when she joined the Kent County Junior Farmers and reported for CFCO Radio’s Harold Smith show. Her service continued through her adult life, including involvement in Scouts, Girl Guides, and at the local ball diamond.
Even while raising a young family, Smyth found time to give back. After a period at home with her children, she returned to the workforce as a medical laboratory technologist, beginning as a volunteer phlebotomist at St. Joseph’s Hospital before earning a full-time role.
In retirement, her commitment to service only grew. She served as treasurer of the Tilbury Chamber of Commerce and BIA for six years, joined the Chatham-Kent First Impressions Exchange program through OMAFRA, and worked on the Tilbury Revitalization Committee.
A passionate gardener, Smyth joined the local Horticultural Society—serving as a past president—and became a certified floral judge through the Ontario Horticultural Association (OHA). She eventually served as District 11 Director, vice-president, and president of the OHA, and still sits on several of its committees. She was instrumental in producing the Garden Ontario Journal on Vegetables.
Smyth has also trained as a culinary judge, volunteering at numerous agricultural fairs.
Her work with Communities in Bloom began in 2008. As a judge for more than 10 years, she has helped evaluate communities across Canada and internationally based on criteria including tidiness, heritage conservation, urban forestry and floral displays. Chatham-Kent was named a national winner in 2010.
Smyth’s dedication doesn’t stop there. She has served on boards for United Way of Chatham-Kent, St. Paul’s Congregational Church, and Chatham-Kent Tourism. She’s also a long-standing member of the Chatham-Kent Heritage Committee and has been part of Beta Sigma Phi, a cultural and service organization, since 1965.
In 2018, she co-chaired the beautification committee for the International Plowing Match in Chatham-Kent and helped lead the Tilbury Nine-Hole Ladies Golf Group.
Her wide-ranging interests include gardening, canning, photography, birding, sewing, quilting and baking specialty cakes. She also enjoys welcoming guests at her bed and breakfast.
Smyth said she was overwhelmed with emotion upon learning she had received the honour. She encouraged others to recognize volunteers in their own communities.
“There are so many deserving people who help run our local organizations,” she said. “They deserve to be nominated too.”
Nominations for the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers can be submitted at https://caring.gg.ca.
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