Through more than 30 years as a minister at Norval United Church and his involvement in various community groups, Paul Ivany couldn’t help but notice how many people are willing to help.
“One of the things I’ve learned is there are a lot of good people who want to make a difference,” he said.
So when Doug Penrice called to tell Ivany that he’d been named the Georgetown Lions Citizen of the Year for 2024, Ivany thought the call was to recommend someone else for the honour.
“It was a bit of shock,” Ivany said. “It’s not something you do for accolades. You see needs arise and you see what needs to be done to make a difference.”
Though his role at the church was his introduction to the community, over the years Ivany’s volunteer involvement has reached almost every aspect of life in town. His contributions have included: providing grief counselling, chairing the Norval Community Association, serving as a member of the Georgetown hospital pastoral care team, coordinating suicide prevention training, and working with organizations supporting the LGBTQ+ and Indigenous communities, people living with cancer, and women and children fleeing abuse.
In all, the Georgetown Lions Club press release announcing Ivany as Citizen of the Year lists 19 different ways in which he's made a difference.
It was a need in the community that brought Ivany to town. He was living in Brampton and working in social services in Toronto. He had a young family, but would often leave for work before his kids were out of bed and then return home late.
“It wasn’t a great quality of life,” he said.
Ivany had completed his Master of Divinity degree in the early '80s and though work left him with precious little free time, he would occasionally preach at Norval United Church. Eventually, the minister asked him if he could conduct the third sermon each Sunday, and though he couldn’t commit to it every week, he and his father - an officer in the Salvation Army - shared the duties.
When the previous minister left, Ivany was asked to take over. It wasn’t a full-time position, but he accepted it and picked up some bookkeeping work on the side.
Ivany got ordained and as the congregation grew, it became a full-time position. He sought the advice Jimmy Maxwell, the priest at Anglican churches in Norval, Stewarttown and Hornby.
“I asked him how he became so well respected and he said, ‘Love the people,’” Ivany said. “He was very caring and compassionate. He had no desire to climb the ladder and go to a bigger church. He was happy to be with the people in the community.”
Ivany took that to heart, spending 30 years at Norval United Church.
“It was just a good group of people that was always willing to pitch in,” Ivany said.
So much so that when planning began for a new church, members of the congregation donated five acres of farmland. It was eventually sold, with the blessing of the families that donated it, to purchase the land in Georgetown.
In that way, Ivany was the perfect person to lead the congregation, never hesitating to help. When the individual coordinating grief counselling for Jones Funeral Home left, Ivany stepped in to ensure it continued and started new groups for parents who had lost a child. He coordinated Safetalk training, which helps people be more aware of signs that someone might be considering suicide and how to connect with them to help. Ivany set up training for North Halton Distress Centre volunteers and, with the help of Mayor Rick Bonnette and councillor Bryan Lewis, had all Town staff trained.
Ivany is the chair of the newly-formed Halton Hills Interfaith Council. He organizes and plays in a brass band that plays the kickoff events for the Salvation Army’s kettle drive and Light Up the Hills.
Ivany said his wife, Elizabeth, and his three daughters have been very supportive of his volunteer work over the years. He said his upbringing played a big part in his community involvement.
“I was raised in an environment that encouraged giving and serving others,” Ivany said.
The Lions will honour Ivany at an awards dinner on March 26 at Mold-Masters SportsPlex. Tickets are $50 and can be reserved by calling Lion Doug Penrice at 905-873-8469 or emailing [email protected].
