{"id":951967,"date":"2026-10-30T14:06:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T14:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/951967\/"},"modified":"2026-10-30T14:06:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T14:06:14","slug":"edmonton-woman-97-marks-65-years-volunteering-with-community-league","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/951967\/","title":{"rendered":"Edmonton woman, 97, marks 65 years volunteering with community league"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Text<\/p>\n

Listen to this article<\/p>\n

Estimated 4 minutes<\/p>\n

The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.<\/p>\n

The mayor calls her a \u201crock star.\u201d Her city councillor says she\u2019s \u201cone of the most beloved people\u201d in her northside neighbourhood. For Jennifer Dubord, she\u2019s \u201cgrandma\u201d \u2014 and a longtime volunteer whose efforts are now being celebrated beyond her community.<\/p>\n

Olive Sydor, 97, has been volunteering for the Rosslyn community league in north Edmonton for 65 years \u2014 a milestone marked by the community league last month and by city council at a meeting on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Edmonton\u2019s community leagues are powered by volunteers like Sydor \u201cwho care deeply about where they live and who make it their mission to help others feel at home in their neighborhoods,\u201d Mayor Andrew Knack said at Tuesday\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n

Over the years, Sydor has worked at countless casino fundraisers, planned events, kept records, coached softball and led youth groups, the mayor said.<\/p>\n

After her late husband, Walter, died in 1999, she spent even more time volunteering, Knack said, taking on leadership roles with a neighbourhood watch group and the Edmonton Community Patrol Society.<\/p>\n

Knack said Sydor has received numerous awards but those aren\u2019t what motivate her.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSimply knowing that she’s able to make somebody’s day a little easier or more joyful has always seemed to fuel a boundless energy for uplifting others,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Knack said over his 13 years on council he has met volunteers who have been involved with their community leagues for three decades but Sydor\u2019s 65-year streak is \u201cunreal.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mayor recalled attending the community league\u2019s celebration, where a bench dedicated to the couple was unveiled on Sept. 12.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Olive Sydor and board members from the Rosslyn community league sit on the new bench honouring her and her late husband. (Submitted by Natasha Da Fonseca)<\/p>\n

Knack said when Sydor arrived at the gathering, it was like a rock star had entered the room.<\/p>\n

Ward Anirniq Coun. Erin Rutherford said when she met Sydor for the first time, she knew she was \u201csomething special\u201d but once she got to know people in the community more, she realized just how special she was.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s one of the most beloved people in that area,\u201d she said during the council meeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of her hard work, all of her dedication and all of her volunteering have created a legacy that is undeniable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Olive Sydor attends Community League Day in Rosslyn with Coun. Erin Rutherford in 2022. (Submitted by Natasha Da Fonseca)<\/p>\n

Sydor told CBC News she moved to Rosslyn with her husband and two children in August of 1960 and lived there until February of this year, when she moved to a seniors\u2019 lodge on the south side.<\/p>\n

She had two more children and spent many years serving in executive positions on the community league\u2019s board of directors.<\/p>\n

Sydor said her hearing aid was sliding out during Tuesday\u2019s meeting so it was hard for her to hear what the council members said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m 97 years old, so what else do you expect?\u201d she quipped, after the meeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said it was amazing to be honoured at city hall and the new bench, plus a plaque that hangs in the hall, are \u201cvery special.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said Rosslyn is an \u201cexceptional\u201d community and she has watched it become more diverse over the years.<\/p>\n

Dubord, Sydor\u2019s eldest grandchild, called her grandmother \u201ca very special person\u201d in an interview with CBC News.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cShe, at 97, can still volunteer and help people wherever she\u2019s needed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

From sitting on boards to working many bingo and casino fundraising events over the years, Sydor said helping others has always been important to her, especially when family members are involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe in helping where I can help,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Listen to this article Estimated 4 minutes The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":951968,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194294],"tags":[49,48,23752],"class_list":["post-951967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-edmonton","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-edmonton"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/951967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=951967"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/951967\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/951968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=951967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=951967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=951967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}