EAR FALLS -- Kathy Robinson has lived in Ear Falls since 1974. She is originally from Kingston, Ont., and went to Toronto to attend nursing school where she met her husband, Richard. The two married in 1973 and after a brief time in Alberta, they joined Richard’s family in Ear Falls following the purchase of Ear Falls Contracting Ltd.
Robinson filled the first nine years of life in Ear Falls with both work and volunteering. She was employed as a nurse at the Ear Falls Clinic when it was just a 10’ x 20’ trailer located in front of where the Medical Centre is located now. She also worked for Ear Falls Contracting doing clerical duties. To fill the rest of her time she took on a variety of volunteer roles; radio announcer at CBOI Radio Station in the basement of the old library, an ambulance attendant with the “old” Ear Falls Ambulance Service, a volunteer for the Chukuni Cheer board for 35 yearts and member of Ear Falls Hospital Auxiliary where she still is an active volunteer.
Robinson and her husband realized their dreams of parenthood by adopting two boys, the first Jamie, in 1981 and the second, Mark, in 1989. She enjoyed her status of stay-at-home mom until their second son started senior kindergarten at which time, she returned part-time at the Ear Falls Medical Centre. Following that job, she worked briefly at the post office until taking on a career as an adult educator, working in the satellite office of Red Lake District Adult Learning Centre, a job she held for 14 years.
Robinson has continued being a very active member of the Ear Falls community. As her boys grew, she served on the minor hockey executive, taught Sunday School and was a Beaver leader. She was on the executive of the Ear Falls Medical Centre Board for nine years and also served a three term as the municipal representative for Red Lake/Ear Falls on the Northwestern Health Unit. She was also on the Executive of Ear Falls 2000 Board, a community development group for a decade.
For fun, Robinson enjoyed three decades of the Ear Falls Cantata Choir, Theatre 105 and more recently her participation as a member of Singcerely Yours. She sadly misses these activities, but more importantly her dear friend and sister-in-law who shared her musical gifts with the community. Robinson’s love of music has also made her committed to the Trout Forest Music Festival, where along with her husband, Richard, she has remained a volunteer and Board Member for two decades.
She continues to work as an early childhood educator assistant at the Ear Falls Day Care.
The loves of her life are her two grandkids who live in Medicine Hat Alberta who will be coming to visit this week, and she tries to visit as often as possible.
Her hobbies include crocheting and fairy gardens. She runs a Facebook page titled Kathryn’s Krochet Kreations where she shares her projects.
“Small town life provides all kinds of opportunities to grow as a person through volunteerism” Robinson says “I call myself a transplanted Northerner. Ear Falls is home and always will be”.
Kathy won this year's Woman of Merit Award from the New Starts for Women shelter in Red lake in recognition of her years of continued community service.