76 years old

By Barb Reitz, Golden Years Society

Born in Plamondon, Alberta, Pauline Gauthier grew up working hard alongside her family on the farm. She attended Plamondon School, and eventually graduated from MacTavish Business School in Edmonton.

Upon graduation, Pauline travelled by train to Fort McMurray to take a job as a secretary with the provincial government’s Department of Lands and Forest, doing work that she recalls as being much easier than working on the farm.

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In 1966, Pauline married Joe and went on to become a full-time mom. It was a municipal election that eventually led to a career as a Returning Officer for elections – municipal, provincial, federal and five First Nations.

For Pauline, volunteering has been a way of meeting people in the community, and a way to contribute to the common good for the place you call home. For many years, she organized door-to-door campaigns for the Cancer Institute, Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Kidney Foundation, and the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Never shying from asking people to help, Pauline began fundraising through bingo associations and casinos. She now volunteers with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, Keyano College, Fort McMurray Giants, and the Northern Lights Health Foundation.

This proud mother of four is grateful for what Fort McMurray citizens have given her: great respect, opportunities, and comfort.