Phyl Friesen grew up in a small community west of Brandon.
She moved to Brandon for high school. After high school, she started working at MTS on 18th Street. She got married. In 1974, Phyl and her husband packed their bags and moved to Swan River.
She has also enjoyed being involved. During her time in Swan River, Phyl has coached girls' softball and was on the curling club executive. She was on the library board, helped with youth programming, and she's on the museum board.
Phyl is also heavily into the local music scene, and she started a ukulele group four or five years ago. Phyl and the group play at the Personal Care Home and at the lodge at the hospital. They've also performed at Folk Fest.
"I do the stuff that I enjoy. These are things that don't take much time away from my home," said Friesen. "My husband is retired and is at home. My kids are both grown up. I enjoy going out and doing those things."
Friesen has embraced living in the valley, saying it's easy to make friends and is a very welcoming place.
"It's home. It feels good to get out and do stuff, I don't do the things I don't enjoy," said Friesen. "I know I get appreciated, which is what the recent certificate showed."
Recently, Phyl was recognized for all her contributions. She was presented with the Heart of the Community award through the Community Foundation of Swan Valley. The Heart of the Community award shines a light on those making a positive impact in the community.
"As my daughter said, you were actually speechless. I was. You know when you get a lump in your throat, and you can't talk? That was me," added Friesen. "I couldn't even voice thank you. I waved at everyone and sat down. It felt so good, it really was an honour."
Paired with winning the award, Phyl had the chance to grant $3,000 to a charity of her choice. She decided to split it between three groups. The Swan Valley Animal Protection League, the Swan Valley Crisis Centre, and the Swan Valley Food Bank will all receive a portion of the funds.
"That's my way of giving back to these groups. I don't belong to those organizations," ended Friesen. "The other organizations I give back with my time, but since I don't give my time to those groups, I decided to give them money."
Friesen says she thanks everyone in the community for being so welcoming.
