Current & Past Articles » General News
Shelburne student earns Gillian Shute Memorial Award
July 30, 2026 · 0 Comments
Written By JOSHUA DRAKES
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER
A Shelburne student with aspirations of a career in the justice system has been recognized with one of Dufferin County’s most meaningful legal awards.
Vanessa Sousa was presented with the 2026 Gillian Shute Memorial Award during a ceremony at the Dufferin County Courthouse in Orangeville, where members of the Dufferin County Law Association (DCLA) and Justice Miller gathered to celebrate her achievement.
Sousa didn’t expect to win, but accepted the award with pride.
“Honestly, it’s a really big honour for me,” she said. “I applied for the scholarship just because it was something interesting to write about; I really didn’t think I would win. I’m pretty passionate about law, and have been throughout high school, so I was ecstatic to hear I won.”
The annual award honours the legacy of Gillian Shute, a respected Orangeville-area lawyer who practised for more than two decades and was known throughout the legal community for her dedication to serving others.
Presented each year by the DCLA, the award recognizes a local secondary school student who demonstrates an interest in law and legal issues. The association, representing lawyers practising in Dufferin County, established the award to inspire future generations while preserving Shute’s legacy of compassion, professionalism and public service.
Readers Comments (0)
Headline News
Shelburne Minor Baseball Association hosts annual gala tournament
Written By Chris Perrotte Down by five runs, the Red Team, sponsored by Peele Co. Ltd, mounted a comeback but fell short in the Senior ...
Local Special Olympics athletes take centre stage at FIFA game
Written By SAM ODROWSKI Two local Special Olympics athletes traded their usual playing fields for a FIFA pitch in Toronto last month, taking part in ...
‘Our shelves are depleted’: Shelburne Food Bank feels summer strain as demand continues to rise
Written By JOSHUA DRAKES LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER The Shelburne Food Bank is facing one of its most difficult periods of the year, as demand ...
Grand Valley embraces OG 1870 as grand opening draws overwhelming response
Written By JOSHUA DRAKES LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER The owners of Grand Valley’s newest restaurant say the community has exceeded every expectation following the July ...
Rotary Club donates to Fiddle Park Commissary Kitchen with funds from recent golf tournament
Written By JOSHUA DRAKES LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER The Shelburne Rotary Club donated $9,400 to the Fiddle Park Commissary Kitchen to help purchase a commercial ...
Town marks grand reopening of Fiddle Park with concert series
Written By JOSHUA DRAKES LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER The Town of Shelburne held its grand opening celebration for the newly redeveloped Fiddle Park on Sunday, ...
Four days of Pickin’ in the Park coming to Shelburne
Written By JOSHUA DRAKES LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER Country music fans from across Ontario and beyond will once again make their way to the Shelburne ...
Shelburne-born athlete wins Canadian U20 Javelin title
Written By JOSHUA DRAKES LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER A local Shelburne Athlete launched her way to the top of the Canadian U20 Javelin title, securing ...
Canadian historian Craig Baird to highlight local history at Shelburne’s Grace Tipling Hall
Written By JOSHUA DRAKES LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER Craig Baird, a nationally recognized Canadian history storyteller, will visit Shelburne on July 14 as part of ...
Shelburne celebrates Pride Month with community flag raising
Written By JOSHUA DRAKES LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER The Town of Shelburne marked Pride Month with a Pride flag-raising ceremony at Jack Downing Park on ...
Sorry, comments are closed on this post.