Male Athlete of the Year Award

Male Athlete of the Year Award 2023 - Finalists

The 49th annual Civic & Community Awards finalists will be celebrated on April 24 at the Civic & Community Awards Gala, taking place at the Laurel Packinghouse.

Justin Towill

Justin’s “drive” for success is making other golfers “green” with envy. As the individual winner of the 2022 Canada West Golf Championships, Justin did the impossible in 2023 and, after three holes of overtime, clinched the individual title for the second time in a row. His win helped the UBCO Heat golf team to place second overall. Justin also putted, chipped and drove his way into the winner’s circle at the RMC Collegiate tournament and placed second in the Battle at the Bear competition. Justin earned the Canada West Player of the week honours and is among the best university-aged golfers in this country. 

Ryder Ritchie 

Ryder Ritchie’s rookie season with the Prince Albert Raiders saw him tie the record set for most points by a 16-year-old, as he slotted in 20 goals and made 35 assists. In January 2023, he was the WHL Rookie of the Month and in October, was named the WHL Player of the Week. All together in 2023, he scored 27 goals and amassed 41 assists for a total of 68 points. Ryder was also part of the Canadian team that competed in the international Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he finished second in scoring. His three goals and six assists helped Team Canada win the gold medal. Ryder will be eligible for the NHL draft in June and is currently the 16th ranked North American skater. 

Shamus Boulianne 

As a world-class paraclimber, Shamus Boulianne is passionate about promoting inclusivity in the sport that he loves so much. Shamus founded the nonprofit organization Adaptive Climbers of BC and also created the event, CLAP (Climb Like a Paraclimber), promoting able-bodied and disabled climbers to take part together. In competition, 2023 was a banner year on the international stage for Shamus. He placed second in the US National Championships, then earned fourth place finishes in the IFSC World Cup events held in Salt Lake City and Innsbruck, a fifth place in Switzerland and ninth in the World Championships. 

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Award Criteria

• Awarded to the male athlete (amateur or professional) who brought the greatest amount of recognition to Kelowna.
• Include Provincial, National and World Ranking if applicable.
• Selections are based on the nominees achievements for the year 2023.
• Past information (awards and achievements) may be included, but should be primarily regarding the current award year.
• Finalist selections are based solely on the information in the completed package.

Nominations for the 49th annual Civic & Community Awards are now closed. Check back in fall 2024 for information about the 50th annual awards nomination period.