We're proud to share the news that Ainsley Wood, who has been a Community Specialist with Tourism Kelowna since the spring of 2022, was recognized as the Young Citizen of the Year at the City of Kelowna's 50th annual Civic & Community Awards.  This award is presented to a young citizen in recognition of their overall outstanding voluntary contributions to Kelowna. 

"I'm so honoured to be recognized alongside such impressive change-makers at this year's civic awards. I love being able to use my voice to create change," says Ainsley. "This award is not only a fantastic motivator to continue my work, but it also shines some light on the possibilities for positive change when it come to accessibility and empowering those with disabilities."

Ainsley Wood being awarded 2025 Young Citizen of the Year
Ainsley being presented with the Young Citizen of the Year Award, May 9, 2025 | Photo credit: Harry Brust, Mark of Distinction

After sustaining a spinal cord injury, Ainsley dedicated her volunteer contributions to making her community more accessible and inclusive, particularly for those with disabilities. As highlighted in her finalist bio, Ainsley was elected as Vice Chair of the Rick Hansen Foundation's Youth Leadership Committee, where she created resources to help youth with disabilities access post-secondary education. 

Ainsley is also a peer mentor with Spinal Cord Injury BC and volunteers with PRAXIS Spinal Cord Institute to help develop care for people with spinal cord injuries. Through her work with PRAXIS, she spoke at Kelowna General Hospital to provide feedback on improving rehab experiences. During the pandemic, Ainsley organized an accessible Halloween event at Sunnyhill Rehab Centre at BC Children's Hospital, so all patients could attend. 

"I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside Ainsley for the past two years, and I’m incredibly proud to see her recognized by our community with such a meaningful award," says Tourism Kelowna Interim Manager of Community & Visitor Engagement/Retail Coordinator, Kassidy Cote. "She has been an outstanding teammate, consistently demonstrating deep knowledge of both our community and the important work we do. Ainsley generously shares her expertise with our staff and extends that impact beyond our organization. This recognition is truly well deserved."

Ainsley Wood - TD Scholarship Recipient
Photo credit: TD

Last year, Ainsley was awarded a $70,000 TD Scholarship—one of only 20 awarded each year—in recognition of her community leadership and advocacy work. As the recipient of this year's Young Citizen of the Year award, Ainsley will receive funding towards her post-secondary goals through the Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Fund Youth Scholarship.

To learn more about Ainsley's journey, visit the Rick Hansen Foundation blog.