Scott Boyes began his journalism career thirteen years ago that stemmed from his love of writing. On the side, he was involved with La Ronge Minor Hockey, where he was in charge of ice scheduling, as well as judo, ski, paper recycling, and Kikinahk board, he assisted at the Don Allen Saskaloppet annually and volunteered occasionally with the Royal Canadian Legion.

Nine years ago, Scott Boyes, also a dad, attended a parent meeting after his daughter joined the air cadets and he spontaneously became chair of the sponsoring committee. He is now a cadet instructor and second lieutenant within the 889 Osprey cadet squadron.

The majority of his time at cadets is spent teaching lessons, meeting with the parent committee, or hunched over a tiny desk full of paperwork in an even smaller office. It hardly fits the two cabinets, locker and shelves of assorted textbooks that share the space with him. He is surrounded by polished boots and binders full of lesson plans at least one evening every week, often taking his work home to finish after the night is over. It’s something he’s gotten used to, though this placement did not come easy at first. “It took a little while for the uniform to fit,” he admitted.

Outside of cadets, Boyes has a career with the provincial government, where he works in communications. His position is centered around building relationships and engaging youth in the north. Spending time idly does not sit well with Boyes. He’d rather be up and doing something whether it be going for a run or aiding a coach for an evening of baseball practice. He has taken advantage of many of the volunteer opportunities he’s been presented with, even when in school. He had a particularly rewarding experience with the Big Brothers Association, where he spent quality time with kids he found real connections with.

Boyes thinks that all of his achievements have been by accident. He’s modest about the successes he’s had over the years, but is proud of the work he’s done. A lot of his triumph has been founded on strong credibility and trust, believing that getting people to trust in him is a big part of both his career and his volunteer work. “If people don’t trust me, I won’t get anywhere. It hasn’t served me any wrong.”

Recently, he earned the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal for his service and involvement with various volunteer organizations in the community of La Ronge. Out of ten nominees, he was the only winner, and notably the only recipient from the north to receive the medal. While remaining humble, Boyes accepts this honour with a smile, and despite the unforeseen turns his life has taken, he doesn’t regret a thing.

There have been many bumps in his path to success, some more entertaining than others. One of Boyes’ fondest memories was the night he interviewed a Canadian astronaut, Dave William, completely by mistake. The lieutenant governor at the time, Lynda Haverstock, had been talking to an exceedingly handsome man who began telling a story about witnessing an amusing Top Gun scene with Tom Cruise and the actress Kelly McGillis during air training in an American air base. Dave had continued telling stories for nearly an hour that drew Boyes in. He’d never forget the simple statement, “The greatest thing about space is being able to teach from space.”

Boyes says he’s been supported by many people from the beginning. “Sometimes, you might fall, and you need people to catch you when you fall.” Friends, family, his wife, Candy, who he is especially grateful to when it came to looking after their children while he was travelling to and from Tisdale with news hot off the press.

The cadets and youth he leads look up to him as a role model. “He treats everyone equally,” Hannah Preikschat, a cadet involved in the local squadron proclaimed, “it doesn’t matter who they are. He cares about everyone he meets and does his best to improve the lives of those around him,” It’s easy to see just how much care and effort Boyes puts in that has impacted dozens of youth and adults alike in the community he strives to better every day.

Boyes said that his success was due to the support he had from his family, his friends, and the community. “I can never really pay back the debt I owe my community that supported me,” he says. He hopes to continue to pursue his work with cadets and write a novel of his own in the future, but for now, his current successes remains in La Ronge.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This