Pharmacist Brian Chute is Kiwanis’ Citizen of the Year.
Chute will be officially celebrated at Kiwanis’ annual dinner May 23rd at the Ramada.
Kiwanis had 13 nominees this year.
In being named Citizen of the Year, Chute said it was an honour.
“If you can be recognized for what you do, it (may) encourage other people to step up and do some of the things I’ve done,” Chute said.
In the 40 years that Chute has been in North Bay, his list of accomplishments is long.
When he arrived in the city he operated the Shoppers Drug Mart on Lakeshore for 25 years before buying Dean’s Pharmasave at 1221 Algonquin.
Chute says he pretty well saved the building when he took over 15 years ago.
“We were losing physicians and I actively recruited physicians and I helped them with renovation costs,” he said.
He said that work helped fill up the building which Chute says has been “favourable to the community”.
In addition to owning the building, which he renamed Algonquin Pharmacy shortly after buying it, he established a walk-in clinic which has helped people without a doctor or patients who have been orphaned by a past doctor or for people just passing through the city.
Chute says his work at the Algonquin site rates high on his list of accomplishments over the years although he supports many other endeavours including the arts.
Also, when he first bought Dean’s Pharmasave, it had four employees.
Fifteen years later the employee count is up to 15.
Chute has plans to keep working as a pharmacist and is grooming his daughter-in-law to take over the business.
He adds the business will continue to donate.
Chute says he goes to all the Kiwanis dinners and sees the names of people who have contributed to North Bay over the decades.
It’s his hope that after his name goes up with past winners as Citizen of the Year, people will see his name and read what he’s done to help the community.
