Rod Johnston
Honoured by Donna Valiquette, Laura White, Kim Quirt, Jasmine Marietti, Brittany Karn, Kelly Price, Paul Gauthier, Allison Zadorozny Quinn
If Rod Johnston were an ion… he would be positive; if he were a magnet… he would be positive; if he were an integer… he would be positive. Rod is the most positive person we know. It is this spirit that makes Rod a memorable and inspirational force in our lives. He is a wonderful dentist and an outstanding public speaker. A driving force with the Community Waterfront Friends, Rod is humble about his participation in the waterfront development. He is generous with his time, energy and money for this vision that he believes will benefit those of us who are here today but also many generations that are yet to come. That is why we have selected him to be honoured with a pergola leaf at North Bay’s Civic Plaza.
Shortly after we met Rod, he received the Kiwanis Citizen of the Year award. During his acceptance speech he told a story about being in Honduras on a dental mission and how he remembered this little girl coming in. Her brother had carried her for miles and miles, with no shoes on, because his sister needed her teeth fixed. This was difficult for Rod to speak of. This is the side of Rod that few people get to see on a regular basis. Rod is a caring man with a devotion to helping others. He is generous to those he cares about, and to strangers as well. He asks nothing in return and takes real pleasure in the joy he creates with his gifts. We believe that his generosity is contagious and that each of us pays it forward after witnessing his giving spirit.
He has a way of helping others develop “visions” that express the best possible outcome for any given situation or person. He sincerely believes that if you set your sights or goals first and then work on developing a plan to achieve them, nothing is impossible, and things will fall into place when you least expect it. It is this unfailing optimism that makes Rod so unique. Rod is so positive that a plan will come together, one can’t help but believe it is going to happen. This is something Rod shares with all of his acquaintances, whether it is the Community Waterfront Friends, a student observing our dental office, an employee, or a patient in the office. He takes great joy in watching others complete this cycle and achieve their dreams and never fails to share a great success story. This is another way that he inspires us to be positive people.
On any given work day we can always count on Rod to be cheerful, sincere, and fully engaged in the enjoyment of the day. Even when circumstances are not perfect, he always manages to look on the bright side and smiles his way through the challenges that present themselves. After working with him for many years, it is evident that this attitude extends beyond the workplace. He carries it forward in all aspects of his life. In doing so, he inspires all of us to put our best foot forward and keep our chin up at all times!
Rod Johnston deserves to be recognized as a man who has set the bar to new heights when it comes to selflessness, sincerity and being a stepping stone to dreams that have yet to come true. His devotion to the success of our downtown community coupled with his devotion to the happiness of those around him makes him our first choice for this pergola leaf. Thank you Rod for sharing the gift of yourself with all of us!
Rod’s Team