The Unemployed Help Centre (UHC) has honoured the late Gary Parent by renaming their resource centre to the Gary Parent Employment Resource Centre.
Parent became a UHC board member in 1985 and the organization says his dedication and impact profoundly shaped UHC's programs and services.
Current CEO June Muir says it was an emotional day for her, having worked alongside Gary for 24 years.
"He has been my mentor, he has been there he's passionate about helping, so passionate about helping vulnerable people in our community, and when you look at the centre, he was part of this, he made a lot of this happen. This is Gary," she says.
The centre receives over 10,000 visits annually in which the community can receive one-on-one career counselling, access the job board and other employment resources.
Muir says Gary helped secure the funding to revitalize the resource centre building.
"Because of him working with me, we were able to get the funding to redo a building that's made it so welcoming for our clients, and so we're so appreciative that we got that funding," she says. "Look at this place today, that was Gary, and so looking at his picture and knowing this resource centre is named after is appropriate, and so deserving."
Parent passed away this past May after a brief battle with cancer at the age of 77 and was survived by his wife Arden, and kids Jason and Jennifer.
Jennifer Parent says this honour means a lot to her.
"I think he is just a great man, great humanitarian, great community leader, and he means so much to me just as someone to look up to, and I hope to mirror his legacy and the great things he did for the community in my everyday work,' she says.
Parent was the former president of the district labour council and the financial secretary of CAW Local 444.
He retired from Chrysler in 2009 after 40 years with the company.