'A woman before her time': Looking back at the life and legacy of Gerry Peppler

Yorkton, Sask. -

For 32 years Gerry Peppler was a mainstay during CTV Yorkton’s Shamrock Station era, but for decades, her countless hours of volunteerism made a lasting impact on the community.

Beginning at Yorkton Television in January of 1960, it was 27 years spent hosting the morning program on the Shamrock airwaves. Behind the scenes Peppler was also the station’s program director from 1971 until her retirement in 1992.

Her ties to the community and passion for the community gave Peppler quite the reputation in Yorkton. For people such as current mayor Mitch Hippsley, who appeared on her program in 1987 as a budding photographer.

“You’re nervous as you know what, but she had the ability to make you feel comfortable immediately,” he told CTV News on Thursday.

For people such as Randy Goulden, who is a long-time Yorkton city councillor and quite involved in the community herself, she said Peppler would know more about your community event than the organizer would themselves.

She also became a mentor for Goulden as she began her work of community service.

“She was really a mentor because when you think of it, she was a woman before her time. She really was. She was a program manager back when program managers — not just across Canada, but across North America — they were men in that position, she was a wife, a farm wife, a mother and still managed all of this,” Goulden said.

Among the numerous accolades for community volunteerism, it included the YWCA Woman of Distinction award for her contribution to a rural community, and in 2000 she received the Saskatchewan Volunteer medal.

She was also recently awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee medal for her significant contribution to her community. Instead of being awarded the honour at an event like many of this years recipients, Yorkton MLA Greg Ottenbreit gave her the medal at her bedside, as Peppler dealt with her battle with cancer.

“It was really great. [She] was still so with it and so involved and so enthusiastic. Even in the state she was in, it was great to see,” he said

Peppler spent many years with a few local organizations close to her heart. That included 25 years with the Yorkton Housing Authority, 15 years on the Credit Union Board, Sherwin House and Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers.

She also had 25 years of volunteer work with Sunrise Health Region and was a board member of the Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan.

Peppler died this past Saturday following her short battle with cancer. She was 89 years old.

“We would encourage everyone to take a page from Gerry’s life story & see how you can make a positive impact in your community,” Peppler's obituary said.