Citizen of the Year - 2025

Mayor’s Speech: 2025 Citizen of the Year – Rylan Schaffer

Good morning, everyone.

It is my great honour and privilege to present the 2025 Citizen of the Year Award—an award that recognizes someone who not only serves this community but elevates it. Someone whose actions speak louder than accolades, and whose kindness ripples throughout Cardston.

This year’s recipient has truly earned his pitch as one of our finest. Whether he’s stepping up to the plate for local youth, tightening things up in emergency plumbing situations, or popping in with quiet donations and acts of kindness, he brings heart and hustle to everything he does.

He’s the first to lend a hand, the last to ask for recognition, and the kind of person who makes you proud to say you live in this town. Please join me in congratulating Rylan Schaffer.

Rylan is, in every sense, a pillar of our community. While as a business owner providing essential services, he also willingly goes the extra mile to help families when they need it the most. He doesn’t just do his job--he shows up with empathy. It’s not uncommon to hear stories of him undercharging—or even waiving payment entirely—when he knows a family is struggling.

His work goes beyond pipes, plumbing, and the Pop Shop; it’s all about the people.

Rylan has volunteered thousands of hours as a coach for our high school baseball and softball teams. He has spent season after season mentoring young athletes—not just to improve their skills on the field, but to help them become kind, respectful, and confident individuals off of the field. He leads with patience, compassion, and integrity, showing our youth what it means to be a strong, quiet leader.

He is also a generous donor to local causes—especially those that benefit our youth and families in need. Rylan has organized and supported countless fundraisers, including heartfelt efforts for families facing unimaginable grief after the loss of a child. He has been a quiet and steady hand behind many acts of community care—always choosing to act, never seeking the spotlight.

At the heart of all of this is Rylan’s role as a loving husband to his wife Dana and devoted father to all of his children. Balancing his family life with his business and community work speaks volumes about the depth of his character.

Rylan, through your everyday acts of goodness—both big and small—you help build a safe, inclusive, and family-oriented community, just as our Town Council envisions. You make Cardston a place we’re proud to call home.

So today, on behalf of Town Council and the residents of Cardston, it is my honour to thank you and to present you with the 2025 Citizen of the Year Award. You’ve pitched in, poured out, and lifted up — and Cardston is better because of you.

You are truly the MVP.  Congratulations, Rylan.

Click here to read about our other recipients of the Citizen of the Year awards.