THE 2020 READER'S DIGEST KINDNESS AWARDS

We invited you to nominate fellow Canadians who, during this terrible year, demonstrated the benefits of being nice. Meet the winners.

- Megan Jones, Emily Landau, Lauren McKeon, Rebecca Philps and Micah Toub

BEST MINI-PARADE

When nine-time cancer survivor Dionne Warner of Regina received the news from her doctor that the tumours throughout her body had shrunk, she knew it was nothing short of a miracle. She and her husband, Graham, wanted to celebrate, but there was only one problem: the couple was stuck at home quarantining.

On Easter Sunday, Graham convinced Dionne to join him on a walk despite the frigid weather. Sure, she said, but only if they both wore bunny ears (he conceded). As they made their way down their driveway, she wondered why her neighbours’ houses were decked out for a party. Then she spotted the procession of 55 vehicles, including two semis. Graham had organized a surprise parade in her honour. Dionne, shocked and overjoyed, watched as her neighbours drove past, shouting congratulations and honking their horns. “I couldn’t stop crying,” she says. “It was beautiful.”

The nicest part, she and Graham add, is that their east-end neighbourhood has now transformed into a tight-knit community, with everyone helping each other pull through the pandemic. “We’re communicating now,” Graham says, “like we never have before.”

Best Flower Show