Community Spotlight: Celebrating Our 2026 Summer Students

Aiden Smith & Maddex Larrivee-Steinke

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Putting in the Work Behind the Scenes

When you look around Lampman during the summer months, you see the finished product — freshly mowed grass, tidy green spaces, cared-for facilities, clean public areas and all of the little things that help make our community an enjoyable place to live, work and visit.

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But behind all of that work are people.

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This summer, the Town of Lampman was fortunate to have Aiden Smith and Maddex Larrivee-Steinke join our team as summer students. From June 29 through August 28, 2026, they put their time, energy and hard work into helping maintain our community and keeping things moving throughout the busy summer season.

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Their work may not always have been the most visible, and much of it happened behind the scenes, but it made a very real difference.

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While a summer student position might sound like it is simply about mowing grass and doing a few odd jobs, there is actually a tremendous amount of work that goes into maintaining a community. There are facilities to look after, grounds to maintain, projects to complete and those countless little jobs that seem to appear out of nowhere.

Aiden and Maddex were willing to take on all of it.

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Keeping Lampman Looking Its Best​

A big part of their summer was helping with grounds maintenance throughout the community. They spent countless hours mowing and helping keep our municipal facilities, green spaces and surrounding areas neat, tidy and welcoming.

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It is easy to drive past a freshly mowed property or a well-maintained green space without giving much thought to how it got that way. But behind those tidy spaces are hours of work — mowing, trimming, cleaning up and making sure everything looks the way it should.

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Their efforts helped make a noticeable difference throughout Lampman.

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And while mowing was one of their more regular jobs, it was certainly not the only thing they were asked to do!

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A Fresh Coat of Paint​

Aiden and Maddex also spent plenty of time helping freshen up public spaces around town.

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One particularly meaningful project was helping paint the crosswalk for the Shirley Carson Therapeutic Park. This crosswalk is more than simply a painted section of pavement — it helps connect our community with a special space created for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy.

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Taking the time to make sure it was clearly marked; fresh and welcoming was an important part of preparing the area for everyone who uses it.

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They also helped paint curbs throughout the community, giving some of our streets and public areas a much-needed refresh.

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Projects like these may seem small when looked at individually, but they contribute to the overall appearance and pride of a community. Fresh paint, well-maintained grounds and clean public spaces all help make Lampman feel cared for and welcoming to residents and visitors alike.

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The "Odd Jobs" — And There Were Plenty!​

Of course, no summer working for a municipality would be complete without a healthy list of “other things that need to get done.”

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Municipal work has a funny way of creating a never-ending list of little projects.

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Something needs to be moved. Something needs to be cleaned. Something needs a touch-up. Something needs to be repaired. Something needs to be prepared for an upcoming event. Something else has been sitting on the to-do list for far too long.

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Then there are the jobs that nobody expected to be doing that morning!

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Throughout their summer, Aiden and Maddex were willing to jump from one task to another and help wherever they were needed. They took on the planned projects, the unexpected jobs and all of the little tasks in between.

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That willingness to simply pitch in and get the job done is something that makes a huge difference in a small community.

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More Than Just a Summer Job​

For Aiden and Maddex, this summer was an opportunity to gain valuable work experience, develop new skills and learn more about what goes into maintaining and operating a community.

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For the Town of Lampman, it meant having two hardworking young people who were willing to show up, work hard and contribute to the place they call home.

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Municipal work is rarely completely predictable. A day can start with one job on the schedule and quickly turn into something completely different. It takes flexibility, teamwork, problem-solving and a willingness to get your hands dirty — and both Aiden and Maddex demonstrated those qualities throughout their time with us.

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A summer job also provides lessons that don't always come from a classroom. Sometimes it's learning how to work as part of a team, how to tackle an unexpected problem, how to prioritize a list of jobs or simply the importance of showing up, putting in the effort and doing a job well.

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And sometimes, it's learning that the job you thought would take 20 minutes is actually going to take two hours!

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These are skills and experiences that can stay with young people long after the summer comes to an end.

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Small Jobs Add Up

​One of the biggest things their summer demonstrates is that small jobs really do add up.

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Every hour spent mowing, every curb painted, every maintenance task completed and every project checked off the list contributes to making Lampman a cleaner, more welcoming and well-maintained community.

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Much of this work happens behind the scenes. Residents may only see the finished product without seeing the time and effort that went into getting there.

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But that work matters.

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A well-maintained community tells residents that their community matters. It tells visitors that Lampman is cared for. And it reminds all of us that maintaining the place we call home is something we can take pride in.

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This summer, Aiden and Maddex were an important part of that effort.

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Thank You, Aiden & Maddex!

​As we wrap up the 2026 summer student season, we want to recognize Aiden and Maddex for all of their hard work, dedication, flexibility and willingness to jump in wherever they were needed.

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Thank you for spending your summer helping take care of our community — for the hours spent mowing and maintaining our facilities, for helping paint our curbs and the Therapeutic Park crosswalk, and for tackling all of those big, small and unexpected jobs along the way.

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Thank you for being willing to learn, work hard and be part of something bigger than yourselves.

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Your contributions may have happened largely behind the scenes, but they certainly did not go unnoticed.

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We are incredibly grateful to have had you as part of our team and hope you take with you valuable experience, new skills and plenty of great memories from your summer with the Town of Lampman.

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As you both head back to high school this fall, we wish you a fantastic school year ahead and all the best in everything that comes next! We hope you carry with you the skills, experiences and memories from your summer with the Town of Lampman.

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From all of us at the Town of Lampman — thank you, Aiden and Maddex, for a fantastic summer!

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We appreciate your hard work, your willingness to help and everything you contributed to our community.

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Thank you for helping keep Lampman looking its best — and thank you for being part of our community!