Cody’s exceptional contribution to Medalta started when he was first hired at the age of 15, where he immediately found himself inappropriately dressed in shorts for the dirty task of cleaning out years of grime and decay in the derelict Hycroft factory. His first major project involved an entire summer of exhausting labour: recycling old nails by straightening them out and reusing them to build a roof according to period appropriate methods. Cody has now dedicated almost half his life to the conservation and preservation of the Historic Clay District.

Growing alongside Medalta, Cody has become an exceptional manager, leader and teacher.  Dozens of young summer employees have had their first significant work experience here, learning from Cody the values of hard work and meticulous attention to detail. Now responsible for the entirety of maintenance and repairs within the Historic Clay District, Cody approaches every day as an opportunity to make Medalta better. There is probably no part of our three sites that Cody hasn’t touched, and his interpretation of the creaks and groans of our historic buildings has become intuitive.

Cody and his team are the reason that tens of thousands of visitors, artists, researchers, and students are able to appreciate what Medalta has become. His personal dedication is incredible – he is the person who takes care of things other can’t and won’t do – the first responder to late night alarms, snake and bat intrusions, collapsing roofs, fires, floods, and snow storms. He was appointed by our Board to Medalta’s Honour Roll in 2019 in recognition of his outsized contribution.

As the manager most familiar with Medalta’s occupational hazards, Cody established and chairs our Occupational Health and Safety Committee. This award will contribute to his training in the field of safety supervision, which contributes to the safety of our staff and visitors.

If you see Cody, make sure to congratulate him on this wonderful recognition, we are all so proud of him and his roll at Medalta.