Volunteers honoured for their dedication and hard work

The Municipality of Pictou County’s Community Group Volunteer Award winners include, from the left:  Ralph and Faye Kinney, Lismore Dinner Theatre Group; Ruby MacDonald, Pictou County Recreation and Athletics; Alena Martin, Scotsburn Recreation Club, Warden Robert Parker,  Volunteer of the Year Jim Crawford, Megan MacCarthy and Morgan Bezanson of Sunrise Trail 4-H Club.

PLYMOUTH, N.S. - The Municipality of Pictou County hosted its annual Volunteer Appreciation Banquet Saturday, April 6 at the Plymouth Fire Hall.

The evening included a roast beef dinner with strawberry shortcake for dessert followed by presentation of certificates to volunteer groups in attendance as well as award winners.  

County Warden Robert Parker thanked everyone for coming to the dinner and for their volunteerism.

“There are a lot of people you will never see at any banquet, but they are there working hard behind the scenes. We thank you for being here. You are good representatives of what is being done all the time. If it wasn’t for that our County would be a lot less. “

jim2Jim Crawford, a long-time volunteer with the Lansdowne Outdoor Recreational Association in Pleasant Valley, was selected as the Municipality of Pictou County’s Volunteer of the Year and four other Community Volunteer Awards were also given out. They included:

Lismore Dinner Theatre Group – Community Group that doesn’t own a facility.

The Lismore Dinner Theatre Group recently presented its 22nd Annual Show.  The three-night show has been performing in front of sold out audiences every year.  The cast is made up of Pictou County residents, some of whom has been involved for more than 20 years.  It is written by Don Butler and music is under the direction of Vivi Chediac. All the money raised goes towards the operation of the Lismore Hall.

Scotsburn Recreation Club – Community Group that owns a facility

2018 was a rebuilding year for Scotsburn Recreation Club. It became apparent in the winter and spring of 2017/18 that unless something changed, the community was at risk of losing the club and its facilities.  An emergency meeting was called in June 2018 and the community responded with many wonderful ideas, opportunities and volunteers.

Some of its programming includes a community library, family game night, LARK and CATCH programming as well as the YMCA afterschool program.  Scotsburn Recreation also hosted its annual winter carnival and developed many community partnerships. 

This year looks just as bright as programming continues to grow which includes the beginning phase of a new Scotsburn Recreation Art Gallery.   The Club is also on schedule with its accessibility upgrades to its hall.

Pictou County Recreation and Athletics – Sports Group

This group encourages track and field at all levels in Pictou County and surrounding areas by organizing competitive opportunities for everyone from the recreational athlete to the elite athlete.

In the winter season, the club trained at various locations in Pictou County and during the spring/summer months its home is at the Pioneer Coal Athletic Field in Stellarton. 

It credits the success of its program to the volunteer coaching staff which is one of the largest of any coaching staff in Nova Scotia.

Sunrise Trail 4-H Club – Youth Group

This Club has members from communities all along the Sunrise Trail from Seafoam to Lismore as well as the Town of Pictou, Mount William, Three Brooks and Scotsburn.  In October 2017, it had 50 Cloverbuds and members.

Some of the projects offered this year were dairy, sheep, rabbit, poultry, goat, beef, light horse, mini-horse, draft horse, waterfowl, photography, sewing, scrapbooking, crafts, welding, small engines, vet sciences, heritage, great outdoors, cake decorating and gardening.

Throughout the year, each member did a speech or demonstration, remembered a “special friend” and hosted them at a banquet, sold baked beans, had barbecues, had a woodsmen team and attended many County events.   Its members were also involved in the River John Festival Days as well as Pictou- North Colchester Exhibition.

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