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Calder named Amherst’s volunteer of year

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Retired RCMP officer and longtime resident Paul Calder has been named Amherst’s 2022 volunteer of the year.

Nominated for the award by the Rotary Club of Amherst, Calder was recognized for a lifetime of service to the community during a recent ceremony hosted by the Town of Amherst.

“It is volunteers like Paul Calder, who, by giving so much back to our community through their volunteer efforts, truly make Amherst an outstanding, caring community, a great place to live, work and play,” Amherst Mayor David Kogon said.

“Without volunteers like Paul, and countless others who give dozens upon dozens of hours of their time, this town’s youth, sports, adult and seniors programs wouldn’t be possible.”

A native of Amherst, Calder joined the RCMP after graduating from Saint Mary’s University in 1973, serving in Sheet Harbour, Ottawa, Chester, Stellarton, Barrington and Amherst before retiring locally in 2009.

Calder is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee Medal for his community service while a member of the RCMP. He is a longtime member of Trinity-St. Stephen’s United Church, where he served 12 years on its board of directors, holding positions of secretary and chairman. He presently chairs the church’s ministry and personnel committee.

He served on the Amherst Regional High School advisory council for seven years, five of them as chairman. In addition, he was a member of the evaluation committee for the new high school and a member of the minister’s education committee that helped develop a code of conduct for Nova Scotia schools.

Calder spent eight years on the Amherst Board of Police Commissioners, five of them as vice-chairman and three as chairman. He also served as the regional co-director for the RCMP Veterans’ Association and served six years on the board of the local United Way Organization.

He joined the Rotary club in February 2005 and has been an active and dedicated member ever since. He has supported the club’s annual radio auction, chaired the trip of the month campaign and served on the Rotary Youth Exchange Committee.

Calder has also played major roles in the club’s International Projects Committee and refugee project. He has also served on the board of directors and held the positions of secretary, vice-president and president.

His involvement with the Rotary club includes assisting with the blood donor program. He has been recognized by Canadian Blood Services for making 100 donations of blood.

A strong supporter of the

Rotary Foundation, Calder is a Paul Harris Fellow. He received the True Rotarian Award in 2015 and most recently, in 2021, the club’s distinguished service award.

Calder will represent the town when the province holds its Volunteer Recognition Awards ceremony in September.

The town also recognized the volunteer work of Krista Smith and Scott Reid by presenting them with the Family Volunteer of the Year Award. Smith and Reid have dedicated many hours to the Amherst Minor Basketball Association, which nominated them for the award. They spent the last four seasons helping with the association’s U8 minor basketball program.

Reid coached and Smith not only volunteered but for the past three years also managed the program, including through the COVID19 pandemic.

In addition, the two have coached in the association’s U10 and U12 divisions and have assisted in fundraisers for the association and organizing its closing jamborees.

Mathias Mayhew was recognized by the town as its youth volunteer of the year.

The 12-year-old was nominated for the award by CANSA for his volunteer work in researching, preparing and presenting a land acknowledgement for the provincial 2022 African Heritage Month launch.

Calder, Smith, Reid and Mathias were selected from nominations received by the town for the awards.

The other volunteers recognized at the ceremony were:

• Lisette Sumbu, nominated by CANSA for her volunteer work with the Black Kids Matter Emancipation Day event, AME Church, CANSA and Poverty Action Committee;

• Marry Farrow Sinclair, nominated by the Zonta

Club for her work with the club and the Tantramar Branch of Victoria’s Quilts;

• Evelyn Pollard, nominated by the Cumberland Homelessness and Housing Support Association for her volunteer work with the Tiny Shelter organization, Saint Vincent de Paul Society, Cumberland Homelessness and Housing Support Association and the Catholic Church Synod;

• Bill Crossman, nominated by the Tantramar Community Radio Society for his volunteer work with the society;

• Chris Manuge, nominated by the Amherst Curling Club for his volunteer work with the club;

• Gregory Seymour, nominated by the Cumberland Y Service Club for his volunteer work with the club;

• Nicholas Degenstein, nominated by Katrina Walker for his volunteer work with VBC, air cadets and Red Cross;

• Nicole Gairns, nominated by the Cumberland Restorative Justice Society for her volunteer work with the society;

• Terry Baird, nominated by the Lillian Allbon Animal Shelter for her volunteer work with the shelter;

• Sana Aude Khalil, nominated by the Cumberland County Museum for her volunteer work with the museum;

• Roy Pettigrew, nominated by the Bridge Adult Service Centre for his volunteer work at the centre and with the Bordertown Jam, Amherst Board of Police Commissioners and First Baptist Church;

• Susan Embree, nominated by the Amherst Jr. A

Ramblers Hockey Club for her volunteer work with the club, the Tidnish Crossroad and Area Wild Meat Dinner Fundraiser, 4-H and Ride for Sight;

• Nayo Upshaw, nominated by CANSA for her volunteer work with CANSA;

• Denise Corey, nominated by the Rotary Club of Amherst for her volunteer work with the club;

• Ian Holmes, nominated by the Amherst Artisan Gallery for his volunteer work with the gallery;

• Gerri Boudreau, nominated by the IODE Tantramar Chapter for her volunteer work with the IODE;

• Rubin and Debra Millard, for their volunteer work with the Amherst

Lions Club;

• Patrick McWade, for his volunteer work with Showcase Productions.

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2022-05-18T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-18T07:00:00.0000000Z

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