By Tessa Swanton (Townson),
Bruce Peninsula Press
A Volunteer Recognition Award Ceremony hosted by the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula (MNBP) attracted dozens of dedicated volunteers on the afternoon of April 23rd at the Tobermory Community Centre. The special event recognized an astounding 39 volunteers speaking to the resilient volunteer community in NBP. Mayor Milt McIver emceed the event with Councillors Laurie (Smokey) Golden and Todd Dowd and Deputy Mayor Rod Anderson also in attendance.
The mayor announced, “It is my pleasure to welcome you here today as we celebrate something truly special in the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula, the people who give their time, energy, and heart to make our community stronger. Volunteers are the backbone of our Municipality; I have to say that twice because it’s that important. Whether it’s supporting events, protecting our natural spaces, serving on committees, helping neighbours, or stepping up when something needs to get done, you are the reason our community thrives.”
Lion’s Head Food Bank
Darlene Myles and Lisa VanGeem of the Lion’s Head Foodbank accepted awards on behalf of the absent recipients. “Darlene has been instrumental in the foodbank for many years,” voiced Mayor McIver. Myles indicated that she took over operations of the foodbank in 2018 from Helen McIntyre who had been managing the program alone for 14 years. She noted that operations were taking place in the revival centre until the pandemic hit in 2020 prompting the move to the country church basement when “money started pouring in from different organizations who supported us during Covid.”
Referring to the Board of Directors and Hamper Day volunteers, Myles said “they’re very committed to the foodbank.” Lisa Van Geem, who was awarded a certificate for volunteering with the foodbank and VON SMART, joined Myles as the treasurer and “was instrumental in helping us get our charitable status,” explained Myles. Myles referred to the foodbank’s mission as “to fight the battle against food insecurity.” She said, “We are seeing more and more individuals and homes who are affected” and “we fight that by providing nutritious food to our clients.” She announced that she will be stepping down from her role as coordinator chair and the role will be assumed by Charlene Scharlach.
Lion’s Head Hospital Auxiliary
Hanne Fynbo received an award on behalf of the whole Lion’s Head Hospital Auxiliary as the president. She said that they raised $90,000 this past year to purchase a transport ventilator and this coming year they are raising funds for a new air conditioner at the hospital. Their upcoming fundraising event is the Fish Fry on May 16th. “The hospital auxiliary is amazing, the money they raise and the commitment and the time that they put in to raising that, a lot of us are older like me and we certainly appreciate the time spent raising that [money],” said the mayor.
VON SMART
Twelve volunteers from the VON SMART (Seniors Maintaining Active Roles Together) program were presented certificates for their service. Sue Gremm, Susanne Smith, Marg Johnson, Gail Pells, Gail Beagan, Kim Tilmans, Barbara Zych, and Sherri Panter were all present to accept their awards. Coordinator, Jill Thurston, spoke on behalf of the group. The program runs twice per week at the Lion’s Head Arena and Friendship Club for 48 weeks of the year. The exercise program focuses on functional fitness, preventing falls, and maintaining independence for seniors.
Sandy and Charlie Coulter – Tobermory Foodbank
Linda Godhue accepted an award for Sandy and Charlie Coulter for their volunteerism with the Tobermory Foodbank. “They’re the two volunteers that are always there and it’s wonderful. Charlie built shelves for us, he also helps if we have our barbeques, he’s the guy with the truck unloading…We’ve chosen to recognize them, I know they appreciate it because they told me.” Godhue stated, “We too are seeing an increased number of clients, food insecurity is a real thing, it’s very real in our community and Lion’s Head, every week we see a new client, that client might have someone at home and often have children at home, so the community supports us, they always have and it means very much to us.”
Noreen Steinacher – Tobermory Meeting Place
A spokesperson for the Tobermory Meeting Place accepted an award on behalf of Noreen Steinacher. “Noreen is by far the heart and soul of The Meeting Place…She’s the chair of our board but so much more…She’s at The Meeting Place almost daily, she calls me to check on things…Without her this place wouldn’t exist and it’s so good and helps so many people.” The mayor supported the sentiments, “Noreen is instrumental in raising money…I sit on Bruce County Council and Noreen has been instrumental in getting money from the County and she’s done a great job.”
Charlotte Chin – Girl Guides
Charlotte Chin was recognized for running the Girl Guides program called the NBP Sparks and Embers Unit for girls age 5-8. “We were blessed with the opportunity to bring girl guides to the area, this is our second year running it, we have 22 girls this year between Tobermory and Lion’s Head,” said Chin. “Thanks to the community we have a plethora of donated supplies.” The girls focus on crafts, songs, nature, and campfire stories while building confidence, curiosity, and friendships.
David Pierce – Recreation Instructor
David Pierce received an award for volunteering as a recreation instructor teaching free Tai Chi. He explained that his classes are “different” as he teaches his participants to extend rather than grip their hands for increased circulation.
Charlene Jordan – Lion’s Head Farmers Market and Studio Tour
Charlene Jordan was recognized for volunteering with the Lion’s Head Farmers Market and Studio Tour. She stated that “everything is locally Grey or Bruce made or grown.” The market has a collection of volunteers. Some interesting features of the market include occurrences of a Muskoka Chair Lounge, professional chef, and microbrewery. “If you haven’t come to the market, you really should,” said Jordan. The Studio Tour occurs during a weekend in August and “we’ve had the largest number of artists since we’ve started it back up, from Tobermory to just north of Wiarton.”
Brad Gibbs – Tobermory Health Auxiliary and Pickleball
Brad Gibbs was presented with an award for volunteering with the Tobermory Health Auxiliary and pickleball. “Based on several people that have travelled across Canada, our pickleball club in Tobermory is one of the most socially active and connected clubs in Canada,” he said. Gibbs also helps facilitate health and wellness talks in NBP.
Beth Burdon and Karen Van Oss– St. Edmunds Bruce Peninsula Museum
Volunteers from the St. Edmunds Bruce Peninsula Museum, Beth Burdon and Karen Van Oss received awards for volunteering. Burden assisted this past year with implementing children’s programs on the weekends and Wednesdays at the museum. “I really enjoyed doing that as a former teacher, it was a fun opportunity to meet everyone in the community,” she mentioned. Karen Van Oss expressed her love for gardening. “It’s a wonderful way to get introduced to the history, the people that come visit all have stories, it’s a rewarding place to be,” she said.
Although several recipients were absent from the ceremony, their names were recognized as follows: Karen Livick with the Venus Cat Project; Connie Tackaberry with Bruce Peninsula District School; Dominik Franken with Harbourside Music; Carol Ruland with Golden Dawn Senior Citizen Home; Sandy and Charlie Coulter with Tobermory Food Bank; Noreen Steinacher with Tobermory Meeting Place; Donna Hambleton, Rebecca Hagey, and Sheri McHardy with VON SMART; Cathy Cake, Carolyn Prieur, Kelly Burgess, Tracy Smith, Theresa Gray, John Power, Elaine Levesque, Christine Robinson, Dennis McLay, Bev Miller, Laura Owen and Charlene Scharlach with the Lion’s Head Food Bank.
