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 ceremony hosted by the Town of Amherst on Tuesday, April 26, 2022.
“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. We, the members of the Amherst town council, would like to thank Paul and all of our many volunteers for their dedication and service to the town.”
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 here in 2009. Calder is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee Medal for his community service while a RCMP member. 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.
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 for several years 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 lending a helping hand to the association’s Under 8 minor basketball program. Reid coached for those years. Smith not only volunteered but for the past three years she managed the program, including through the COVID-19 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.
~Story Contributed by the Town of Amherst.
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