Town of Caledon pays tribute to its many volunteers

April 16, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Bill Rea
Terra Cotta’s David Rutherford is Caledon’s 2015 Community Champion.
He was officially recognized Monday night at the Town’s 2015 Community Recognition Night.
Rutherford said he learned of the honour a couple of weeks before.
“Who’s responsible!” he said was his first reaction. “It didn’t take long to figure out who.”
He added he considered himself lucky to be singled out, considering “the many people I’ve worked with over the years who have done a tremendous amount of community work themselves.”
The nomination was headed up by fellow Terra Cotta resident Donna Cragg.
“Its hard to contemplate all the aspects of life in Caledon that Dave has positively impacted,” she wrote in her letter of nomination to the Town. “Not only the quality of life in Caledon, but people across Ontario.”
There have been many community projects Rutherford has been involved in over the years, including the restoration of Terra Cotta Community Hall, in which he said he was involved “beginning to end.”
“Dave embraced the vision,” Cragg wrote. “He made it his mission to see it restored to serve as the heart of the community, ensuring its availability for the residents of Terra Cotta to enjoy today and for future generations.”
Rutherford was a director of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens (CCC), the residents’ group that formed for the successful effort to block the Rockfort Quarry.
He has also been very involved in RoadWatch, both at the national and local levels.
Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) has benefitted a lot from his contributions.
“I would donate my labour and equipment and equipment for a day for projects that they would identify,” he said.
In addition, he has been an event director for the Tour De Terra Cotta.
Last year’s Community Champion Clarence Pinkney made the presentation to Rutherford.
“He gets things accomplished,” Pinkney said. “He leads by example and inspires people with his actions.”
“I believe the community is in his DNA,” he added.
“I do for my community what I can,” Rutherford said in his acceptance address, commenting he’s done a lot, but there were a lot of people supporting him who made it possible.
Rutherford was among 24 people receiving recognition for their volunteer activities throughout town.
“This night is all about all of you sitting in this room,” Mayor Allan Thompson told the audience. “It’s a celebration of what you give to your community.”
He added Caledon has a strong tradition when it comes to volunteering, pointing out this was the first municipality to fill its quota of volunteers for the Pan American Games.
“Caledon cares about people,” he added. “They do it because they love their community.”
“This is the beginning of National Volunteer Week,” Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones observed, as she thanked the Town for recognizing those who help out in the community. She added colleagues at Queen’s Park ask her what’s so special about Dufferin-Caledon, and her reply is “the people.”
People were recognized in various categories.
In community and social services, those receiving recognition included Albert Guhl, Christina Trozzolo, Lionel Gidney and Sheilagh Crandall.
In sports and recreation, the recipients were Glen Davis and Patrick DeCraemer.
Those recognized in arts and culture were the Albion-Bolton Historical Society, Donna Cragg, Ken Weber and Mike Stapleton.
There was only one person recognized for sports achievement, and that was Phillip Adsetts.
Those recognized as distinguished citizens were Betty Starr, Evelyn Bunker, Glenda Sicone, Josie Guhl, Ken Hunt, Kim Clarkson, Marnie Graham, Mary Duke, Meaghan Zaremba, Patricia Running-Horan, Richard Ehrlich and Virginia DiLauro.
Caledon OPP Acting Sergeant Brenda Evans was MC for the ceremony, and she also acknowledged the contributions made by those who sit on committees of council, including Caledon Public Library Board, Policing Advisory Council of Caledon, Accessibility Advisory Committee, Committee of Adjustment, Economic Development Committee, Caledon Environmental Advisory Committee, Graffiti Committee, Heritage Caledon, Municipal Election Compliance Committee, Property Standards Committee and Seniors’ Advisory Committee.