Its people are a community’s greatest asset
The longer you live and work in a community, the more intertwined you become. You get to know the characters, the champions, the doers, the dreamers.
You share in the com- munity’s ups and downs, triumphs and failures.
You get an invitation into their lives and the privilege of telling their stories. Sometimes, those stories are memorial tributes.
Hants County bid farewell to many fine citizens in 2018, with some losses being felt far and wide. It was a year of courageous battles and sudden deaths that made people take note of how fragile life is.
Volunteer firefighter and retired Mountie Don Dignan passed away suddenly after a brief illness in July. His dedication to helping others will always be remembered thanks to a new
memorial firefighting service award from the Municipality of West Hants named in his honour.
Joey Archibald was an outspoken, doting father who took to Facebook in July to urge people to listen to their bodies and seek medical attention instead of toughing it out. Just as he prepared to battle a ‘stunningly aggressive’ cancer, he passed away.
Music teacher Ted Woundy was a stalwart supporter of the
arts scene, always encouraging people to explore their musicality and pushing them out of their comfort zone. When news broke that he passed away suddenly in November, social media lit up with tributes to a man who mentored and inspired countless aspiring musicians.
Telling people’s life stories is always an honour, as is highlighting their contributions to society when they pass on. These are some of the features that really stood out to me in 2018.