The joy of giving back
Greg Nix of Pugwash named Cumberland County Volunteer of the Year
Volunteering just came naturally to Greg Nix.
The 60-year-old retired educator, who was recently named Cumberland County’s Volunteer of the Year, says he has always been in volunteer mode.
He credits his upbringing in the Village of Collingwood for this mentality.
Nix recalls when he was growing up, the people of Collingwood would freely give of their time for different causes.
At the school, the teachers were always volunteering. He started volunteering as a Boy Scout leader. The passion developed from there and has not subsided for a moment.
“It’s kind of a way of being,” he told The Cumberland Wire.
Nix, who currently lives in Pugwash, also derives personal fulfilment from volunteer work.
“There’s a great deal of enjoyment in volunteering and, especially, when you volunteer in areas you have a passion for,” he said.
Through the years, he’s been committed to coaching basketball, teaching local cadets and orienteering across the province.
More recently, his focus has been on promoting outdoor activities, especially through the development and upkeep of trails across Cumberland County. Nix is currently the president of the Cumberland Trails Association. They currently maintain the abandoned rail trail, which is part of the Great Trail, from Oxford to the Colchester County line.
“We’ve been watching the work of Colchester and how they’ve updated that rail line to be a very high-quality trail experience, with washrooms, benches and very high-quality surface,” he explained.
Inspired by the work done in Colchester, Nix says they’re hoping to establish a destination trail from Oxford to Pictou. Nix feels economics is a driving factor in trail development. He notes destination trails can become attractions to drive tourism, in turn benefiting local businesses.
After hurricane Dorian struck the region in the summer of 2019, there was even more incentive to maintain and protect these trails, said Nix.
Different local groups worked together to get the trails open again. Nix believes the commitment shown by local residents gave Cumberland Trails the incentive to develop a destination trail.
“That’s been taking a lot of my volunteer time,” he said. “And I am retired, so I certainly couldn’t have put in the time I have so far without being retired.”
It’s a priority for Nix to never see such a rail corridor as the one in northern Nova Scotia abandoned.
“I’d be very upset to find out that a rail corridor like ours was eventually abandoned or closed forever,” he said. “It is a really neat treat to be able to follow the old railway line, along the Intercolonial. I’d hate to see it lost.”
He stresses that it’s not just him — there are several volunteers in the community — who have committed their time and effort to this and other projects.
Nix hopes they can have the destination trail by the end of 2022.
One of Nix’s other roles is on the Pugwash and Area Health Board. This position ties into his work with the trails, as it is another means to promote healthy living through outdoor activities.
In fact, the Cumberland Trails Association hosts a Hike of the Month in co-ordination with the health board.
“My wife and I hike almost daily and we can’t promote being outside any more than we do,” said Nix.
He emphasizes the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how outdoor activities and exercise can be a way to help with mental and physical health.
Nix also volunteers his time for numerous other associations, including the Friends of the Pugwash Estuary, Pugwash Search & Rescue, Nova Scotia Trails Federations, Nova Scotia Trails Fundy Region Representative, Wentworth, Wallace, Route 6 Snowmobile Club, Oxford and Area Trails Association, Cumberland Tourism Advisory Committee and Hike NS.
Nix felt humbled to be considered for such an award as Cumberland County Volunteer for the Year, given all the great volunteers there are throughout the area who devote their time and effort to such causes.
“It’s just a nice thing to be recognized for the work you do,” he added. “We have a wonderful playground here in Nova Scotia and I love promoting it.”