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A late blast of winter didn’t stop an annual event aimed at matching companies with potential employees.
The eighth annual InspirationWorx - an employment skills development expo put on by FutureWorx – was held on March 20 at the Best Western Glengarry Plus. Expo Co-ordinator Rhiannon McNair says the event continues to give youth and others in the community as well as employers who have a hard time finding good employees or jobs some career direction.
“People who are unemployed don’t always know where to start,” said McNair. “They might not be attached to a government agency or know about government services and support that’s out there so we try and create a nice combination of employers who are currently hiring with people who want to know how to get a career in a specific industry and the types of jobs it offers. We offer something for the unemployed, under employed, people looking for a career change and students.”
Funded by the Province of Nova Scotia, InspirationWorx also linked residents with employment service agencies such as CareerworksNova, Open Doors Career Resource Centre, the Native Council of Nova Scotia and of course FutureWorx. Nova Scotia Student Assistance along with several colleges and universities were also represented.
McNair says a number of sector councils including tourism, trucking and construction were also in attendance as well as individual companies under the umbrellas of those industries.
“We also had several workshops going on throughout the day including resume and cover letter writing, the use of social media, career decision making, bullying in the workplace, managing workplace stress and one on money as well. We had guest speakers including Kyle MacDonald and his very inspirational story on trading a red paper clip for a house. Everyone is amazed at how he managed to do that,” she said.
The television host and comedian also shared some of his motivational stories while TJ Grant, a mixed martial artist, also hosted a workshop. Grant, who is originally from Alberta, has actually chosen to train and fight out of Cole Harbour.
Josh Sibley of Truro decided to check out InspirationWorx with his cousin. He was looking forward to attending the event with his school but because it was cancelled due to the storm, he still wanted to see what was on display.
Sibley is looking at a career in heavy equipment or welding so it only made sense he was drawn to the interactive displays set up by the Operating Engineers Training Institute. They include hand-controlled excavator simulators.
“I was looking forward to coming and was a little disappointed when I heard school was cancelled,” said Sibley. “But once we found out this was still on, we decided to come down and I’m glad we did. I was looking for booths that involved heavy equipment or a trade like welding and obviously this one drew me in because it gave you an opportunity to not only learn some information but I actually got to use the simulator too. When you have a chance to find out more information like this, it makes your decision a lot easier. It’s nice to have some extra time to be able to talk with people and learn more without feeling like they’re pressuring you to go here or there.”
Linda Wulf is the recruiting officer for the Institute of Human Services Education. The post-secondary college in Truro has been around since 1976 and was originally housed in the former Nova Scotia Teacher’s College. Now a not-for-profit institution, Wulf says events like InspirationWorx presents a tremendous opportunity for smaller places like IHSE to meet people and raise its profile.
“My number one goal coming here was to raise awareness. We want to let people know who we are, where we go and the fact we are here in Truro,” said Wulf.
“A lot of people don’t realize what we are and the opportunities we offer which means they don’t necessarily have to go away. We’re a small institution and sometimes a big school is not the best learning environment for all students. We have almost everything the larger schools have on a smaller scale including a library and social activities for our students.”
According to Wulf, IHSE has been attending InspirationWorx since its inception. Despite the weather limiting the amount of people who went through, Wulf still had an opportunity to speak with lots of people.
She says many are looking for opportunities to further their education while others are looking for employment while they’re deciding what they want to do. Others are actually looking to change careers all together which could mean returning to school.
“We offer a youth worker program, an early childhood education program and both are two year diplomas,” she said. “The credits from both of those courses can be transferred to university programs. So if you’re someone living locally, you can stay at home, take the first two years here then transfer to university and go on to get your degree. We’ve also taken students who might have a Bachelor of Arts in psychology or sociology and give them transfer credits so they can get specialized training to work in the field with youth or children which will open up a lot of doors to additional employment opportunities.”
It’s this type of positive feedback that McNair continues to look forward to. She admits there is difficulty with employment in Nova Scotia, which is why this type of event continues to receive funding. Anytime an event can bring a large group together in one place, it’s a positive, she said.
“We all hear how there are no jobs in Nova Scotia and the negative impact that can have,” McNair continued. “But things are happening. During our afternoon session government officials were here to speak about workplace skills development advanced education programming. They do a lot of work with employers to upgrade people’s training. We also had people here from the Star program which is also government funded. It promotes Nova Scotians working in Nova Scotia.”
The event was held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and McNair says a number of exhibitors have already expressed their intentions to return for next year’s event.
By Heather Clarke
You might say David Corning was destined to own his own toy shop -- after all, it seems to be the family business.
His brother, Darren, owns a shop in Bedford called Brain Candy Toys -- and their parents own educational toy stores in Antigonish, New Glasgow, and Sydney.
Corning was working at his parents’ shop in Antigonish a few years ago, and realized he had found his calling -- there amongst the puzzles, books, art supplies, and building sets.
“I really enjoyed the toy end of retail,” says Corning. “It’s just a really enjoyable environment, and it felt natural to be interacting with the customers and their children.”
Corning drove to Truro to do a little research, and discovered the town didn’t have any toy stores that focused on higher-quality, educational toys. So he moved here to set up shop in the Truro Mall, and Just For Learning opened on March 1, 2012.
More than a year into the business, Corning and his three employees are spending their days helping customers in the cheerful, colourful shop. A giant stuffed giraffe teeters near the entrance, and toy lawnmowers and wheelbarrows are just begging to be played with.
“Kids love it here. I have lots of toys set out to play with, so it’s very welcoming for them,” says Corning.
But while it’s the toys that appeal to the children, it’s the stellar customer service that keeps their Moms and Dads coming back again and again.
“We pride ourselves on really helping out our customers, and knowing a lot about the products,” says Corning. “I feel like we care a little more, because we own the place, compared to someone working in the toy section of a big-box store.”
The modest-sized store is packed with merchandise -- from puppets, and enormous stuffed animals to wooden food, tin tea sets, puzzles, board games, and vehicles. They also sell teachers’ resources and bulk art supplies, and educators get discounts on their purchases.
Corning says customers are often commenting on his massive selection of Melissa & Doug products.
“It’s one of the lines that I really focus on, so customers who also shop at Chapters or Toys ‘R’ Us will come in and say ‘Wow, how come I’ve never seen this anywhere else before?’” says Corning. “They’ll be shocked that they didn’t see it at Chapters, but those stores only carry a small portion of what’s available.”
Melissa & Doug and Playmobil are Just For Learning’s most popular lines, they also sell a lot of Schleich animal figurines. Corning says today’s parents want to buy high-quality toys, because they want something that isn’t going to break after a week or two.
“Parents really appreciate how long these toys last, because they get sick of throwing out cheaply-made toys,” says Corning. “They also like that they’re getting something that can be handed down to the next generation.”
Expect to see more new products at Just For Learning, which Corning hints are “exciting lines you don’t see around here. He says the future looks strong for the store, and he has a few words of wisdom for other small business owners on the importance of location.
“Malls are a great place to start a business, because there’s a community feel and shared promotion. You’re not just off on your own somewhere,” says Corning. “You also get the benefit of great foot traffic and exposure.”
“When children walk by our store, we can always hear them ask their parents ‘Can we go in there? Please?’”
Just For Learning is located in the Truro Mall. For more information or to inquire about a product, please call owner David Corning at (902) 843-6300.
TRURO - Truro & Colchester Chamber of Commerce President Mike Michaud says as usual, there is good and bad in the latest federal budget. But he does see some encouraging news when it comes to matching unemployed people with the training needed to fill vacant jobs.
“It might be a positive idea for the provinces, Ottawa and businesses to partner on worker re-training costs,” says Michaud.
“It means everyone has a stake in making sure the newly-trained employee is successfully-skilled. However, a lot of questions remain on the issue of how each business operator will be asked to participate. “
Michaud says the Chamber is also encouraged by Ottawa’s forecast to get back to a balanced budget by 2016. But again, he says a lot depends on the recovery in the U-S and Europe to get us there.
Michaud says Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s move to extend the tax break for machinery purchases and tax incentives for the forestry sector should help boost the areas surrounding Truro and Colchester County, especially for those mill workers who supply the rebounding American home construction sector.
United States home construction has just hit a three-year-high.
The Chamber President also likes the extended tax credit for small businesses.
Michaud points out the government has taken a number of incentive programs that first emerged in previous, post-recession budgets, and either extended them or tailored them in slightly new directions.
A plan that sees small businesses get a credit of up to $1,000 against the increase in its EI premiums for new hires has been renewed. And the Lifetime Capital Gains exemption for small business owners, farmers and fishers has been extended by $50,000 to $800,000.
By Heather Clarke
New Member Profile
It’s always a great feeling to know your company is crushing the competition in the U.S. market -- especially when you’re a six-employee operation based in the Truro area.
“We have a customer in Texas who always orders from us, because their local company will take two weeks to finish an order,” says Craig Blois, manager of Woodmaster Tools. “They love that they can place an order with us, and they have the finished product in their hand two days after they call.”
Woodmaster Tools is a family-owned business. Blois and his father, Fred, pioneered a new way to use CNC technology to manufacture molding knives for the woodworking industry.
“We’re a niche market within a niche market. It’s very specialized,” says Blois.
“The knives are for anyone who is shaping wood, so we sell them to people making mouldings, picture frames, decking, hardwood flooring, custom furniture, and boats -- just to name a few.”
But it wasn’t always about the knives for the Blois father-and-son team. They started a machinery business 25 years ago, and moulding knives were just one of the imported products they carried. But slow shipping from the U.S. left their customers impatient for their knives to arrive.
“They couldn’t wait that long for the knives, so we started making them ourselves out of necessity,” says Blois. “We didn’t really want to start doing it at first, but over time, it’s become our bread-and-butter.”
They used a manual grinder for a few years, and then took the plunge in 1996 and bought their first EDM (Electrical Discharge Machine).
“We realized the knives were becoming the main part of our business, so it was time to invest in something more automated. At that time no one else was manufacturing moulding knives with EDM machines so it was a bit of a risk at first,” explains Blois.
The company now has three EDMs for creating their knives from tool steel -- which Blois says isn’t readily available locally. They bring in blanks from Europe, the U.S. or Malaysia, and cut them into intricate blades.
“We have a catalogue with more than 500 different profiles, and we can do a lot of custom orders as well,” says Blois. “If someone has a historic property, or they want to match something to a magazine photo, we can design and manufacture a tool very quickly.”
Unlike most of their competitors, Woodmaster provides technical drawings with their quotes, so customers can see exactly what they’d be ordering.
Their products are small and relatively light, so they can easily be shipped around the globe. Blois estimates that they probably only sell five per cent of their products to clients within Nova Scotia, with another 30 per cent going to clients elsewhere in Canada. About five per cent of their clients are located in distant countries, with a staggering 60 per cent of their products shipping to U.S. customers.
“We’re not competing with Wal-Mart -- and we don’t want to be. No one else in Atlantic Canada is doing this,” says Blois. “We’re proof that a small-town company can be successful in the export industry.”
“You just have to find a niche market, and try to excel in that.”
Woodmaster Tools is located at 1176 Black Rock Road in Clifton. For more information on their products, please call (902) 893-1915 or email
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By Mike Michaud
President - Truro & District Chamber of Commerce
These are exciting times as we turn the page on another Chamber year. I would like to thank Don Hay for his dedication to our chamber the last 12 months, and he has definitely set the bar high for me in this coming year.
I would also like to thank our entire board for the time they put in to assure that all of our members have a voice within the Truro-Colchester business community.
As I look ahead in the year to come, I feel fortunate to be taking the role as Truro and Colchester Chamber of Commerce President. I look forward to being your voice over the next 12 months and taking on the issues of our 430 members. I also look forward to being able to celebrate all the wonderful things going on in our business communities. We need to foster and promote a healthy business climate for Truro, Stewiacke, Tatamagouche and all of Colchester County.
In the past few years, our chamber has hosted roundtable discussions that have formed the “Live Local Committee,” and our “Employment Committee.” The Live Local committee is not just asking people to shop in Colchester County, but to support your local sports teams, support local charities, support local plays and concerts. This all generates money for the Truro-Colchester economy and I would encourage all of you to participate in or attend some of the wonderful events and activities that our local groups and community have been able to provide us in recent months.
There is no reason to go outside our community when such great services and first-class entertainment is being provided right here in your own back yard. We also have to build upon the work that has been done with our employment committee. The biggest concern we are still hearing from our members is the access to a willing and skilled workforce within the local community. This will be one of our main mandates in the coming year and into the future as it is such a voiced and prominent concern.
We may not be able to solve all the issues we have identified, but my goal is to move forward and better our current situation within the community.
As we foster more interest in what is going on in our community, this will create a much healthier and stronger business environment for all of us. As part of the above, I will host a pair of networking events this year to give local business people the opportunity to talk freely with one another and to promote doing business with each other. Our members have asked us to give them more business-oriented activities, and I feel this is a great way to get the ball rolling.
We have all taken unique and different paths to get to where we are today, and as the new Chamber President, I want you to share your experiences with me, and I will share my experiences with you. I may only have enough knowledge to fill a book, but I feel together we can fill a library with useful information.
During this coming year, I am asking all members of the business community to help me make the Truro and Colchester Chamber of Commerce the strongest it can be. Please stay in touch.
By Alan Johnson
Executive Director, Truro & Colchester Chamber of Commerce
Mark Twain’s famous quote, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated” applies quite nicely to this month’s message.
It allows me to visit some of the popular rumours that Truro and Colchester are suffering from a general business and social malaise. Let’s take a look at some of the tall tales that have made the rounds over the past few months.
One rumour that made it to my ears was that the Rath Eastlink Civic Centre is sinking into the ground and engineers have been unable to stop it. Upon checking with several sources that help administer the new building, I’m told that is completely false. And since I jog around the RECC centre’s running track a few times each week, I haven’t seen or felt “that sinking feeling” at all. Let’s call that one a bad rumour that kept the “chattering classes” busy for several weeks.
Next one? How about, Downtown Truro is losing businesses because nobody wants to locate there anymore. Well, downtowns everywhere have had to work very hard to hold their own, and when you look at the numbers, Downtown Truro is doing the best of all.
With at least 21 new businesses opening in the central core over the past 12 months, I’d say there’s still a pretty good confidence level in the clean and tree-lined streets of our downtown.
Next on my list is the rumour that the former Zeller’s space in the Truro Mall would be turned into offices because no retailers wanted to risk the location. That one also appears to be false. Robie Street continues to be the second-most-travelled street in Nova Scotia and Strathallen’s Donald Burton, who markets the mall, says a lot of big box retailers are looking to locate “smaller, medium-sized boxes” in places like Truro. It seems we could be witnessing a post-Zeller’s renaissance at the mall this summer and fall.
So now that we’ve dealt with the rumours, let’s turn the page.
It’s spring and that means green sprouts on the lawns and in the gardens, pedestrians and joggers looking forward to warmer days and nights, and more people visiting Central Nova Scotia.
One of the things that gives us optimism is the number of events that are taking place this spring and summer to bring people into our area.
From the early-spring hockey and curling season wrap-ups to the spring soccer and ball games that bring people in by the car and van load from other parts of the province, to the Colchester County Home Show and a myriad of summer festivals and celebrations, all of these contribute to our economy in their own way.
Since Truro and Colchester are so centrally-located, many regional and provincial organizations use our hotels, the Debert Hospitality Centre, the Agridome and our post-secondary facilities as easy-to-reach convention spaces.
It might surprise you that TOPS, which stands for Take Off Pounds Sensibly, will be hosting more than 1,000 people here in Truro from May 24 to 26.
That event, which will bring in members from across the Atlantic Provinces and Quebec, takes place at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre, which is yet another great venue to keep Truro and Colchester on the map.
Let’s stay positive, and watch what happens when we do that.
By Rock Johnson
It’s Alive! Well it has a pulse anyway. What I am talking about is an original music scene in Colchester. For the first time in memory I can go out to venues and see people performing original music in the comfort of my hometown on a regular basis.
To me and a handful of early supporters, this is a big deal, and one I will continue to support with both my time and my wallet to the best of my abilities.
Do you remember that time when you bought that album that changed the way you look at music? For some of us those moments are recent and often, while for others they seem like a lifetime away. I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone who just stopped liking music all of a sudden, but the majority of people have definitely stopped supporting it.
There is no question that outside of what is on the radio, the vast majority of people have just stopped noticing or looking for new music. I’m hopeful that this will shift a little, as a music fan I need it to snowball into something that benefits everyone.
I went to a few shows recently in Truro and wanted to share my observations on one in particular. An all ages show at Douglas Street Rec Centre featuring four metal bands Ocean’s Will Rise, Forward Unto Dawn, Krom and Select & Dismember. All four bands played their guts out, time constraints on the venue kept the sets short, but full of heart and mad energy.
The crowd that showed up was modest in numbers, but I have to say I was proud of the fact that they gave every bit of energy the bands were putting out back to them in folds. It was refreshing to see some of the younger generation with a genuine passion for music.
I was also impressed with how everyone shared that love, the room was intense with energy but full of good vibes at the same time. To anyone who still believes the stereotype that youth who are enamored with this type of music are troublesome and a menace to society here is some contrast. I just played a show to a room full of so called adults, where no less than three separate physical altercations arose during the show.
There were absolutely no incidents at the all ages show. It’s awesome to see an entertainment option for the youth of our county, and I hope that it gets the support it needs to continue.
I really, really dug this show. There were some great performers, and seriously talented musicians in these bands.
Oceans Will Rise may have put out the best heavy album of 2012 with their debut “Angels & Arsonists”. In order to keep these shows alive it requires talented artists who are willing to come to the area, and a fan base that will make it worth their while to come. I realize that metal is a niche market, but I know that in a town this size there are a lot more people out there that could sink their teeth into this type of show, who either didn’t know about the show or couldn’t be bothered to come out.
Music is in a very fragile state and without support it will dry up and go elsewhere, and in my opinion this town has been dry for far too long musically speaking.
Nowadays it is easier than ever to be an engaged fan, especially at a grass roots level. Ticket/admission prices are dirt cheap, music and merchandise is at an all time low dollar value if not free, and the internet allows you to pre screen any acts coming to your area. The more familiar you are with the music, the better time you will have at the show. Bands are mostly playing for cover at the door these days and sharing the shows with two or three other bands who all incur a cost to travel to play for you.
As an artist most nights you just hope you can cover the gas to get to the show and home again, but in an effort to spread their music, bands are willing to take the financial risk in hopes to make that handful of fans each show.
So no matter what your musical tastes are, support what you love whether it be an all ages metal show at the Douglas Street Rec Centre, a classical music performance at The Marigold Cultural Centre or indie rock night at The Split Crow, get out and be part of the scene.
TIP OF THE MONTH
“The most important thing I’ve learned as a graduate of the Recording Arts Program at NSCC is to work on your ear training and familiarize yourself with fundamental frequencies. Apple has a cool app called Quiztones to help with this.
This will not only sharpen your ears for the mixing process but more importantly help you achieve the tones and sounds you’re looking for during the recording process. A mix always becomes easier if you start with great sounds to begin with. Ever hear the saying “Polishing a Turd?”
That’s what you might end up doing if you settle for less than perfect during the recording process. If your attitude is, “I’ll fix it in the mix,” or “That should be good enough,” then you might want to revisit your methodology.” – Jeff Roper, My Living Will/Lone Warrior Productions
Have a Colchester related music story you think I should cover? Email:
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Rock Johnson is an independent recording artist, freelance writer and music enthusiast!
TRURO: Women in Colchester County are invited to do some shopping while helping a good cause.
It’s called Ladies Day Out and it will feature 20 local vendors from Truro and the surrounding areas coming together in an event that supports the Colchester Food Bank.
Sam Cameron is one of the minds behind the event. She says shoppers can expect to find a variety of items at Ladies Day Out.
“We have things ranging from home-based businesses such as Scentsy, Tupperware and Avon,” said Cameron. “Then some of the vendors actually make their own items and that can include everything from tutus, hair clips and baby items to painted letters.”
All profits from the event will be donated to the Colchester Food Bank. Cameron added they will be collecting food items or monetary donations at the door in exchange for admission. A 50/50 draw will also be held and all proceeds from that will also be donated.
Ladies Night Out will be held at the Truro Fire Hall on Victoria Street on April 27. It will start at 10 a.m. and run until 2 p.m. Each vendor has also agreed to donate a door prize so draws will be taking place every 15 minutes.
“Forbidden Tanning is also on board and they’ve donated a $100 door prize which we will be giving away as well,” said Cameron.
A canteen will be available and weather permitting; a barbecue is in the works. This is one several sales planned throughout the year. At the last sale, Cameron says $328 was donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colchester.
If you were planning on entering your pet in this year’s Colchester SPCA Calendar contest, time is running out.
Sara Delaney, manager of the not-for-profit shelter, says they will accept pictures up until April 30 before opening the voting.
She says a number of people have already submitted their pictures for the contest while others have been phoning recently wondering about a deadline.
“We wanted to get the word out again just to let people know we are still accepting photos,” he said. “Some people bring their photos in the first days but others get sidetracked with other priorities and when they think about it again, the deadline has come and gone.”
The calendar contest remains a popular fundraiser for the SPCA. It gives pet owners an opportunity to show off their pet while helping a good cause. There is a $5 charge for each admission and Delaney adds there is no limit on how many photos someone can submit.
To date, Delaney says they’ve even received photos from owners who live outside Colchester County and they are of animals both large and small.
“Cats and dogs are obviously the more common photos we receive,” she said. “But we’ve seen photos of geckos, ducks, horses, goats and more. We don’t have any restrictions in terms of the animal so if someone wants to send in a nice picture of their horse running around the pasture, that’s great. The only time we don’t accept a photo is when a person is in it.”
Every picture received will appear in the 2014 calendar. Twelve of the photos will be selected as overall winners. Each of those will anchor a month with a large photo on the top page. Beside the dates on the bottom portion of the page, thumbnail photos of second, third, fourth and fifth place photos will be depicted.
“All of the photos will also appear in a big collage as well,” said Delaney. “People are usually pretty excited to see their photo.”
While response has been good, Delaney admits they would love to see more photos submitted. She says the more photos they have, the better the competition.
“Every photo is also $5 more for us,” she added. “We cover the cost of printing, so once we’ve covered that off, everything else is profit. We also sell the calendars too, which helps.”
Proceeds from the calendar are typically used for general expenses incurred by the shelter. As for 2013 calendars, the SPCA still has a handful left, but Delaney admits they likely won’t last long. She says many people buy them as a Christmas gift which doesn’t leave many remaining.
Of course, some people don’t have pets but they like supporting organizations like the SPCA. If that’s the case, perhaps online auctions held on the shelter’s Facebook page is more fitting.
The auctions started in November and have continued on a weekly basis. Delaney says the items being auctioned off vary depending on what’s been donated to them.
“We accept mostly anything for our auctions as long as they are clean and work,” she said. “It could be anything from toys to books, housewares and other items. The only thing we don’t accept right now is clothes. We tried that in the past but clothing items never seemed to sell so we’ve decided to go in a different direction.”
Auctions start and close every Sunday and run for a week. As soon as bidding stops on one auction, Delaney says they usually have a new one up and running within an hour. They continue until they run out of donated items.
The idea of an online auction comes with a number of positives. First and foremost, Delaney says it enables people who want to support the SPCA but can’t because of financial restrictions to do so by donating items for the auction. It also allows people who enjoy animals but for a variety of reasons are unable to an avenue to support the shelter by bidding on the items up for grabs.
To date, the weekly auctions have generated anywhere from $200 to $250 and those proceeds are usually earmarked for the spayed and neuter program or the Pixie fund, which is for animals needing expensive surgeries.
“Other times, we may need the money for something unexpected,” she said. “It’s nice to have that coming in. I usually try and indicate on the site where the money will be going so when the auction starts people know.”
For those looking to participate, they are asked to register. However, it’s a simple process that requires a bidder to simply message the SPCA via Facebook with their name and phone number so they can be contacted if they win.
Anyone looking for more details can visit www.colchesterspca.ca or find them on Facebook.
When tragedy struck the Colchester Community Workshops family on February 12, staff, clients and volunteers all found themselves asking the same question – what can we do to help?
It was on that morning they learned two clients – Maria Campbell and Trevor Steele Murray were involved in a serious car crash while being driven to work by Campbell’s parents – Raymond and Diane. All four were taken to hospital but at this point, only Murray and Maria’s mother have been released.
Susan McCallum, operations manager at Colchester Community Workshops says Maria, who has been in hospital for close to two months and Raymond, who is currently in rehab for his injuries, have a long road ahead of them in terms of recovery. To make matters worse, Diane has been staying at Point Pleasant Lodge since being released to she can tend to her daughter and husband.
“She’s trying to do this while temporarily being in a wheelchair herself,” said McCallum. “It’s not cheap staying in there, especially for that length of time. She spends the mornings with her husband and then spends her afternoon with Maria. Understanding the hardship that’s been placed on the family, we saw it as a great way for us to give back and support one of our clients.”
On March 19, the Intercolonial Café was jam-packed with people as Colchester Community Workshops hosted a pancake breakfast fundraiser – one of several – that saw all proceeds going to help support Maria and her family.
“We had come up with a few ideas for fundraisers and put those into play,” continued McCallum. “We asked the fundraising committee if they would be receptive to us taking some proceeds from our online auctions for a couple of weeks. We dedicate the proceeds from two weeks of auctions to Maria and her family and the committee wanted to step it up further so they decided on a pancake breakfast. We were hopeful to sell 100 tickets and we far exceeded that number.
“At one point, I seriously started worrying that we were going to run out of food,” she continued.
Through the pancake breakfast alone, close to $1,200 was raised. That joins another donation made earlier as a result of proceeds raised from the online auctions. Local businesses, through donations of their own, covered the cost of the pancake mix and sausages.
“We also had an anonymous donor come in and make a fairly substantial donation to the workshops,” said McCallum. “The donor also took $400 of that donation and put it directly toward our efforts to Maria’s family. That brings the overall total to more than $3,500.”
Tickets for the pancake breakfast were sold in advance as well as the day of the event. McCallum admits she was surprised to see how many people purchased tickets without ever planning to attend the event.
“They just wanted to give back,” she said.
Larry Hiles, another client at Colchester Community Workshops took it upon himself to canvass the local area in an effort to sell more tickets. A movie night was also held and gave clients an avenue to help support their friend. McCallum says they made a donation they could afford.
“It made them very much a part of these efforts and numerous families and clients have helped support these initiatives,” she said. “One of their friends is having a hard time and they want to make sure they can do whatever they can to help her out.”
At this point, there is no set timeline for Maria’s recovery. However, due to her injuries, McCallum expects it will be a lengthy stay. She’s already undergone several surgeries and despite this, remains in good spirits.
McCallum was recently down to see Maria and she remained in good spirits.
“She was unable to speak to us but she is recovering well. She was definitely happy to see us,” said McCallum. “It’s amazing everyone came out of the crash alive and based on the injuries they’ve sustained, they’re very fortunate.”
Murray’s stay in hospital was short and he did miss a couple of weeks of work while he recovered. He has since returned to work on a part-time basis and will slowly work his way back into a full-time role. Everyone is hoping the same will happen for Maria, but McCallum says it will likely be some time before she’s able to return.
Family and friends in the Campbell’s home town of New Annan are also pitching in. During chats with Diane, McCallum learned someone was going to their home to keep a fire going while others were working to ensure the family’s small hobby farm was taken care of.
“These stories are very touching and it always amazes me when someone in our community is facing hardships how people come together to support them. I didn’t expect this type of response to our fundraisers,” she said. “I’m amazed every time. People have really stepped up for this family and their efforts are helping to relieve some of the stress the Campbell’s have been under.”
Anyone wanting to help out can do so by making a donation at Colchester Community Workshops finances department anytime between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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