Longtime volunteer Charlene Nigh recognized for milestone achievement

She couldn’t have known it at the time, but a trip with her kids to the local playground years ago spawned a lifetime of volunteer service in Fort Erie.

Charlene Nigh was honoured for a major volunteering milestone by Fort Erie council at the October 21 meeting. Nigh began volunteering with the town in 2004 when she joined the playground ad hoc committee, which was established to review the needs of playgrounds in town.

Nigh recalled how it all started. She was taking her kids to a local playground where parking was on the other side of the road.

“The first thing kids are going to do when they get out of the car is run,” she said. And as predicted, at the time her kids got out and ran.

Fortunately there were no issues that time, but Nigh saw a potential safety hazard. Soon after she was a member of the ad hoc committee, helping to improve parks in town and fix hazards such as the road crossings at playgrounds.

Nigh would also join other committees, including the Point Abino Lighthouse Advisory Committee and the Museum and Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee. She was also a member of the Point Abino Lightstation Preservation Society, and spoke at council many times.

“These were local citizens interested in the lighthouse who were very instrumental in assisting the town with the designation of the lighthouse as a national heritage site,” said Mayor Wayne Redekop.

Nigh said at the time it seemed like the lighthouse issue was going to end up being a bit of a battle following national borders, however that wasn’t the case.

“We all worked well together,” she said. The society included both Americans and Canadians.

Nigh has also been an active member of her church in Stevensville, helping with the Doors Open event.

Redekop said community service was something Nigh’s mom installed in her at a young age.

“We’re very pleased that Charlene took her mother’s advice on that,” he said.

For Nigh, her volunteer work was a personal passion.

“It’s always a fun thing really sharing the story of Fort Erie,” she said.

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