Volunteer of the Year 2018: Bill McDougall
As a newcomer to Creemore in 2006, Bill McDougall got involved with Station on the Green shortly afterward.
This year, he has stepped away from his volunteer duties, after a decade on the Station board.
McDougall started off as a volunteer, doing landscaping, working with neighbour Paul Ruppel, learning about how to care for the facility and the fountain. McDougall and Ruppel looked after the building while other board members took care of the other duties. “Gradually you get more involved. You get sucked in,” he said.
Twice, the fountain had to undergo a huge overhaul. Volunteers, using dental picks, scraped away calcium build-up to prepare it for re-bronzing. McDougall said the first time, they installed a water softener to try to minimize the calcium deposits. It wasn’t enough to soften the hard municipal water so the second time, they installed a reverse osmosis system.
Although he isn’t the main organizer, McDougall has spent many days hauling books for the biannual Big Book Bash, the book sale that raises money to pay for the ongoing maintenance of the facility, and keep rental costs down.
McDougall said he is stepping away from his duties at this point to move on, and make time to do projects at home. But no worries – he has written detailed procedure manuals about how everything works for the next maintenance crew.
He has also been involved with the executive of the Creemore Curling Club and is still an active member. He has also been involved in politics, working with MP Kellie Leitch and the Conservative Party Electoral District Association.
