Page 8 - Brandon Sun - Community Leader Awards

B8 ■ COMMUNITY LEADER AWARDS 2019 THE BRANDON SUN ■ THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 26 2019

2019

Frank Crew is this year’s Community Leader Award winner in the “volunteer” category. (Colin Slark/The Brandon Sun)
»VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY SUNRISE CREDIT UNION
Crew led by example in Birtle

BY COLIN SLARK family owned for more than a century, department, even bringing his own cord include concerts, hockey games, cipient of a Premier’s Volunteer Ser-
divesting of the last portion in May farm’s water truck to help put out and even grain threshing. vice Award, where he got to attend a
In making a list of Frank Crew’s ac- 2018. blazes on more than one occasion. His contribution to the historical gala and meet the premier.
complishments volunteering in his Other than just farming, Crew’s Before it closed, the Birtle Bap- record also includes a history book he He was also named a Melvin Jones
home community of Birtle, it would land was a frequent location for Le- tist Church was the beneficiary of worked on and his father financed ti- Fellow, the highest award that Lions
probably easier to list the few things gion and Lions Club social events and his skills. Frank helped maintain the tled “Wandering Through Wattsview,” Club International bestows on its
he didn’t volunteer for. the occasional family reunion. grounds and build an addition that which chronicled the history of the members.
He technically lived in Wattsview, As he started to transition from liv- added a washroom and entrance foy- community from 1879-1967. When Crew’s wife Olive Perreault
which was part of the old RM of Birtle, ing in Birtle to living in Brandon, Crew er. “People contributed their stories was dying of cancer, he had to back
but he was an active member of both said that many of the townspeople His skills weren’t just limited to fix- and another neighbour and I were to out of a lot of his volunteer commit-
communities. made sure his land was well taken ing, though. Some wood and metal type it all out,” Crew said. ments. He recalls being asked around
Until the 77-year old moved away a care of while he was away. picnic tables he built are still in use at The neighbour eventually moved that time how he’d gotten involved
few years ago, Crew met the textbook Not having kids of his own to pass it a park in Birtle. away after being accepted into nurs- with all these projects and organiza-
definition of “pillar of the communi- on to, Crew ended up selling the final “When we downsized the farm and ing school. “I kinda got stuck with it tions.
ty.” He probably still does. plot of land to a young family that he had to clean it out, we donated a pile all,” Crew said. He said his parents Ken and Ella set
Even though he has since relocated felt would make good use of the space. of stuff to neighbours and friends,” After a slow start sales-wise, Crew an example by being heavily involved
to Brandon, he and his partner May “We just got some texts this morn- Crew said. “Feels good when you said universities came to appreciate in the community.
Culbertson still keep tabs on the small ing from the young couple that phone these people and they say the book and he eventually sold out. “If you don’t keep up this repair
town he called home for more than bought Frank’s farm,” Culbertson they’ve used a certain thing they got “They’re a scarce commodity right work and help out, organize things,
seven decades. said. “(They) sent us pictures this from you.” now,” he said. the community just dies,” Crew said.
“It will always be home,” Crew said. morning of different scenes from the Three centennial celebrations in These are just some of the things “I always say it was a labour of love.”
“It’s where I was born and raised.” farm and that is so nice to see.” Birtle were assisted by Crew’s skills: that Frank Crew did for his commu- “He loves that community still, to
He was a member of the Birtle Lions Another part of his land was sold to the Canadian centennial in 1967, nity. A short list of his other work in- this day,” Culbertson said.
Club for decades and even though the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Cor- Manitoba’s centennial in 1970 and cludes helping organize the annual By following in his parents’ foot-
he now attends the Wheat City Lions poration for use as a wildlife refuge. Birtle’s centennial in 1984. Lions Journey for Sight snowmobile steps, Frank Crew might just have in-
Club since moving, the organization Crew was the self-taught handyman But Frank did more than just help fundraiser, giving rides to people who spired others to do the same.
awarded him a lifetime membership who helped keep several organiza- put on events — he also helped docu- need kidney dialysis and serving on “I think they’re doing a pretty great
in honour of his service. tions running. “Just learned it as you ment and broadcast them through the board of the local Co-op. job,” Crew said about those who have
The longtime grain farmer retired went,” he said. doing camera work for the local pub- What he did seems to have been ap- taken the reins from him.
from that life in 2000 and slowly sold He performed maintenance on lic access television station. preciated. » cslark@brandonsun.com
off pieces of the homestead that his the machines used by the local fire Some of the events he helped re- Earlier this year, Frank was the re- » Twitter: @ColinSlark
Elliott driven to help his community

BY COLIN SLARK SInce 2005, he has been in-
volved with the Cornwallis
Chuck Elliott has been help- Police Board, which oversees
ing build communities for de- the one-person police force
cades, whether it has been in in the municipality. Currently
the RM of Cornwallis where the vice-chair, Elliott has also
he lives, the City of Brandon spent time as the board’s chair.
or the Murray GM dealership Then-reeve of Cornwallis and
where he works. former Brandon mayor Reg
Now 54, Elliott is currently Atkinson recruited Elliott to
in his 25th year of working at get involved.
Murray GM. Starting as a regu- Within Brandon, Elliott is
lar salesperson, he has risen to the co-chair of the board of 2019
become the sales manager. Helping Hands soup kitchen
The salesman grew up in and has been involved with
Brandon and completed his that organization since he was
undergraduate degree at Bran- recruited to help out 2015.
don University with a major in His workplace had already
math and minors in business been involved with Helping
administration and psychol- Hands since 2014, with Mur-
ogy. He went on to work for the ray GM sending a dollar from
local health authority for sev- every oil change to the soup
eral years before leaving Bran- kitchen and Samaritan House.
don in hopes of becoming an Elliott speaks with pride
air traffic controller. about the oil change program,
A vision problem prevent- saying he recognizes that the
ed him from achieving this beneficiaries need consistent
dream, so he returned to Bran- support from the community
don, eventually landing at to run their programs.
Murray GM. As of a year ago, he said that
Elliott first met his wife more than $50,000 had been
Carla, a nurse, when they raised for Helping Hands and Chuck Elliott is the finalist in the volunteer category of the Community Leader Awards. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
were both students at BU and Samaritan House through the
they reconnected when they oil change donations. said ‘That’s the best organiza- to help in this community.” Brandon as a small city, but ac- year, doing things with differ-
were both working for what is Further to thse efforts, El- tion in the community that Elliott’s past volunteer work tually the catch area for Bran- ent social clubs and events
now called Prairie Mountain liott is also involved with run- makes the biggest impact’,” he has also included Crime Stop- don is very large and the com- that come to town.”
Health. ning fundraiser barbecues and said.“Now being involved with pers, Habitat for Humanity merce from around us comes Now Chuck is leading by ex-
The letter sent to The Sun test drive events for service it for so long, it’s obvious it is and the Assiniboine Commu- into the city,” he said. ample, at his workplace, in the
nominating Elliott for a Com- clubs through his workplace. when you’re close to it. nity College Foundation. Throughout the years, vari- community and for his kids.
munity Leader Award in the Another organization Elliott “There’s so many social pro- Though he doesn’t serve any ous organizations have con- His younger son Lyndon
“volunteer” category called is involved with is the local grams that the government specific role for the organiza- tinued recruiting Elliott to be a is studying automotive busi-
him the hardest-working per- United Way, which he assists funds, and you know we all tion, Elliott is also a supporter part of their team, which begs ness at a university in Barrie,
son at the dealership — work in organizing the annual fun- pay taxes and et cetera, but of the local Chamber of Com- the question: why? Ont. His older son Hewson is
that extends beyond the busi- draising campaign for. He said you know the police and all the merce. “I don’t know,” Elliott said. almost finished training to be-
ness and into the broader that Murray employees are service industries and basical- “The more we can keep “I think any time that I feel come a mechanical engineer.
community at large. Often- encouraged to deduct a small ly the social working system Brandon local: buy local, sell there’s a need to do some- Elliott doesn’t know if his
times, Elliott helps out local portion of their paycheques would be totally overloaded if local, et cetera, it’s a great thing, I don’t mind finding the kids will return to the area
organizations through his to be given to the United Way it weren’t for all the organiza- thing to keep this community time to help out.” once their schooling is com-
workplace. each month. tions that come to help with spinning,” he said. “Growing up, my parents plete.
Elliott told The Sun that he Elliott gives credit to Mil- specific needs. Elliott’s belief in the local were big on community sup- If they end up settling else-
doesn’t necessarily agree with lie Murray, mother of Murray “The United Way actually Chamber also extends to busi- port and volunteering in this where, other communities will
the characterization offered owner Doug Murray, for en- makes that happen in our ness in general throughout the area, in Brandon,” he added. find out what it means to have
by his nominator, but that he couraging him to support the community. ... It makes our Westman area. “They led by example. My an Elliott leading by example.
does believe in leading by ex- United Way. community a better place “We get talking to a lot of mother still is — she’s 90 years » cslark@brandonsun.com
ample. “When I started here, she when there’s private initiative outside companies that look at old and still giving back every » Twitter: @ColinSlark