Comeau a volunteer for 47 years with DEFAGA

As the municipality’s Volunteer of the Year, Stanley Comeau also received recognition from the premier and lieutenant governor at a ceremony in Halifax on April 24.

Comeau is a founding member of Digby East Fish and Game Association.

“It would have been around 1951 and there were about 20 of us, all friends and neighbors” he recalls. “We all loved fishing. We decided we wanted to have a club. We had a few meetings. And then we decided we needed a building. So we built one.”

Comeau brought a fair amount expertise to that project. A carpenter by trade, during his working years the Brighton resident built more than 100 area homes. Drywalling, electrical, plumbing, and cabinetry also count among his skills.

“They were tearing down the wharf at Cornwallis,” Comeau recalls, “and Lawrence Thurber had a mill, so we were able to use the wood from the wharf.”

As more and more members joined the fish and game club, there was a need for a larger clubhouse, and so Stanley Comeau and his buddies built additions onto the building. He also built the property’s wharf.

Comeau officially retired from the workforce 19 years ago at age 65, but his volunteerism continues. These days, he often sells tickets at the door when the club holds its frequent benefits and banquets. And at the annual sports weekend, Stanley Comeau sells hamburgers and hot dogs.

Comeau notes that the club is an active social venue with regular bingos, dances, jam sessions and dinners. Proceeds from many of the events go to support causes such as the Canadian Cancer Society. The club has also helped local families who have lost their homes to fire, or who have been in need because of serious illness.

Comeau notes proudly that he is the fish and game club’s oldest active member, but despite being a volunteer for 47 years, says he was surprised to be honored for his contributions.