Steve Clayton

An often quoted rule of life is that no one person is irreplaceable.

If that is a truth, then Steve Clayton may well be the exception to the rule. Over the past thirty-six years the words Bridgetown Recreation and Steve Clayton have arguably become interchangeable terms. He is surely the only sixty-three year old person in Canada who has not yet learned what the word “no” means. His incredible willingness to help out, to lead or be led, to do whatever, knows no limitations. In any given week in any month of the year, you can find him running a meeting, selling an ad, picking up a hammer or a paint brush, seeking a sponsor, creating an event, making ice, organizing a tournament, hiring staff, recruiting other volunteers and raising money.

Since 1991 Steve has been the Chairperson of the Bridgetown Community Recreation Association. He oversees the operations of the Arena and the Pool and the Ball Field. He has organized and run major renovations at all three facilities and in 2005, he did the same at the Tennis Courts. He has served as Chair of Bridgetown Minor Hockey, General Manager of the Bridgetown Hawks Senior Hockey Team, President of Bridgetown and District Recreation Hockey League and Co-Chair of the Canadian National Ball Hockey Championships. He was the founder of the Valley Keiths Junior “C” hockey team, acting as the team’s Head Coach and GM for several years. After many years of dormancy, he revived the BRHS Hockey Program, serving as the team’s Coach and GM. He did the same with the BRHS Boys Softball team, leading them to three Provincial Championships. He has been a Tournament Chairman in hockey and ball literally too many times to count.

He created and constructed the Hockey Heritage Room at the Arena, started the Kinder Pre-Skate program and introduced the Used Hockey and Figure Skating Equipment Box. He single handedly seeks out the sponsors whose paid sign boards cover the walls of the arena and the outfield fence at the Ball Field, providing much needed operational monies. In 2005, he spearheaded a T-Ball program and he can always be found sharpening skates throughout the hockey season. He is perhaps the only volunteer that many of us have ever seen laying bases and base lines at the Ball Field.

In 2004- 2005 Steve was awarded the title of Annapolis County Volunteer of the Year and also won the Hockey Nova Scotia Jed Ritchey Award for Volunteer of the Year. In 2007 he was honored with the Hockey Nova Scotia Award for Dedication to Hockey in Nova Scotia. In 2010, he was given the same award in recognition of his dedication to Minor Hockey.

Also in 2010, Steve was selected for the RBC Hockey Leader Award for the Province of Nova Scotia. This National Award came with a $10,000 grant which went to support the Arena and our local Minor Hockey programs. All in all, an incredible list of accomplishments that only begins to scratch the surface of the effort and dedication and love of community that Steve brings to the beginning of every waking day.

When presented with a goal or a need, many people begin by defining the obstacles to be overcome, by listing the reasons it can’t be achieved. Steve Clayton has always responded with two simple phrases: “How can we do this?” and “Let’s get ‘er done.”